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IT Services in Southampton, Hampshire

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I.T Installation Services Surrey

Give your IT a sense of direction

4th April 2019 By Admin

IT Installation Services and IT Maintenance Contracts

Give your IT a Sense of Direction
Give your IT a Sense of Direction

Our Expert I.T Services are unique!

We have a tailored I.T service that will fit your business, requirements and budget.

We offer each business we provide I.T Services to, a Personal IT service, working as a natural extension to our Customers Businesses where we know each of our customers by name and what their business does.

Our IT Support Desk Service will be an natural extension to your business.

Check out what our Customers say about us on our Testimonials Page

Wouldn’t you like your business to have its own I.T. department?

If you are looking to replace or upgrade your I.T Systems for your business and want an informed and experienced I.T company that specialises in the requirements of small and medium sized business give us a call.

We can offer you a confidential, no obligation discussion on your I.T requirements.

We are an IT Specialist and cover businesses in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Sussex. Specifically in Southampton, Totton, Romsey, Eastleigh, Winchester, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Poole, Blandford, Basingstoke

If you have concerns with your I.T Security or have any questions about your network give us a call.

 

Do you have an ever growing list of I.T niggles?

 

We are experts in just about anything I.T

IT Proactive Monitoring
IT Proactive Monitoring

 

Century IT Services are based in Totton, Southampton. Hampshire and can help you with the installation or on going I.T support of your computer, server and network.

IT Installation Services and IT Maintenance Contracts

We offer a broad range of I.T services covering, internet, email, anti-spam, anti-virus solutions

We are experts in virtually anything Microsoft Server based and have extensive troubleshooting skills.

 

Do you have an ever growing list of I.T niggles?

 

If you have an ever growing list of I.T niggles or need a server, or network installed, you have come to the right place.

You can Contact Us for a confidential, no obligation discussion of your requirements

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, I.T Support Dorset, I.T Support Hampshire, I.T Support Southampton, I.T Support Surrey, I.T Support Sussex, I.T Support Wiltshire

Ransomware Protection Advice

4th March 2019 By Admin

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We have had many enquiries about Ransomware from businesses with Ransomware Protection Advice.

What can they do to reduce the chances of them being infected or losing data.

Unfortunately enquires from businesses asking for help in data recovery subsequently after being hit with ransomware

Prevention is better than cure as with Ransomware, the cure is often extortion or a money scam

Paying protection money to a Ransomware writer will likely only lead to a larger Ransom or further extortion

 


What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a new type of virus technology with is prolific across the internet.

It has become so common place that more customers are being affected by this type of virus than any other type of virus at this time

It is usually spread through email SPAM as an attachment or clickable link within an email

Ransomware relies on 2 specific tactics to infect your computer

· Delivery of virus / mechanism through spam email

· Activation of virus is through human error or lack of judgement

Below is some valueable information on Ransomware Protection Advice


I have Anti-Virus software so I am protected

Ransomware Protection Advice
Ransomware Protection Advice

WRONG

Unfortunately, you could never be more wrong.

In an ideal world your anti-virus software would detect and stop every virus and the whole topic of viruses and ransomware would become a topic you would read about in history books.

This ideal scenario doesn’t exist in the present time, and probably won’t so far as money can be made by extorting businesses and individuals.

Why isn’t it being detected by my Anti-Virus software?

A recent study by a global anti-virus software manufacturer Sophos found that there were around 20,000 different variants of Ransomware being created every day. Ransomware Protection Advice


How Can I Get Infected?

Ransomware Protection Advice
Ransomware Protection Advice

Ransomware Viruses are man-made.

Ransomware viruses are usually propagated through email and activated through user intervention.

i.e. lack of human judgement, clicking on an email link or opening an attachment

Once you have downloaded the infected file, or clicked on the ‘dodgy link’ your computer is infected

Once your computer is infected, the virus will strart trawling through all of your files and encrypting them.

The Ransomware virus will also start trawling through all the files you have access to on your network

Ransomware Protection Advice


Ransomware Protection Advice
Ransomware Protection Advice

Ransomware Protection – What can I do to reduce the Risk of Ransomware

There is no single silver bullet here, and to reduce your risk of exposure to Ransomware there are number of steps you can do

 

Backup Often

Backup often and keep numerous previous backups or file versions

Ransomware will hijack your files and turn them into a format which you will no longer able to read without paying a ransom.

A business which has no data, can’t operate and will go into liquidation

By having a wide choice of backups to restore from reduces your risk of data loss exponentially

 

Offline Backups

Managed IT Systems
Managed IT Systems

Try to use offline backups types, i.e. ones that once you have backed up your data are physically removed from the network.

Try not to use hard drives and NAS Drives as your primary backup medium.

Ransomware spreads by infecting and copying itself to all network drives and shares.

This means that it will not only infect your data, it could also infect and render your backups useless.

Hard Drive backups or NAS Drive Backups should be considered a poor man’s backup.  Due to their physical constraints are in effect just a hard drive on the network, prime to be infected by any slightly capable virus

 

Anti-Virus software with inbuilt Ransomware Protection

Ensure your Anti-Virus software has Ransomware Protection inbuilt

Just Anti-Virus software nowadays simply isnt sufficient for the modern Cyber Security threats

Yes, adding Ransomware protection to your Anti-Virus Subscription will cost you a little bit more. But the alternative could be days or weeks of IT Downtime whilts your IT Team recovers your business

 

Staff Education

Staff education will go along way in preventing a Ransomware attack.

IT Systems and IT Security can only do so much.

If you have staff that are persisent or often take risks with your IT Systems, a Ransonware attached is probably only just round the corner.

Otherwise a Data Breach!

Educate Staff to report to their IT Team

  • Anomalous issues with their Computers or Laptops
  • If they have shared their passwords with someone else
  • Access their Computer Systems from home
  • Accidently clicked on an Email Attachment they were unsure about
  • Have installed unsanctioned applications
  • Have illegal or pirated software installed

Staff who help the business protect IT Systems are a bigger asset than those who take a cavalier attitude to IT Security


Patch often and early

You should ensure that all computers, laptops, tablets and servers are patched early and often.

When considering patching, the immediate thought processes is Microsoft Windows.

Although you should also look at other software which will need patching, i.e. Application Servers, Adobe Reader, Flash, JAVA, Zip programs, etc. etc.

One of the most frequent comments from business owners we hear is they don’t want their I.T Systems patched

  • Don’t want the disruption
  • Can’t afford the downtime
  • Can’t afford a Server reboot
  • Perhaps at some point in the past an update caused a problem.

Whilst I appreciate that patching can be a very time consuming and disruptive thing to do and carries a risk, the worst thing you can do is not patch or reboot once in a while.


Managed IT Systems

The time consuming element of Patching can by reduced to almost zero by your I.T Support company automating patching of all I.T Systems.

Automate Server reboots to a time of the day or week when disruption is minimised.

An IT Proactive Monitoring Service will identify IT Systems that are at risks and holes in the IT Cyber Security

If you don’t have a Managed IT Services Contract or an Proactively Monitored or Automated patching system, please contact us for advice.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, IT Maintenance Contracts, IT Support Contracts, Managed IT Services, Managed IT Systems, Proactive Monitoring

USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0 Transfer Speeds

7th February 2019 By Paul Marsh

Introducing USB3.0

USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0 Transfer Speeds

Since around 2005, USB2.0 has been the dominant standard for connecting external devices such as hard disks, tape drives, digital cameras, memory sticks, wireless cards etc.

If you have connected any external device to a computer over the last 10 years, the chances are that you will have used USB2.0

USB 2.0 vs USB3.0
USB 2.0 vs USB3.0

More recently, USB 3.0 has begun to emerge. Any newly purchased computer will likely have USB3.0 ports.

USB2.0 versus USB3.0 Transfer Speeds

The main improvement is transfer speed: USB2.0 has a maximum speed of 480 mbps (megabits per second)

Whereas USB3.0 is capable of a whopping 5 Gbits/s (5000 mbps), or a 10x speed increase.

This means that if it takes an hour to transfer some data to a USB2.0 device, it could take as little as 6 minutes using a USB3.0 device.

This means that copying data to an External Hard Drive, Digital Camera, Printing a large Document, accessing USB Memory Sticks are instantly up to 10 times quicker!

So if you have a large amount of Data, it will be noticeably quicker, although if only a small amount of data to copy, then you might not necessarily seen much apparent difference

As with previous versions, USB3.0 is fully backwards compatible, therefore any USB2.0 device will work when plugged into USB3.0 ports. USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0

Another major advantage is that USB3.0 devices will work with USB2.0 ports, though obviously at a decreased transfer speed. Therefore, it will not be necessary to replace computers, or add an expansion card, just to use these new devices. USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0

Be aware that when using a USB 3 device and plugging it into a USB 2 port, it will not operate at the maximum potential speed and will instead operate at the ports speed, this being USB 2 speed. The same applies for USB 1.1

If your computer doesn't have on on-board USB 3.0 ports, you are likely able to install a USB plug-in card if you have a compatible internal slot within your computer. USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0

Would you like to Read our Article on comparing USB 1.0 and USB 2.0?

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, IT Maintenance Contracts, IT Maintenance Contracts Dorset, IT Maintenance Contracts Hampshire, IT Maintenance Contracts Surrey, IT Maintenance Contracts Sussex, IT Maintenance Contracts Wiltshire, Managed IT Services Dorset, Managed IT Services Hampshire, Managed IT Services Surrey, Managed IT Services Sussex, Managed IT Services Wiltshire, Proactive IT Monitoring, Proactive IT Monitoring Dorset, Proactive IT Monitoring Hampshire, Proactive IT Monitoring Surrey, Proactive IT Monitoring Sussex, Proactive IT Monitoring Wiltshire

Broadband Running Slow or Dropping Out Troubleshooting

7th December 2018 By Admin

 

Broadband Running Slow or Dropping Out Troubleshooting?

 

Symptoms

Broadband Running Slow - Broadband Troubleshooting
Broadband Troubleshooting – Broadband Running Slow

If you are struggling with your broadband performance or reliability you may be noticing that some or all of the following anomalies:

  • Broadband drops connection and reconnects
  • Broadband Slow and Dropping Out Troubleshooting
  • Broadband download speed terribly slow
  • Download speed is slower than upload speed
  • Broadband connection drops when you make a telephone call

 

Steps to Carry Out

If you are suffering from a combination of the symptoms above, we would advise you work through the following recommendations to troubleshoot your issue. Basically your broadband provider will get you to do these tests anyway before they investigate your issues. Broadband Running Slow or Dropping Out Troubleshooting

1) Replace the Micro filter(s)

2) Test broadband with Router is plugged into BT Master Socket

3) If you have added any internal BT wiring in your office disconnect this to rule out any internal wiring fau

Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Microsoft Small Business Specialist

lts

4) When you have a suspected broadband issue you can usually access the router from your computer/laptop to check to see how long the router has been online and whether the broadband is connected

5) Run the BT broadband diagnostics https://speedtest.btwholesale.com (you will need java on your computer) Alternatively try a different Broadband Speedchecker for example https://www.speedtest.net

6) Plug in a normal analogue phone and listen to the dial tone – is it crackly / noisy line?

7) Try a replacement Router or Modem

Broadband Running Slow - Broadband Troubleshooting
Broadband Running Slow – Broadband Troubleshooting

 

Broadband Running Slow or Dropping Out Troubleshooting

Online Diagnostics

Broadband Running Slow or Dropping Out Troubleshooting

The BT speedtester website diagnostics will need to be run at least 3 times although you can only use the website once every three hours.

Once you have completed the above speak to your ISP and report the fault. They can have a look at the diagnostics report and decide if there is a fault with either the ISP, BT Exchange, External wiring or internet to your building.

Please try all of the above before getting a BT engineer out, our experience is a BT engineer’s visit will cost you around £130 even if they do nothing and find a problem with your internal BT wiring or even a ‘no fault found’

If you prefer an IT Person do the troubleshooting for you, give us a call and arrange a site visit

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, I.T Support Dorset, I.T Support Hampshire, I.T Support Southampton, I.T Support Surrey, I.T Support Sussex, I.T Support Wiltshire, IT Maintenance Contracts, Proactive IT Monitoring Hampshire, Proactive IT Monitoring Surrey, Proactive IT Monitoring Sussex, Proactive IT Monitoring Wiltshire, Proactive Monitoring

Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server

7th October 2018 By Admin

What is the benefit of Connecting my Android Phone

You are likely want to connect your Android phone to your company’s Exchange Email Server so you can access your work email, Contacts and Calendar on your Mobile Device. Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server

 

Preparation

Setting up a Microsoft Exchange email account on an Android device is a very easy task.

As long as you have a couple of details to hand, can be done in a about a minute. Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server

To set up the Exchange account, you firstly need to go into the Android’s main settings menu.

This should look something along the lines of what is shown below. You need to find the “Accounts” section of the settings list.

Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server - Step1
Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server – Step1

 

When you’ve found this, you need to tap on “Add account” and choose “Microsoft Exchange Activesync” from the following list that is shown.

Choose settings for Microsoft Exchange Server - Step2
Choose settings for Microsoft Exchange Server – Step2

 

The following screen of the Microsoft Exchange email setup will ask you for your Exchange email address and password that you would normally use with your computer.

Enter these, and then tap on the button down the bottom that says “Manual setup”

Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server - Step3
Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server – Step3

 

User Login Credentials

This will provide you with the following screen asking for a few more details for the Microsoft Exchange email account.

“Domain\User name” is the field in which you need to enter your exactly what it asks, the domain you are trying to log into, and your user name. This is followed by your normal password in the next box down.

The “Exchange Server” box is the server that your Android device will try and log into to collect you emails. This for example could be along the lines of “remote.test.co.uk”

After the details are all filled in, tap on “Next” to proceed with the setup of the Microsoft Exchange account.

 

Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server - Step4
Android settings for Microsoft Exchange Server – Step4

 

Final Steps

The Android device should then proceed to connect to the server and test the connection to the Microsoft Exchange email account and the server.

If it is successful, then the following options should be presented to you. These fields are filled in with the defaults, but can be changed by simply tapping on one and modifying the selection.

Review Android Account Settings - Step5
Review Android Account Settings – Step5

 

This should conclude the setup of the Microsoft Exchange email account. Your emails should automatically be synced with the Android device. To access your emails, simply go into your main applications menu and click on the “Email” app.

 

Century IT Services are based in Totton, Southampton. Hampshire and can help you with the installation or on going I.T support of your computer, server and network. We offer a broad range of I.T services covering, internet, email, anti-spam, anti-virus solutions, we are experts in virtually anything Microsoft Server based and have extensive troubleshooting skills.

 

If you have an ever growing list of I.T niggles or need a server, or network installed, you have come to the right place. You can contact us on Tel. 023 80 070101 or email us at sales@century-it.co.uk for a confidential, no obligation discussion of your requirements.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, I.T Support Dorset, I.T Support Hampshire, I.T Support Southampton, I.T Support Surrey, I.T Support Sussex, I.T Support Wiltshire, IT Maintenance Contracts, IT Maintenance Contracts Dorset, IT Maintenance Contracts Hampshire, IT Maintenance Contracts Surrey, IT Maintenance Contracts Sussex, Managed IT Services Wiltshire

USB1.0 vs USB2.0 Performance

7th August 2018 By Admin

Overview

USB1.0 vs. USB2.0 Performance
USB1.0 vs. USB2.0 Performance

Most computers or laptops nowadays usually have a selection of USB ports. USB1.0 vs USB2.0 Performance

You can plug external devices into to extend the functionality of your computer system or laptop.

i.e. external hard disks, external tape drives, digital cameras, memory card readers, USB memory sticks etc.

Modern computers and laptops usually come with USB 2.0 ports as standard

Whilst much older computers only have the older technology USB 1.0

USB1.0 vs USB2.0 Performance

 

USB1.0 vs. USB2.0 Performance

As with all technology, advances have been made over the years to improve speed and performance of USB Ports on Computers and Laptops.

To maintain backward compatibility, newer types of USB Ports come with the same type of connector as the older USB Ports, so older USB devices can still connect and operate.

The main difference between USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 is the performance or throughput;

The USB 2.0 ports are much faster than the earlier USB 1.0. Ports. USB 2.0 has an maximum throughput of around 480 mps (megabits per second)

Whilst USB 1.0 only has an average throughput of 12 mbps. That makes USB 2.0 as much as 40 times as quick as the older USB 1.0 standard

This means that if it takes around 40 minutes to transfer some files to a USB 1.0 device, using USB 2.0 it could potentially take only 1 minute. USB1.0 vs USB2.0 Performance

IT Support Contract

Are you looking for a fixed cost IT Support Contract?

We offer a range of IT Support Services including

Reactive Break-Fix IT Support Contracts

IT Proactive Monitoring

Full Managed IT Support Contracts.

Contact Us for a no obligation and compeitive quote.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: I.T Installation Services Dorset, I.T Installation Services Hampshire, I.T Installation Services Surrey, I.T Installation Services Sussex, I.T Installation Services Wiltshire, I.T Support Dorset, I.T Support Hampshire, I.T Support Southampton, I.T Support Surrey, I.T Support Sussex, I.T Support Wiltshire, IT Maintenance Contracts, IT Maintenance Contracts Dorset, IT Maintenance Contracts Hampshire, IT Maintenance Contracts Surrey, IT Maintenance Contracts Sussex, IT Support Contracts, Managed IT Services

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Century IT Services
Mill House Centre
108 Commercial Road,
Totton
Southampton
Hampshire SO40 3AE

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Century IT Services is the trading name of Century IT Solutions Ltd. Registered address: Century IT Solutions Ltd., Mill House Centre, 108 Commercial Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 3AE
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