Server Room Specs

by Diana Johnson

Three things you need to consider during the summer months in regards to your server room:

1.       Air Temperature- Air Temperature should be between 50 and 70 degrees. Lower than 50 degrees is not healthy for moving parts; above 70 increases the chance of server failure due to overheating.

2.       Humidity- Low humidity so condensation does not form. 30% to 50% is considered ideal. Above 50% and condensation can form. Below 30% and there is a greater chance for static buildup and discharge by personnel.

3.       Air Flow- Good air flow, especially around the back of the server.

While these things need to be considered year round, the summer usually presents more of a challenge to ensure you are protecting your server investment.

Give us a call at 903-581-0922 if you aren’t sure if your server room is meeting the above requirements. We can help you assess the best way to  bring these 3 areas in line for greater server protection.

http://www.woodnetworks.com/services/technology-management 

Do iPads Assist in Learning?

Read this article and see what a recent study found.
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/20/study-ipads-improve-kindergarten-literacy-scores/?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook

Creating a Password

Diana Johnson, Wood Networks www.woodnetworks.com

We need passwords in so many sites and levels of security within our companies.  In a perfect world each place you need a login should have an unique password. The world isn’t perfect though is it? In some cases you it is imperative that you have an unique password- bank accounts, credit card logins, PayPal and other payment authorization companies, confidential company logins, and your computer login. Other places perhaps you can use a common password you use at several sites- like sites you visit, but you do not purchase from.

As posted before a password should be at least 8 characters with lower and upper case letters and at least 1 symbol. 

Here is a simple method:

1.       Start is by coming up with a phrase you can remember.  Example- “all dogs like dog food”

2.       Now take out all the spaces. Example- “alldogslikedogfood”

3.       Next make at least 1 letter an uppercase letter.  Example- “allDogslikeDogfood”

4.       Lastly switch out at least 1 letter for a look-a-like symbol. Example- “@llD0gslikeD0gf00d”

Tada! You now have a password that will take a hackers computer over 463 years to crack!

Final note: Never use your personal information in your password. If you do all bets are off on hackers cracking it.  There is a lot data about you out on the Internet and if a hacker is serious about getting into your computer or financial records, they are going to research you, and it isn’t that hard to do. Also do not ever write your passwords down and leave it at your desk or in your wallet. When you do that you are literally handing your password to anyone with physical contact with you. While that probably won’t be a professional hacker, it could be a disgruntled employee.

Password Security

You should change your passwords at least every 90 days. Secure passwords should be 8 characters long and have at least 1 capitol letter and 1 symbol. Hackers have programs running on their computers specifically to crack passwords. Experts have found that a 6 character password, all lower case, would take a hacker's computer 10 minutes to crack. 8 letters, lowercase- 4 days. 8 letters, lower and uppercase- 3 years. 8 letters, upper and lower case and at least one character a symbol- 463 years! Hmm, might be time to change your password. :) Next post I will give you some tips on creating a password, so check back.

The Internet is running out of room

IPv4 is the current version of the identification system the Internet uses to send information between devices.  This version only allows for about 4 billion addresses and the Internet needs more than that- a lot more. IPv6 is the new version and it expands the number of available address to 340 trillion trillion- almost a limitless amount, especially when compared to IPv4.

The world launch of IPv6 happened on June 6, 2012, but don’t worry your applications and devices will work just as they did before.  This change is to make sure you can keep using the Internet in the future just as you do today.

You may be using IPv6 already, visit ipv6test.google.com to find out.  Many devices you use already support IPv6, but you may have to wait for the websites you visit and your Internet Service provider to enable IPv6.

If you'd like to obtain more information about IPv6, please feel free to give us a call.  903-581-0922.

Want more battery life on a laptop?

Are you tired of your laptop battery dying in the middle of a project? Your days of searching for the nearest outlet are gone!

The HP EliteBook 8460p offers up to 32.5 hours of battery life!

The military standard durability adds even more functionality to this performance beast- bumps, drops and scuffs will no longer carry the same terror. The purposeful design of the HP EliteBooks translates into true business-rugged notebooks. The sleek platinum casing and military-grade testing for drop, vibration, dust, altitude and high temperature helps ensure your notebook can survive rough travels and tough work locations.

Add to all that the graphics options to create presentations, display detailed images and basic visuals productions and this notebook is a real winner.

To get a quote on this amazing machine, visit our website- www.woodnetworks.com