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Connectivity

Parental Controls: 10 tips and tricks to keep your child safe

26th May 2015 by admin

Parental Controls: 10 tips and tricks to keep your child safe

In the age of smartphones, internet-enabled televisions and readily available tablets, keeping our children safe online has once again come sharply into focus.

While many of us have passcodes or controls on the main house computer, how many can say the same for every device in the house that can get on the web? Not to mention televisions, which also contain plenty of content that is not suitable for children, particularly younger ones.

Children are increasingly more internet-savvy than their parents, leaving us flailing to keep up.

While there will always be a chance that your child catches sight of something that you would rather they didn’t, either a programme or a website, there are a raft of measures that you can take easily and cheaply that should make this absolutely minimal.

1) Communication will always play a part in keeping your children safe, both through you having knowledge of the sites they like and use, and them being aware that there is content out there they should keep away from. Be aware of changes in internet use, such as longer spent online, and stress that they should talk to a trusted adult if they have any worries whatsoever about anything.

2) Make sure they know how to stay safe – they should never give out personal details including name, address, school or telephone numbers to someone they do not know. Attachments from unknown senders should also be treated with caution in case they contain viruses. Depending on the age of your child, consider insisting on knowing any email account passwords so that you can check on sent and received mail if needed.

3) With the websites they use, check what safety and privacy protection tools are in place on each, what can be restricted and how to report if there is a problem. You might want the homepage to be something like CBeebies rather than a search engine.

4) See what tools your internet browser offers, such as safe browsing or parental controls, and enable those that work best for you. Consider checking the History tab or button regularly, as this gives you a full list of the sites that have been visited. Buy or download additional parental control software if desired.

5) Be aware that public WiFi will often not have parental controls on, so be alert if your child is browsing on your phone or tablet while out and about, as they will find it easier to find unsuitable content, even if that is only aggressive marketing or pop-ups.

6) For smartphones, having a passcode on start-up is the best way to ensure the internet is only accessed in ways you are happy with, in your presence. Set your screen to lock within a minute of not being used to minimise the chances of someone else coming along and starting to play with it. Do this even with young children – they’re often a lot quicker at sussing these things out than you would like!

7) Staying with smartphones, ensure in-app purchases are turned off (in settings), to ensure there are no nasty surprises if one of your children has been playing games. Even free games often have a tempting array of things you can buy, and these are irresistible to little fingers with no money sense.

8) Also consider the nature of any push notifications you get, as these can often be viewed even with the screen locked. Breaking news of disasters, for example, can often contain quite distressing details that may be upsetting for little sensitive minds. Consider turning these off if your children regularly play with your phone.

9) For televisions, you can often restrict access to certain channels or programmes – consult your manual or the manufacturer on how best to do this. Most on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player and Sky Go offer variations on pin-protected parental controls, so set these up if needed or wanted. These pop-up on programmes flagged as having strong language, for example, and the pin is needed to allow the programme to play.

10) For games consoles, use family settings to set both content restrictions and time limits.

Finally, of course, there is some general sensible advice to follow, such as setting time limits on all devices, to allow time for homework and family time, as well as putting tablets and computers away when they are not in use, so that they are out of sight and out of mind.

As ever with technology, it can be an amazing and useful resource, as long as it has limits which restrict its use to that which is appropriate to your household.

Filed Under: Connectivity, Hints and Tips

Broadband: Switching is set to get easier….!

28th April 2015 by admin

Broadband: Switching is set to get easier....!

Ofcom (the communications regulator here in the UK) have recently taken the decision to make moving broadband suppliers follow a process more similar to that which the phone line providers have been using for years…..

This is a welcomed move here in the UK as currently customers wishing to change their broadband provider have to contact their existing supplier to ask for a Migration Access Code (MAC) and then pass this code to their new chosen provider.

This can be time consuming and is often a frustrating process, so ultimately it often results in consumers staying put. This is a real missed opportunity in terms of cost-saving and optimising the performance of your broadband connection, but an understandable choice in a world where we all seem to have way to many things on our to-do-lists!

In June 2015 the communications regulator will make life easier for those who want to switch, by removing the need to obtain a MAC. From 20th June, anyone, whether that be an individual or business, looking to switch supplier will ONLY need to contact their chosen new provider.

The new service provider will arrange the transfer on behalf of the consumer, including informing the old provider of the requested change (who will then process any remaining contractual charges).

The removal of the MAC process will make switching far easier and therefore more attractive to residential & business consumers alike, as it will open up many exciting opportunities for those wishing to enhance their broadband connection and/or save money, without causing themselves a headache.

Are you experiencing problems with your current supplier?

Do you want to upgrade to a better service?

Are you wondering if you could get a better deal?

Regardless of your business size or location, at Boxx we guarantee a competitively priced connection. Better yet, we will search your exchange for best connection available for your line, so you can rest assured, you’ll get a competitively priced and truly reliable broadband service with Boxx. Contact us to find out what broadband options are available to you and let us take care of the rest!

Filed Under: Connectivity, Hints and Tips, Services

What is Direct Internet Access (DIA)…?

31st March 2015 by admin

What is Direct Internet Access (DIA)...?

For ultimate reliability and a rock-solid connection to the internet, Direct Internet Access (DIA) is a robust solution for businesses heavily reliant on being connected, where continuous and reliable online access is of the utmost importance.

DIA is the connection of choice for businesses who have looked at, and discounted, standard broadband and even a fibre connection as not being sufficient to fully support their business’s online demands.

Often, but not always, these businesses will have a large or growing team or make heavy use of cloud-based applications, but what they all have in common is wanting and needing a dedicated and fast internet connection. Internet access is, for them, quite simply business critical.

Featuring totally uncontended and symmetrical bandwidth, DIA’s dedicated business-grade internet service is a superb solution to these needs, as a DIA package means no line sharing and an upload speed that is the same as the download one.

Crucially, multiple users can be online doing multiple tasks at the same time, which is particularly important for businesses using lots of cloud-based storage and applications as is increasingly common across all industries.

And even offering all of these benefits, DIA is not a one size fits all solution, with different bandwidths and speeds available to suit differing business needs.

DIA can be delivered in a number of ways, including over Ethernet fibre, EFM copper and now generic ethernet access fibre to the cabinet (GEA FTTC).

Whichever option is selected, the service is highly resilient because it uses multiple Tier One ISPs to guarantee the fastest connection possible at any time, with automatic core re-routing if any route fails.

Remote working is also non issue, with site-to-site VPNs over DIA allowing access to core site resources quickly and easily. Likewise, while only the bandwidth used is paid for, the service is scalable at short notice if more capacity is suddenly required.

If you want to discuss our DIA products or any other solutions, you can contact us or call us on 01908 350 750.

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity, Services

Your Broadband Provision: What to do if you’re unhappy

3rd March 2015 by admin

Your Broadband Provision: What to do if you're unhappy

New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has once again highlighted the problems of rural broadband and the ongoing issues people in those areas have with connectivity.

The research, which found that 49% of rural small businesses were dissatisfied with their broadband provision, compared with 28% in urban areas, has led to further talk of a ‘two-speed digital economy.’

This issue is predicted to become even more significant over the next two years, as small firms become more reliant on a high quality broadband connection to do business. More than three quarters (77%) said that email will be critical to their business, while more than half (57%) said broadband will be essential to engaging with their customers in the next two years.

As broadband providers, we know more about this issue than most. Crucially, people thinking of setting up in rural areas need to know that no provider will be able to offer an effective service if the basic infrastructure is not in place.

Limited availability of superfast broadband services is a key reason for slower speeds in rural areas, although broadband speeds over ADSL, a technology that uses the copper wire telephone network, are generally also slower because of the longer distances to the telephone exchange.

While the speed of service is ultimately dictated by what infrastructure is in place, there are steps that providers can take to ensure that you’re receiving as good a service as possible in any given area.

We, for example, have selected our supply chain with superior connectivity in mind and through our use of multiple suppliers we are able to search for and can identify the best connections at your exchange and advise you of the most appropriate product for your business, in your area.

Our range of broadband providers includes all of the major networks (including BT, Talk Talk, Gamma, Daisy Wholesale, Virgin and Nine wholesale), giving us the maximum number of packages to choose from.

Other options for rural businesses to consider, which may provide a better service overall depending on what your local broadband capacity is, include fibre broadband and direct internet access (DIA).

Fibre broadband opens all kinds of new possibilities for speed, although it does require the area to be fibre-enabled.

DIA is a dedicated internet service aimed at businesses that provides a robust, reliable and fast connection, with options available to suit different business needs, bandwidth requirements and speeds.

But it’s not all doom and gloom outside of our towns and cities. Improving speeds in rural areas is a priority for the Government which has committed funding to ensure superfast broadband is more widely available across the UK. It has reportedly on course to reach 90% superfast coverage by early 2016 and last year announced an extra £250 million investment to extend superfast coverage to 95% of premises by 2017.

However, the FSB believes that more could be done, especially as just 16% of rural businesses currently have access to superfast broadband.

As a result of its findings, it is calling for the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of broadband policy. This includes measures to encourage more competition for better packages in the business broadband market, a commitment to accelerate the roll-out of 4G mobile services and prioritisation of fibre-optic provision to business parks and enterprise zones.

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity

Bits & Bytes: The difference between a Megabit & a Megabyte

20th January 2015 by admin

Bits & Bytes: The difference between a Megabit & a Megabyte

As this blog has noted before, the telecoms and broadband sector is rife with jargon, which can be very confusing for even the most experienced user.

It’s important to make sure you have a full understanding though, particularly of terms that seem very similar but are not interchangeable, as this can have a significant impact both on the service you end up with, and the speed with which you are able to download.

Take, for example, megabits and megabytes. Two words that look and sound very similar, and which are both often shortened to meg in conversation and online. Anyone could be forgiven for assuming they are two terms for the same service but that would be a big mistake.

In fact, a megabyte is eight times bigger than a megabit. Simply, eight megabits make one megabyte.

Now this may seem as if we’re splitting hairs, but it’s actually a very important thing to know.

Your broadband speed is most likely measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Most files available for download online, such as PDFs, are usually measured in megabytes (MB).

If you have a file of 20 MB, and a 20 Mbps connection, without knowing the difference between the terms, you would assume you could download your file in one second. Now, of course, once you know that there are eight bits in a byte, you also know that you have to multiple that figure by eight.

Being seven seconds out doesn’t seem a lot, but do that multiple times a day and those seconds soon add up into minutes and more.

This can be critical if downloading material is a big part of your job or company culture, and if the person who chose and paid for the package didn’t take the time to understand all of the relevant terms correctly. It could add significantly to the time needed to do everyday tasks, as well as potentially pushing up costs.

Aside from the context, it is straightforward to work out which kind of meg is being talked about, as megabyte is condensed to MB, while the bit, as the smaller component, takes a lower case b.

As with so many areas of technology, things that seem quite complicated actually turn out to be quite straightforward in the end. But doing your homework with tech jargon will always pay dividends, most importantly that you end up with the right package for your business needs.

If you want to talk more about this or anything else your business needs, get in touch.

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity, Hints and Tips

Broadband jargon buster: key terms explained

21st October 2014 by admin

Broadband jargon buster: key terms explained

Dipping your toe in the world of broadband providers can often feel like going into a shop to find everyone but you suddenly speaks a foreign language.

Littered with technical speak for every stage of the investigation and purchase process, even choosing what package you need can be tricky.

But fear not our jargon-buster will mean you can hold your own, while ensuring you get the package you need because you have the right knowledge at your fingertips.

So, without further ado, here are our explanations of the most common broadband terms you are likely to come across…..

ADSL Broadband – The UK’s most popular form of internet connection and is provided over telephone lines.  Quality varies depending on how far your connection is from the telephone exchange.

Bandwidth – refers to the rate data can be transferred between two points in a given time.

Broadband – A high bandwidth connection to the internet.

Cloud-Based – A programme that functions in the cloud, otherwise known as large groups of networked remote servers. Often hosted in a data centre, these allow a user to access the cloud from an internet-enabled device. Dropbox is a well-known example of a cloud-based service.

Connection – This refers to the path between at least two places and can refer to either a telephone or an internet connection.

Contention Ratio – Refers to the maximum number of users or businesses sharing a bandwidth connection, each of whom will have an equal proportion of the total speed. The lower the contention ratio, the better the service.

Download Limits – The amount of data that your ISP will allow you to download each month before you are charged extra or have your account restricted.

Download Speed – The rate or speed at which your computer can receive data from the internet.

Ethernet – connects a number of computer systems to form a very fast, private local area network. It is even faster over fibre cabling and can handle a huge amount of online activity, such as downloading large files or using real-time applications such as video-conferencing.

Fibre – use glass or plastic threads or fibres to transmit and deliver data, but are only available in fibre-enabled areas of the UK.

Firewall – accesses traffic from the internet and stops unwanted traffic arriving at your computer.

Fixed-Line – Internet connections that come into homes or businesses via either cables or a telephone line.  Distinct from mobile broadband, which uses
the mobile network.

FTTC & FTTP – Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), has fibre-optic cable running between the telephone exchange and your nearest street cabinet, but copper wire on the final stretch to your home or business.  Fibre to the home/premises (FTTH or FTTP) is a superior version where the fibre-optic cable runs all the way, which is both faster and more reliable.

IP Address – Your Internet Protocol address is a string of numbers unique to a device that identifies you on the internet, facilitating communication between your computer and the rest of the internet.

ISP – An Internet Service Provider can provide the internet access, domain registration and web hosting, and will be the company that bills you for your internet, regardless of how the internet enters your home or business.

LAN – A Local Area Network is the data network connecting all computers, servers and printers in one physical location.

Latency – The speed of your network, and whether it has small delays and processes information quickly (low latency), or longer delays and slower processing (high latency).

MAC – A Migration Authorisation Code aids the process of changing ISPs. Your existing company is supposed to supply this for free within five days. It should be passed to the new ISP within 30 days. Downtime when using this method of switchover is not supposed to be more than a few hours.

Managed Internet Access (MIA) – refers to a dedicated internet connection that is fully and pro-actively managed by a provider, meaning problems should be spotted and fixed as soon as they occur, instead of having to be reported.

Mobile Broadband – Broadband for a laptop or tablet, requires a 3 or 4G-enabled device or a plug-in adaptor, typically USB.

Network – All the internet-related services you invest in, be they broadband or VoIP, are all connected and provided to you through a network.

Point-to-Point Leased Lines – A point-to-point leased line is a private circuit linking two premises so data, voice and internet traffic can be transferred securely.

Streaming – A way of transferring data at a steady speed, most often used for watching media without having to download it.

Unlimited Broadband – A broadband package that has no limits on how much you can download each month, although some do stipulate a fair use policy so check before signing a contract.

Upload Speed: How fast your broadband connection can send data from your computer, such as sending your photos to an online website or portal, or sending emails.

VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol translates words into data packets for transmitting across the internet like any other file, transforming it back to its usual form on arrival. Much cheaper than
traditional calls, communication can be carried out through any computer or phone that can connect to the internet.

Wide Area Network (WAN) or Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) – WANs or MPLS technology are used by businesses that want to link and exchange data between computers at two or more sites that may be far apart, such as disaster recovery sites. Usually private, they can be accessed remotely and are often formed of two LANs (see above).

We hope this helps break down those language barriers, if there is anything we haven’t covered, please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to clarify for you.

Filed Under: Connectivity, Hints and Tips

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