Frequently Asked Questions (Part 12)

Q) Is my wireless network really secure?

A) This was a legitimate question when wireless networking was relatively new, but in recent years, the ability to secure your wireless network has improved greatly.  There are still some older wireless access points (the transmitters that provide the network in the first place) configured to use older, less secure protocols out there, though, so it’s worth making sure.  The rule of thumb is to make sure your wireless access point/router is using WPA2 for it’s password protection, and not WPA (version 1) or WEP.  If you don’t know how to check what yours is using, feel free to reach out to us and we can help you figure it out!

Q) Do I really need a surge protector?

A) The most common parts that we end up replacing in the field tend to be hard drives, power supplies, and sometimes fans or DVD drives- mostly anything with moving parts, but power supplies usually die because of weird power fluctuations or power surges from the wall outlet.  These could be prevented by using either a surge protector or UPS (uninterruptible power supply.)  Since the cheapest item to replace would be a surge protector, it makes the most sense to just keep one between your PC and the wall at all times, so yes, we highly suggest using one 🙂

Q) Desktop, laptop, or tablet.  Which should I use?

A) Generally speaking, it’s more cost-effective to use a desktop whenever possible- they are cheaper and more upgradable than laptops or mobile devices.  When you need full computing power on the go (like on a business trip), a laptop will be what you want to go with.  Tablets seem to be best for consuming material, like checking email, watching videos, or reading documents.  As such, they tend to be better as a second device to use when you don’t want to use something heavy or bulky like a laptop.  Chromebooks could fit into this territory as well…