Whether you are a very small business with just a couple of computers working out of your home or hundreds of computers at a large company, Tech Support has the knowledge and experience to connect everything together. Secure remote connections, servers, virtual private networks, or network allocated storage are all part of what we offer to make your data quickly accessible, safe, and protected. Count on Tech Support for data handling solutions that are tailored to your needs and budget.

What is a VPN and How Do I Use It?

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows computers outside of a network to access data files in computers inside the network using a secure connection through the Internet (the connection is also called a tunnel). The connection from the outside computer to inside the network is almost always encrypted, so not just anyone can see the data (such as passwords or other sensitive company data) as it is transferred between the outside computer and the network. You need a VPN even if  you just have one computer at work you want to connect to from an outside location.

With Windows 7, 8, and 10 the adjustments on the outside computer are easy. It can be done with other operating systems too, but they just need a little more work. The important setup though is on the server. That's where Permissions have to be changed to allow the outside computer to access only the files needed.

You need a VPN if you are going to work in two geographically different places on a regular basis, or if you need to swap files with other employees frequently. You also need a VPN for connecting multiple networks together. An encrypted VPN will protect your data should you have to use wireless hotspots as in a hotel or coffee shop, and for those who want to get around geoblocking (like when a country tries to censor the Internet) a VPN is just the ticket. A VPN encrypts the connection so someone can't snoop on or scoop up any of your files.

Large data files don't go real well by email. There are limitations on the size of an email, as well as restrictions on the total amount of email at a time one can have, even if it's on company servers. Dropbox was developed to help with this, but if you are moving a lot of big files frequently it can get costly. Having your own VPN means that you can exchange files with others in your company that might be in different geographic locations (like another state) easily. It is also more secure. Tech Support does not recommend using the Cloud except in a couple of very specific circumstances (and both of those circumstances apply pretty much to just huge companies) because it isn't a good idea to have other fingers in the pie. And the cloud is not nearly as secure as they would like you to believe. So a VPN is your best bet.

It's easy to use a VPN. Assuming you are outside the network already, and connected to the Internet, all you have to do is click on an desktop icon to connect. Then you will be able to acces a mapped drive with the folders holding your data. The mapped drive works just like your C: drive or any other hard drive. Copy the files you need to your computer, work on them with your applications, and copy back if you need to when you are done with the file. Alternately you can simply open the file with your application (like QuickBooks or an AutoCad program) then save and close. This can be a little slower though depending on your internet speed. When you are done working, just right click the icon and disconnect. That's all there is to it.

Remote Access Software (RDP)

The difference between remote access software (sometimes called a remote desktop or even "god mode") and a virtual private network is that the remote software allows you to take over control of a single computer from somewhere else through the Internet. Most remote connection software (such as Teamviewer) uses encryption (scrambling the data exchanged between computers). A VPN is just an encrypted tunnel that allows you to access data (and sometimes printers or other peripherals) from outside a network, like a smaller network inside of a larger network. With a VPN you can only access shared resources (folders with certain data).

Remote access software (called RDP for remote desktop protocol) gives you access to one whole computer and to whatever is connected to it. A VPN is more restricted in that you only have access to certain files you have permission to use. RDP allows you to run applications on the target machine as if you were sitting right there at the desk. A VPN just transfers data back and forth (like spreadsheets or word processing documents).

Tech Support of Grand Junction recommends the Teamviewer software for the home. You can install it for free for personal use. The license for businesses is also very reasonably priced and the package works very well.

When you want to use it, there is an ID and a password generated that must be given to the person on the other end so someone can't just pop in unannounced. Although there is an unattended mode, meaning that you can set it to run on your home computer and access it from your laptop when you are away.

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What is an NAS and How Does It Compare to a Server?

Network Allocated Storage, or NAS, is the answer for a large percentage of home and small office data management. An NAS is just a box with hard drives arranged in such a way that they all have the information necessary to automatically rebuild data files if one of them should fail. An NAS simplifies data management because all common files are accessed by each work station without having to go through somebody's individual computer (which can slow that computer down quite a bit). You don't have to put a bunch of big hard drives on every work station.

For homes the data might be pictures, movies, or music. For offices it might be spreadsheets, drawings, or word processing documents. An NAS is a lower cost alternative to a server because you don't need an operating system such as Windows Server or Linux (although some Linux packages are free).

For some situations a server might be the better choice. Mostly for offices, but sometimes a home depending on the number of workstations and desired security control.

A server is a computer with specialized software to control access to the Internet as well as to data files on its hard drives or on other computers. Sometimes it is just one particular computer in the office (or home). But usually it is purpose-built for more speed, has more RAM or system memory, and server software for controlling data flow. The server also controls access to the network from outside (through the Internet) and between computers with the use of permissions in user profiles. It allows centralized storage of data files (such as inventory for a retailer)

What is the Cloud and Why Should I Care?

Simply defined, the Cloud is a bunch of computers that someone else owns connected together by the Internet. Some companies are selling software through the Cloud like a subscription (called Software As Service or SAS). This way you don't have to pay $500.00 for every copy of Microsoft Office for every computer in your company. You just pay a few dollars a month, or pay when you use it.

Other companies rent space on their hard drives for you to store your data (pictures, movies, spreadsheets, word processing documents, etc.).

Using the Cloud can make sense in a couple of instances. If you have a large company (like say, with 500 computers) and you have to buy copies of a program (like say, Microsoft Office) for all of them, that can run into some money. Even if you buy at reduced rates based on quantity. However, if you could just pay a little every month to USE the software, then it might make sense to use software that you get on the Internet (the Cloud) and pay as you go.

The other instance where use of the Cloud might make sense is again if you have a large company with centralized servers that you have to update every few years. That can get expensive very quickly. Using the Cloud to store very large amounts of data means that someone else has to buy those servers and storage places instead of you. Then you just pay a much smaller amount to store your data.

Using the Cloud as offsite storage can be advantageous because your building might burn down or flood or get buried by lava from a volcano. If your data is stored elsewhere, then presto you get it right back when you rebuild.

Here's where the Cloud gets dicey. A small business owner might not be a big target for hackers. But put the data of hundreds of small businesses on a server somewhere out on the Cloud, and now it becomes a bigger and more attractive target. It also becomes a much easier target to hack instead of hundreds of smaller computers.

Another downfall is that if you buy the software outright, you can use it for many years. You don't have to keep paying (and paying and paying and paying) for a subscription. Software is not changing that much as quickly as it used to. We still use Microsoft Office 2007 in our company and it works fine. For email we use the free product from Mozilla (the people who make Firefox) called Thunderbird. So we don't have to spend big bucks every year on the latest and greatest software that frequently disappoints because it ain't all that different from last year's. In some cases it's even worse.

If you're worried about safety and redundancy for your data, depending on the size of the files you can put it on external drives that you take offsite with you, or just store it at another building (or a family member's house) if you have one. In a large company there are usually many buildings and data can easily be stored at multiple sights for security and redundancy.

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Hacking People

You may not realize this (because big data companies won't admit it), but most hacking is not done to software or computer hardware. Most hacking is done to people. What we mean is that there are people who work for the Cloud companies who have access to all that data. They can get disgruntled and sell passwords or other access information on the black market easily.

You almost never hear about people hacking because the big companies do not want anyone to know just how insecure their systems really are. Maybe you'll hear of a Snowden or a Brad (Chelsea) Manning once in a while (when they identify themselves) but generally you will never hear of Bank of America or Target losing data because someone in their company sold you out.

Tech Support Does Not Recommend the Cloud

Oh sure. It's a catchy name and a nifty concept. It might make sense in a couple of very specific instances. But generally it is not the panacea that is advertised. Some software companies will go that way because they can make more money. Instead of selling one copy of their software they get to charge you indefinitely. But most people simply do not need the Cloud.

Think about it. Your data might not be much of a target for a hacker. They just don't know what data you have and whether it is worth it to spend a lot of time trying to hack in. However, you put your data and the data of a thousand other businesses in one place and suddenly it is a very worthwhile target for hackers. Especially the in-house hackers or employees who sell account information on the black market regularly.

If you've heard those stories of naked celebrity pictures being stolen (even after they were deleted off of the user's device) and circulated around the Internet then you know what we mean about the cloud lacking security. Those instances prove that data stored on the Cloud is a ripe target for either hardware, software, or people hacking.