What are the Most Common Computer Network Problems?

Data Security, Internet, IT Best Practices, Network, Ophtek, Windows Server, wireless network, , , ,
10
Sep 2019

 

Getting to grips with problems relating to your computer network can be a frustrating affair, but it’s one which is likely to happen on a daily basis.

Computer networks are, after all, highly complex systems that comprise various components and are in use by multiple users. These structures may bring many benefits, but they can also be a recipe for disaster. And, if your network fails or experiences any issues, then your organization’s productivity is going to be affected.

Your main objective, with your computer network, should be to keep it online and functioning correctly. But you can only do this if you know what the most common computer network problems are, so let’s take a look:

  • Slow Connectivity: If there’s one thing that frustrates an employee then it’s slow connectivity over a network. PCs can grind to a halt and even the simplest task can take an age to complete. It’s often caused by large file transfers, so a limit should be put in place on the size that is permitted e.g. no email attachments that total more than 20mb as a standard rule. Sometimes this lag can also be caused by faulty network cards, so it’s important to investigate this possibility. 
  • IP Conflicts: Each PC on your network should have a unique IP address such as 209.85.255.255, but sometimes two PCs can be assigned the same IP address. And this can create major connectivity issues for both parties. Sometimes these conflicts will work themselves out, but you can help speed up the process. Restarting the router is the simplest approach as it should assign new IP addresses to every PC on the network. 
  • Unable to Connect to Local Printer: Printers on a network tend to be shared by multiple users, but occasionally an error can arise that leaves people unable to access the printer. This problem is often caused by a sharing issue whereby different security settings between PCs and the printers fail to agree with each other. When this occurs it’s recommended that you check firewall settings and that your Windows network adapters have printer sharing enabled. 

  • Faulty Cables: A computer network relies on cables to facilitate its connectivity. And when just one cable fails it can have massive implications for your network. However, it’s easy to overlook cables as the source of network issues. People tend to concentrate on software and hardware troubleshooting first. Nonetheless, investigating the condition of cables in the affected network area is vital. Cables can easily become dislodged or damaged, so sometimes the fix can be as simple as plugging them back in or replacing. 
  • Weak Wi-Fi Signal: If you rely on wireless connections in your organization then you will be well aware of the issues caused a weak signal. This can often be caused by environmental issues such as the presence of a microwave or even the layout of an office. It’s important to eliminate these factors to identify the cause of the fault. Alternatively the connection issues could be caused by out-dated firmware, so make sure all updates are installed. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Improving WiFi Security for Your Business

Network, Security, Security Threats, WiFi, wireless network, , , ,
11
Apr 2018

Wireless networks are crucial for organizations to operate in the modern business landscape, but it’s critical that your wireless network is secure.

Increased mobility, production and scalability are the three main reasons why your organization will have embraced WiFi. Allowing you to remain competitive, WiFi is a service that you simply can’t be without. Therefore, security is more crucial than ever when it comes to wireless networks.

To help you get a better understanding of how to defend your network, we’re going to look at improving WiFi security for your Business.

How to Protect Your WiFi Network

There are many ways that you can secure your WiFi network, keep hackers out and ensure that productivity remains at an all-time high:

  • Keep on Top of Updates: Your router and associated hardware will regularly receive firmware updates that improve performance and, more importantly, patch any potential security issues. Unfortunately, many people put these updates on the back burner as the install processes are considered a little fiddly. However, while the install time and necessary reboots are irksome, they pale in comparison to your WiFi network being compromised.
  • Change Default Login Credentials: In order to access WiFi devices for the first time, these devices will come with default login credentials to allow the owner to configure them for their network. These default credentials, however, represent a major security risk as they rarely differ between devices. And that means that anyone with a list of default credentials – freely available online – can log on to your WiFi devices if they haven’t been changed.
  • A VPN Can Hide Your Network: A virtual private network (VPN) is a useful service which provides additional security to your WiFi network. A VPN server will hide all the connection details of PCs and devices on your network, so this makes it significantly harder for hackers to find a flaw in your defenses.
  • Keep Guest WiFi Networks Separate: Most organizations provide a guest WiFi network for visitors or staff to access with their own devices. While this is a generous offering, you need to make sure that guest WiFi networks are kept separate to the rest of your networks. Surrounding the individual networks with firewalls also helps to ramp up the defenses between your sensitive data and external breaches.
  • Secure Ethernet Ports: Network peripherals are always at risk of being compromised by unsecured ethernet ports. By simply plugging a cable into an ethernet port, a hacker can gain a foothold into your wireless network. The solution to this problem is, thankfully, relatively simple: enclose network peripherals within locked cases and limit key ownership.
  • Enable WPA2 Encryption: If your WiFi network is not encrypted then it means that the data being transferred over it is open to external parties. As a business, it’s a certainty that the data transferred over your network will be sensitive e.g. customer details, payroll information and emails. However, by enabling WPA2 encryption on your network, it will guarantee that your data will be scrambled as it’s transmitted. As a result, anyone ‘listening in’ will be unable to exploit the data.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The Best Practices for Protecting Your Wireless Network

Network, Password Security, Security, wireless network, , ,
20
Mar 2018

Small and mid sized organizations find wireless networks an essential tool in running their business, but they come with a significant risk attached.

And with news reports delivering nothing but bad news regarding wireless security, ensuring that your wireless network is well protected should be a major priority for your organization. Now, hackers don’t want to work hard, they want to access your systems with the least amount of effort; that’s why they tend to target the simplest flaws in wireless security.

Luckily, remedying these simple flaws is far from complex and you can make a huge difference to your wireless defenses in next to no time. To help you get started, I’m going to walk you through the best practices for protecting your wireless network:

  • Use a Strong Password: Many routers come set up with a default password in place and this represents a major security risk if left in place. Lists of default passwords for specific routers are regularly circulated among hackers, so make sure you change your password to one that is strong and contains upper and lower case letters along with numbers.
  • Turn on the Router’s Firewall: Due to the security risk surrounding wireless networks, router manufacturers have been building internal firewalls into their devices for some time. Occasionally, though, these routers can be shipped with their firewall turned off and this immediately reduces your defenses. Therefore, always check that any new routers have their firewall turned on before installing on your network.
  • Edit Your Network Name: Routers broadcast their network name so that users can find and connect to it. However, many routers broadcast a default network name and this can often indicate the model of the router, so it indicates poor wireless security. However, by changing the service set identifier (SSID), you can demonstrate that your router has been set up correctly and cause potential hackers to move on.
  • Use WPA2 Encryption and not WEP: Older routers may have WEP set as the device’s encryption method, but this is a very bad situation for your data. WEP encryption can easily be cracked in minutes, so WPA2 is the only option you should be selecting as this provides excellent protection which will thwart most hackers early on.
  • Disable Remote Admin Access: To help boost accessibility, many routers provide remote admin access services. Now, while this is fantastic if your IT team need to log in to your router in the middle of night from their homes, it also offers a route for hackers to get deep into your wireless network and start changing settings. Restricting admin access purely to the local area network helps prevent this scenario.
  • Update Your Router’s Firmware: As with all hardware, updating your router’s firmware is one of the most crucial steps for protecting your wireless network. Firmware is often released to help combat potential security flaws, so it needs to be installed immediately to prevent these flaws being exploited.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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