Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!

Panther TEK News & Tips

Panther TEK, computer repair

Panther TEK Joins The North Phoenix Chamber Of Commerce

Three years after re-locating to North Phoenix, Panther TEK became a member of the North Phoenix Chamber Of Commerce ending speculation as to which business organization the company would become a member of since moving from Scottsdale.

"The NPCC offers a lot of benefits to its members and allows them the opportunity to grow with the organization. Panther TEK has been working hard to become a larger presence in North Phoenix since the move. Though we offer Valleywide service for computer repair, it's always important to be an active part of the community you live and work in," said Panther TEK's owner Nohl Rosen.

One of Panther TEK's goals as a Chamber member is to network with other small business owners and to make them aware that the company can offer them quality service when they need their computers fixed. The company offers computer repair, troubleshooting and installation services to residential and small business customers.

"It's always been my focus to build relationships with customers because people conduct business with those they've gotten to know and trust. The NPCC is about building relationships with its members and that's what we liked about their organization. A majority of the members are also own small businesses and just like our residential customers we prefer to work with them for their computer needs," Rosen added

Besides becoming a member of the NPCC, Rosen's company has also helped to get the organization online with facebook in an effort to allow the public to see what the Chamber has to offer its members. The Chamber's new facebook page will also provide an opportunity for NPCC members to network with each other and also post about their businesses as well.

Panther TEK Is A Good Solution To Your IT Needs

At Panther TEK we care about our customers and are dedicated to giving them good service. The TEK stands for Technology, Experience and Knowledge. By hiring our company for your computer servicing needs, you will always get a skilled and honest tech that believes in giving high quality service to the customer. Panther TEK is locally owned and operated so you will also get a company more dedicated to solving your computer issues when you need a tech on-site. Contact us today by calling 480-980-8541 or via email at catprotector@panthertekit.com and let us put our experience to work for you today. Thank you for considering our company for your computer needs.

Check out the new Panther TEK facebook page for the latest news regarding our company as well as computer repair tips that can help keep your computer running smoothly.

Computer Slowdowns: Is There A Solution?

While you are on your computer you begin to notice that it is slowing down. You figure that by defragging your computer it will solve the problem. While defragging may help clean up some of the files to clear space on your computer, it's not always the solve everything choice. Here are a few tips to help keep that computer from slowing down.

1. Install a good anti-spyware program. Programs such as Ad-Aware from Lavasoft clears and deletes spyware from your computer. Remembering to run this program regularly as well as updating it will help keep the new spyware hiding on your computer in check. Spyware can easily bog down your computer and slow things down because it runs in the background and can use up quite a bit of RAM (or your computer’s memory).

Also, make sure that you are getting a good and reliable spyware program. Often times when you receive a spyware notice in a pop-up or an email and download it can possibly do nothing more than add more spyware and even viruses to your system.

2. Purchase and install a good virus protection program. AVG (which you can download for free from grisoft.com) is probably the best so far in combating viruses and worms. Both worms and other viruses can also cause your computer to slow down.

Make sure you also update the data files regularly on your anti-virus programs as well. The data files often give these programs new listings of viruses to scan for. The companies usually update these regularly as new computer viruses are constantly being discovered. Set your anti-virus software to download these updates automatically so you won’t have to download them manually.

3. Clear your temp files. You can do this by launching Internet Explorer then choose “Tools” then choose the “Options” menu. Then click “Delete Files.” By clearing the temp files you can help speed up your computer a bit.

4. Add extra memory. Operating systems such Windows XP, Vista and even Mac OSX needs plenty of memory to run efficiently. Though 1GB of memory is good, 2GB or more is even better especially with so many people now using their computers for everything especially for high speed Internet. Having more memory also allows the user to multi-task (among programs) a lot better as well.

Additional Information

Here are some Q&A’s about Panther TEK.

Q. I need to have my computer troubleshooted. Do I need to bring it in to have it fixed?

A. No. We will come to your location to troubleshoot the computer so you never have to bring it into a shop to get the problem fixed.

Q. What operating systems do you work with?

A. Panther TEK can work with both Windows and Mac OS. The Windows OS we work on is Windows XP, Windows Vista & Windows 7. For Macintosh we can work on pretty much all of them.

Q. I wish to learn how to use my computer, will I need to go to a school and enroll in a computer training class?

A. Not with Panther TEK. You just schedule a training session and we’ll come to your location whether it be home or the business site and train you. No books are required as we’ll train you on the things you wish to learn. With Panther TEK the at home courses are 1-on-1 training so you can ask questions without being in a classroom with other students. We can also create special training sessions for businesses as well so their employees can feel less pressure and get more out of the courses. Learning should be enjoyable and training someone on how to use their computer or a software program should be fun. It is recommended that you already have the OS or software program you wish to learn on your system however.

Q. I am buying a new computer, but don’t know which one to get and the salespeople at the computer store recommended I get a certain computer. Do I really need to buy what they suggested?

A. One of things that is recommended is to hire a computer consultant and let them know what you are going to be using the computer for, before buying it. A computer can be an expensive purchase and an important one as well. Panther TEK has computer consulting services available so instead of dealing with the salespeople directly we can handle that for you.

A computer consultant is a good thing to have in your corner. You, the consumer know what you will be using the computer for and with Panther TEK you can have peace of mind knowing that you will be steered in the right direction and have the education you need to make the right decision on your system’s purchase. You are hiring us to help you make a decision without the need of dealing with pushy salespeople.

Q. I just bought a computer will you install it as well?

A. Yes. Panther TEK can install your new computer and its corresponding equipment such as cable/DSL modems, external drives, monitors, etc after purchase. We also install internal components such as CD/DVD-RW, hard-drives, sound cards, RAM, video cards, and other key components as well.

Q. I have been seeing some companies offering technical support for a monthly fee. Does Panther TEK do this?

A. No. Panther TEK believes that if your computer needs troubleshooting then you call or email us and we come out to fix the problem. We don't believe in having our customers pay a monthly fee for technical support over the phone they may not even need. You pay for our services when you need us, not when you don’t.

Q. What other services does Panther TEK offer?

A. Besides computer repair, troubleshooting, training, installations, and consulting, Panther TEK also has computer training and wireless home computer network installation services available. If adding additional equipment Panther TEK can install that as well. We also work on laptops, and also have audio commercial and podcast production services available in case you want to get the word out about your company or organization.

For more information about Panther TEK and current prices please call 480-980-8541 or you can email us at catprotector@panthertekit.com. Thank you for reading this information and considering Panther TEK as your computer solutions source..

Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft

One of the biggest questions you can face when dealing with important data is how to protect yourself from identity theft. Identity theft is one of the biggest crimes out there right now and there are a few ways to protect yourself from such a crime especially when it comes to your computer. Here are a few tips to protect yourself from identity theft in regards to your computer.

1. When hiring a computer tech to fix your computer, make sure you go with your gut. There are plenty of computer techs out there but some bad ones also get in the mix. Knowing who to trust with your data when your computer is being repaired or troubleshooted is a key factor. The best thing to do is ask family and friends who they use to fix their computers. If they have a positive experience and had confidence in their technician, then it's usually a safe bet that you will too. With a good recommendation you know there is trust involved.

If you choose not to go with a family or friend's recommendation, and decide to go with someone different, always ask the technician questions. If they brought a few CD's, a USB flash drive, a laptop, or an external hard drive with them ask why these things are needed. Typically, the only times these items are needed is when you're transferring data to a new computer that you just purchased, a new hard drive needs to be installed (so data from the old drive can be copied to the new one) or if the operating system needs to be re-installed. If the technician fixes your problems and backed up your data (and has already transferred it to the new hard drive or computer) always make sure you're in the room with them when they destroy your information on their hard drive, laptop, etc. A good tech won't mind you being there when this procedure is done.

However, if you get a bad feeling about a tech and that something is wrong, then it's usually a good idea not to hire them in the first place. If they work for a particular company, make sure you ask that person's supervisor if their employees have gone through any kind of criminal background check. The last thing you need is a technician who might have a criminal record for stealing people's identities.

2. When people get a new computer, they often wonder what they do with the old one. If you plan on selling it or giving it away, make sure you erase the data on the old computer. Don't assume that just because you erase files and re-install the operating system that your data is completely gone. An identity thief that is computer savvy enough can likely retrieve some if not all of the data on the hard drive. There are however some software products that will allow you to destroy the data. One such piece of software is called killdisk made by Active@. This program, depending on where you search on the internet, is free to download. Its main function is to completely erase the hard drive to prevent any possibility of the data being recovered at a future date. Once the program is run, there is no turning back and once the process is completed will require the hard drive to be reformatted.

3. Remove the hard drive. This is probably the easiest thing to do if you feel no amount of software will work on it. Make sure however that you password protect the drive (if you don't do so already) so that nobody other than yourself can access it.

4. Make sure your computer has a solid firewall program and that any wireless network you are on is password protected. Without security to protect yourself from outside attacks from the internet or from someone sitting in another apartment, home, or in their car on a laptop, identity thieves can easily steal your information.

5. If you're forced to take your computer into a shop make sure you back up your data and delete the information before taking it in to a store. While this may not protect you fully, it does somewhat throw up a roadblock. Also, make sure you know what the store policy is, and ask them what they'll do to protect your data. Is the room they are taking it into monitored? Is the employee who works on it had problems with identity theft or a criminal record? Remember, just like the tech you hired to come to your home it's always good to know their background.

With these steps you can hopefully make it much harder for identity thieves to make you the victim. While there are no guarantees in life, it does let a potential identity thief know they're being watched.

Protecting Your Wi-Fi Network

So, you've decided to install a Wi-Fi network in your home, but have you thought about security? Believe it or not security is an important factor especially when it can be hacked into by someone outside your home with a just a wireless card and a laptop. Often called Wardrivers, these hackers can often access your network without too many issues if your network is left unsecured. You can however better protect your Wi-Fi network with a few simple suggestions.

1. Prevent the broadcast of your SSID (Service Set Identifier). This is the first thing a program will detect and recognize. By not broadcasting the SSID it makes it more difficult to detect. Even though some software can sniff out the SSID, changing the default setting on the router will help make your network a bit more secure. This can be done through your router’s software.

2. Change the default password on the router. When you buy a router the default password is the first one stored. By changing it often you make it harder for outside influences from accessing your network.

3. Use encryption on your network. Most routers use WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption. However, if you are targeted, programs like AirSnort can seek out your WEP and bypass it. You can also use EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol), which is said to be more secure for a Wi-Fi network. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is also a little bit better choice for protection than WEP.

Whatever method you use, the more security you throw up the harder hackers have to work to bypass these methods. Also, make sure you don’t share important info on the network. Make sure your important folders are secured or set up a folder that can be shared only by those computers allowed on the network.

4. Use MAC (Media Access Control) filtering. It is possible for a hacker to spoof a MAC address (in other words intercepting a valid MAC address and programming their computer to broadcast it and access the network) but for home networks this method of filtering is just fine.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is also an acceptable method of protection for a Wi-Fi network. Some methods are expensive but Microsoft also has a free VPN technology for more advanced server operating systems. Also limit your MAC addresses to only those computers that are on your network. You can see which ones are connected by going to Start, Run and typing IPConfig.

5. Install a firewall on your network. Programs such as ZoneAlarm can offer basic protection to the computers on the network. A hardware-based firewall can offer protection as well. There is also a firewall built into the Windows XP OS but ZoneAlarm is a much more stable and solid choice. Also, set up a Trusted Zone on your firewall software and add only those system IP’s allowed on the network provided that they have a static IP.

With these tips you can help secure your network so your whole household can enjoy all a Wi-Fi network has to offer.