Boxx Communications Ltd

Simplifying telecommunications for businesses large and small!

Office News

Router Hack causing Global Broadband Problems

by

Router Hack causing Global Broadband ProblemsOur Zyxel routers have been hacked by a form of malware called the Mirai Worm, which you may have heard of in the current news. It is a global issue affecting companies including The Post Office, Talk Talk and German’s Deutsche Telekom.

The issue is not a malfunction with the routers or a physical issue and so is not covered by any warranty. The routers have been hacked which is a criminal act.

We understand that for most customers this is the busiest time of year. Our team are working hard to contact as many customers as possible and provide assistance.

To fix the problem you will need to reinstall firmware updates which have been issued by Zyxel.

We have tested this solution successfully however we offer no guarantees.

Step 1 – Remove DSL Cable from the router

This is typically a grey cable connected on the far right hand side of the router.

Step 2 – Reboot your router

Push in the the black on/off button, wait for 5 seconds then push the button again. The lights will flash whilst it re connects and show a stable green colour when fully reset.

Step 3 – Reset router

When lights have stabilised, inset a paperclip into the reset hole until the power light and DSL light flash together. This takes around 30 seconds. When the lights flash together remove the paper clip and the router will reboot. Turn the router off and on once more.

Step 4 – Reconnect DSL cable

Reconnect the grey DSL cable. The Internet light will will flash for 20-40 seconds before turning a solid green colour. This will complete the reset and your router will be working correctly with the new firmware updated.

If you have difficulties following these steps or you are still unable to connect to the inetrnet after completing them, please speak to our support team, who will assist you further.

If you are worried about connectivity over the weekend, you may want to consider buying a suitable router from your local retailer. We can assist you to set up the new router and advise buying the Draytek Vigor 2760 if possible.

Any new router purchases are your responsibility. Please speak to the tech team for some advice on which router is best suited for you if you cannot buy the Draytek.

We can supply routers, however, can not guarantee delivery before the weekend.

We will continue to work on a resolution, thank you for your patience during this difficult time!

Categories

Yearly Archive

Why using Trustpilot will benefit your business

by

Why using Trustpilot will benefit your businessAnyone who’s ever started any kind of business will tell you they are the best at what they do.

Better than the competition on price, on quality, on…

Well, everything!

So how do consumers work out who is actually head and shoulders above the rest…?

Recommendations are the key – and the more the better. Which is why businesses of all shapes and sizes are turning to review sites to allow their customers to (hopefully) recommend a great and competitively-priced job well done to others looking for something similar.

Trustpilot is the big name among review sites, and one that came to our attention after initial online research to identify potential suppliers.

We were – and still are – very impressed with the service they provide, which aims to build trust and transparency between consumers and businesses. We felt, of all the services we looked at, that Trustpilot really ‘did what it said on the tin’ and were true advocates of the service they provide, which was very important to us. Reputation is everything so we were determined to provide our customers with a reliable place to leave an honest review and Trustpilot seemed to fit the bill.

We work hard to do the best for each and every customer every day, so had no qualms about opening ourselves up to the public vote, as it were. And with over 120,000 businesses in 65 countries being reviewed, including big names like Royal Mail, Travelex and Superdry, we’re in good company.

Trustpilot make it really easy to obtain reviews, with templates that can be customised to look and feel part of your brand. You can also choose whether to send them manually or automate the process completely.

We take the time to respond when customers leave reviews on our Trustpilot Company Page, as whatever they say (and they’re generally very positive), we value their input and the time they take to tell us about our service.

The Trustpilot Dashboard is pretty addictive too and you’ll definitely find yourself spending time there, fascinated by the wealth of data available.

Our personal favourite is the search terms that are typed into Google that result in our trustpilot company page appearing in the search results.

It really is fascinating!

There are numerous widgets that can easily be integrated into your website so that you can share your success stories. Visitors to your site immediately know that these recommendations are genuine – Let’s face it, anyone could ‘write’ a testimonial and slap it on their website. No-one would really be able to tell if it was authentic or not. Trustpilot voids that underhand trick completely.

And while transparency is very important in itself, using Trustpilot has also had additional benefits for us. Our Google ranking has improved and now we always dominate the top results positions – and so it works for us on every level.

Are you using Trustpilot or similar, if not we recommend you do!

Categories

Yearly Archive

Directors Dean & James’ Day at School

by

Directors Dean & James' Day at SchoolIt’s our third year running seeing the kids at Shenley Brook End School for careers advice speed interviewing!!

The kids are given ten minutes to interview various people from business and industry, including myself and business partner James, to get a feel for where they might want their career to go.

Being at a school brings back memories of how scary life looked for a boy who didn’t know what to do with his life!

All I knew was that University wasn’t the route for me. Whereas it felt as though the whole system was built around driving people into further education. The worst thing for me was that everyone else – all my good friends, seemed to have a plan.

How many of you had a plan when you left school….?

No sir.

How many of you stuck to it….?

Not me.

So does deviating from your plan mean you failed….?

I don’t think so.

Yet that’s the message we often teach our kids. Fear of failure is crippling and it’s worrying how much emphasis is still put on formal education as the only route to success. Let’s be frank, it isn’t is it!?

Both I and James are proof of that!

If we have inspired just one of the kids we met today, so that they don’t feel how I did at their age, then I’d say….

“We’ve had a good day!”

Categories

Yearly Archive

Corporate Social Responsibility: How it benefits businesses as well as charities

by

Corporate Social Responsibility: How it benefits businesses as well as charities

Corporate charity work and partnerships are moving from something that companies do casually on an occasional basis to help groups in their community, into fully-fledged business-critical components.

Traditionally, the thinking has been that businesses volunteering their staff, time or skills to a charity was purely for that organisation’s benefit, but increasingly it is becoming obvious that there are benefits on both sides, with measurable impact and results alongside the likes of fundraising and awareness-building.

As part of this, or possibly because of it, we are seeing more and more businesses taking on formal working arrangements. And with this, an industry advising on the best way to go about working or partnering with charities is springing up, alongside helpful advice from the likes of the Government.

But, as ever, one size rarely fits all. Every charity has different wants and needs so we have found it better to ask what these are, rather than expect a set outcome from them.

As a Milton Keynes business, we are a long-term supporter of local charity Supershoes, which creates custom-painted trainers for children with cancer…..

Supershoes Website

Supershoes often receive donations from corporate sponsors, which are gratefully received, but many of these are looking for tangible outcome that they can measure, such as knowing which child’s Supershoes they have funded.

While this is a great source of income for Supershoes, they also need support covering costs like their fixed overheads. The charity is entirely run by volunteers, but they need a space to work from, as well as basic services such as telephone and broadband.

So here at Boxx, we decided to forgo the letter each month telling us which shoes we had funded and instead help them out with the cost of their utilities, to help them reach as many children as possible. And this is something we intend to continue to do, to support them long-term.

Recently, we also stumbled across another amazing MK-based charity when looking for a conference venue.

The Milton Keynes Community Foundation offer exceptional value for money conferencing facilities as well as huge discounts for charities looking for venues – but most importantly they give back their profits to the local community. We jumped at the chance to use them – and not only did it give us a nice warm fuzzy feeling, but the cakes they served were fab too!

Milton Keynes Community Foundation

So if you’re tempted to volunteer, look around for a charity that fits what you want to do – and then ask how you can best help. The answer might just surprise you!

Networking: Love it or hate it?!

by

Networking: Love it or hate it?!

Networking is one of those words that often has a polarising effect on business people – they either jump up and down with excitement and produce a fistful of business cards, or squirm and cower in a corner.

But love it or hate it, good old-fashioned face-to-face networking still has lots to commend it – and is often a valuable source of leads for local companies, as well as free advice and help on all sorts of subjects and the potential for word-of-mouth referrals. We’ve tried lots of local ones including BNI Diamond and Business Buzz to name a few, and got different things out of all of them.

So, what do you need to bear in mind? Here are a few top tips for getting the best out of networking events – and some etiquette tips for good measure!

1) Know why you’re there – What are you hoping to get out of the meeting, and who do you need to talk to to make that happen (Note: standing in the corner and hoping someone will talk to you is not an option. If you’re not confident, fake it – you’re unlikely to be the only nervous newbie in the room)

2) Research the group – Networking groups come in all shapes and sizes, some paid, some not, some for specific sectors, even some where people bring their children along. While that can make for an overwhelming choice, it does mean the odds are high of finding one that’s perfect for you and your needs, so don’t be afraid to ask people you know who’ve been to events for recommendations or just to try a few out until you find the right fit.

3) Have your pitch ready – Many events ask members to give a summary of their business, and people you talk to will be interested in this too. Have something prepared that briefly sums up what you do and the most interesting aspects of your offering without going into huge amounts of detail. The aim here is to get people interested enough to ask you questions or your opinions on related subjects.

4) Listen as well as talk – Asking other people about their businesses and passion can be a great conversation opener and get the talk flowing.

5) Swap details – It’s great to just get to an event and get talking to people, but do remember that the end goal is businesses development, so try and talk to plenty of people, and get their details as well – whether email or business cards. Diary to follow up with them in a few weeks’ time if you think your businesses could help each other.

6) Take plenty of business cards – Having your details to hand if needed is vital so people remember you.

7) Keep it professional – You may meet someone you get on really well with, but don’t forget this is above all a business event, so don’t talk about your personal life too much, and don’t go too crazy on any alcoholic refreshments!

8) Don’t be disheartened – You may not meet many people on your first few attempts, or meet lots of people but get no leads. Don’t give up – just keep going, maybe trying different events, and you will make progress sooner or later!

Helping MK future-proof it’s businesses

by

Helping MK future-proof it's businesses

With BT phasing out ISDN, here at boxx we are making it our mission to ensure that businesses are ready…..

We’ve decided to grab the bull by the horns and encourage fellow local businesses to get together, learn what they can do to future-proof their businesses in preparation for the change and network with like-minded businesses along the way!

The first networking event went down a storm…..

Dean (one of the directors here at Boxx) gave a short presentation about why we are doing this and what businesses can do to get ahead of the game.

Dean Burgin - Director

We also had representatives from two of the industry’s leading suppliers GAMMA & Daisy.

Having them both present isn’t something that often happens, but it demonstrated how totally independant we are here at Boxx and not tied into agreements with any one supplier. We did have to sit them at opposite ends of the room though…. Only joking!

Prav - GAMMA Dylan - Daisy Wholesale

Everyone who attended seemed to not only enjoy the refreshments but also took away knowledge of the changes that are coming to the telecommunications landscape over the next few years and more importantly, what they can do now to prepare themselves and their businesses for this.

Chris - Walter Samuel Ltd Audience

We received excellent feedback from all those who attended and like anything successful, it makes you want to do it again! So we’ve just set another date for our next one – Thursday 30th June here in CMK.

If you’d like to come along you can register your interest here. We hope to see you there!

And because images speak a thousand words, this short video shows what you can expect from the event.

Page 9 of 12
1 … 7 8 9 10 11 12