Installations

Broadband routers, Wireless Networks, new PCs, Printers

SELECTING A BROADBAND PACKAGE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU
We provide advice and clarification on the broadband packages available to help you decide which is the most suitable for your needs and budget. There are many options on the market and more than one of these will suit your needs - the choice is not always clear-cut.

INSTALLATION OF BROADBAND
We receive many calls from people from all walks of life who have tried to install their newly delivered Broadband package. In most cases their installation has not been as "straight-forward" as the supplier made it out to be and their attempts to fix the problem only result in frustrating phone calls with un-helpful call centres, leaving the installation incomplete. We can act on your behalf and make sense of what the ISP is telling you in order to resolve the problem and complete the installation.

HAS YOUR BROADBAND STOPPED WORKING?
There are many issues affecting the status of your broadband connection. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will normally have no problems at their end (however, some are also prone to fobbing you off when it really is their problem), leaving the issue with you to resolve with either BT (and a very expensive callout rate) or your computer supplier. From our own experience here are a few things that can affect your broadband connection (or loss of it):

• The obvious one first - try powering off the router and restarting it from scratch. This often solves a variety of issues affecting the connection.

• Broadband filters - the filters can require replacement, they are especially susceptible to lightning strikes or large power fluctuations. They only cost around £2 in any high street shop, check these first.
  SYMPTOM 1: If your DSL (or ADSL) light on your modem continues to blink and never stays on solid, then you are probably not getting a strong enough signal to your modem from your telephone line.
  RECOMMENDATION 1: If this is an extension and not the main telephone socket in the house, try moving and connecting the modem (with filter) to the master telephone point and see if the signal is solid at that point first (this doesn't need the computer to be moved and connected - just the modem). If this is OK then you know that the fault lies in the extension (possibly too far away and signal degrades to a level insufficient for broadband - there are solutions for this, call us).
  SYMPTOM 2: If you have replaced your filter and neither telephone point acquires a solid broadband signal then the fault probably lies outside your control - it is either the BT line or the exchange.
  RECOMMENDATION 2: Check with your ISP and get them to confirm status of the line from their end, plus identify any work in progress at the exchange or within your broadband area that may be affecting their service.
   
• The broadband cable from filter to broadband modem (the ADSL line) - this can be "fried" by electrical surges if not protected. Again, a low cost part to replace from any high street computer shop.
  SYMPTOM 3: The computer cannot detect a broadband signal and will not connect to the internet.
  RECOMMENDATION 3: If no connection once this cable is replaced then follow recommendations in SYMPTOM 1 & 2 above.
   
• The broadband modem - if you still cannot connect to broadband the modem itself could be faulty.
  SYMPTOM 4: No solid connection after replacing filter and/or DSL cable.
  RECOMMENDATION 4: Unfortunately you can only check this with another modem. If you have a spare modem and can achieve a solid broadband connection then you may want to get in touch with your ISP to check if they will replace the damaged modem - some will do this for free, others will charge for it. In the meantime, check if they support the modem you have used to check the signal - if their software supports this type of modem then you might be able to connect temporarily using this modem.
   
• Ethernet or USB - In the UK many broadband modems connect faster through an Ethernet connection (usually a yellow cable) than via USB (usually a blue cable - both normally supplied with the modem).
  SYMPTOM 5: If the computer cannot detect the modem (assuming all the above symptoms do not exist or have been resolved) then it is possible that either the Ethernet or USB cables or ports are damaged.
  RECOMMENDATION 5: Cables can be damaged by power surges - replace and check connection again. Available in high street shops for £2-£5.
  RECOMMENDATION 6: The Ethernet and USB ports on the computer can be damaged by power surges. If they are an integral part of the motherboard of a computer then the best solution is to install a new card (Ethernet or USB multi-port) - costing less than £15. The alternative is to replace the motherboard - a costly process and not always cost-justifiable depending on the age of the computer.
   
• Still not solved?
  If you have taken all the above steps to remedy the connection problems and still cannot connect then you need to call us out to inspect the installation.

Hopefully we can help remove the mystery of this installation and get it working.

Accounting Packages

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ACCOUNTING PACKAGES?

With more than 20 years of experience working for an FTSE-100 software/services company providing financial systems to international banks all around the world, we should know a thing or two about accounting systems, their support and their use in everyday business life.

We prefer to work with your accountants initially to define the structure and nature of your accounts so that any information produced by the package installed is in the format that they expect and can work with. If your accountant does not have any preference regarding the structure then we will work with you to ensure that the system is set-up to suit your needs.

WHICH SYSTEM IS RIGHT FOR US?

By far the 2 most popular accounting systems installed in small businesses throughout the UK are varieties of the Sage and QuickBooks packages.
Use this link to view a comparison between the two systems (comparative costs and functions/featues shown). You only need to enter details of the two packages in a search engine like GOOGLE and you end up with thousands of pages of advice.

This is a decision only you can make, maybe with a little help from your accountant since they will be used to working with one of them (almost guaranteed they prefer one of these). The nature and size of your business may dictate the choice for you.

The view from many people on the internet seems to be that Sage is preferred by traditional old school accountants and QuickBooks (and other packages) by those considered more up to date with technology. Knowing how conservative most accountants are it is almost a certainty that most will opt for Sage.

When deciding there are many parameters needing to be considered, including whether the package can handle flat and variable rates of VAT, PAYE tax deductions, flexible and customisable invoicing, bank reconciliations etc. A good discussion with your accountant will help point you in the right direction. A short chat with us after that and we could be helping you install a package that will make your business life a lot less stressful.

 

Related services

• We install broadband modems and make sure you get properly connected to the internet.

• We install and set-up new computers

• We install and set-up wireless internet connections

• We install and set-up wired internet connections too, with custom-fit ethernet cables and alternative solutions.

• We install and help to set-up popular accounting packages

• We can help you select and order a new computer to suit your needs, NOT what a young upstart might try to sell you in the high-street shop to make his commission. This could save you £100's.