Networking

If you need an ADSL Router then I always recommend you consider obtaining one through your ISP as this can often be the cheapest option – sometimes you’ll pay nothing, sometimes just the postage. Maybe you’re going wireless for the first time and the original modem/router you were supplied with doesn’t have that capability, or you’ve bought a new computer and the original modem isn’t compatible. Check on your ISP’s website and see what you would now be supplied with if you were a new customer, also check how much you would be paying, and compare the prices and equipment of other suppliers. If you’ve passed the initial 12/18 month contract, don’t get talked into effectively paying for a new router from your ISP if you’d get one for free as a new customer (either from them or somewhere else). If you are signing up for a broadband service for the first time then maybe consider line rental and your phone service also – many broadband service providers offer a complete package that may save you money, but may just cause you hassle if you’re not happy with the price at any point – do the sums first. As a final tip, don’t use the e-mail service included with your broadband package, you don’t really need to, and if you ever change providers you may lose your e-mail account too.

Some equipment I recommend:

 

The Netgear DGN1000 is a wireless ADSL router which is ideal for most.

Guide price: £70 including delivery and installation to local customers.

Wireless adapters are also available for order.

 

Paying more for a router wouldn’t benefit many of the clients I deal with – they can provide higher transfer speeds for files between the computers on a home/office network, or an improved wireless signal, but if it’s the latter you need you might want to consider something else.

Except for portable computers, ideally your computer(s) would be connected to the router with an ethernet cable, but this isn’t always practical. A way around with is to use homeplugs which send and receive the network trafic over your mains circuit.

Illustrated is a Devolo dLAN 500 AVplus – prices start around £130 for a pair.

Printers & Ink

The Epson SX218 is an inkjet printer and scanner and is the ideal choice for many of my clients who are in need of a new printer.

I sell these for £75 and include delivery and setup to my local customers.

Replacement compatible inks are £16 per set (4 x £4).

If you need inks for a different printer then you are welcome to get in touch as I can often sell genuine inks for less than retail outlets. Here are some examples:

Genuine Replacement HP Ink Cartridges for the HP Photosmart 2570:
HP 336 Black (approx. 220 page yield) = £15 (Tesco price: £18.97)
HP 339 Black (approx. 860 page yield) = £25 (Tesco price: £30.97)
HP 342 Colour (approx. 220 page yield) = £20 (Tesco price: £21.97)
HP 344 Colour (approx. 560 page yield) = £30 (Tesco price: £35.97)

Genuine Replacement HP Ink Cartirdges for the HP Deskjet 5550:
HP 56 Black = £20 (Tesco price: £24.97)
HP 57 Colour = £25 (Tesco price: £31.97)

Price comparisons were made on 20th January 2012.

Anti-Virus Programs

Antivirus programs are designed to protect your computer against viruses and malware, and in doing so they provide the user with peace of mind. Peace of mind that their computer is safe to use – safe to e-mail friends and family, and safe to shop and do internet banking. Many people only get peace of mind if they actually pay for that protection, but it is my opinion that you don’t need to.

For home users I have recommended the use of AVG Antivirus for many years as it is available as a free download (not a trial). But more recently I have been recommending Microsoft Security Essentials instead (which is also available for small businesses with up to 10 computers), and is also free.

If you currently use AVG then stick with it, but otherwise I prefer Microsoft’s offering as the initial download and definition update is smaller.

Paid for offerings (unless you don’t meet the requirements for the free ones above) seem pointless to me. Sometimes they’re labled as “System Security” software as they include firewall software, but Windows has its own built-in firewall. What you actually pay for (aswell as peace of mind) is a service from the providers – if something goes wrong with the software or you get a virus, you can phone them to (help you) sort it out (you don’t get this with the free versions).

For most of my clients I am their first port-of-call when something goes wrong, and unless the problem is a “simple” fix then there are more certain ways of sorting them out… typically reinstalling Windows. This can sound quite drastic, but I aim to make this solution as pain-less as possible and what you get is peace of mind that the problem is gone. In addition to this, you often end up with a computer that is running more smoothly than it was before the problem struck.

Wireless Keyboard

Every so often a product grabs my attention and makes me smile. I smile because I think it wont work as you’d expect, or I suspect there is a catch. I delve a bit deeper and either discover that it does work, or it doesn’t.

Solar powered products usually bring such a smile.

The Logitech K750 is a wireless solar powered keyboard. And it works. No more cable, and no more replacing batteries every other week. The solar panels are able to power the device even in a keyboard’s typical working environment – indoors under artificial lighting, so no need to move your desk to near the window. The reviews are good too, Custom PC says “The key action is solid and pleasing too.”

Priced at £70.

Office Software

In the past, many people would simply give friends and family (or customers) copies of the copies of software they had. Most people thought nothing of it. Computer shops would install software as a favour. All this is illegal of course (unless the software is genuinely available for free), not many people realised it back then and those that knew full well still thought nothing of it. These days, with product activation the practice is no longer possible – if you try then chances are you’ll end up seeing fraud warnings on all machines with the software installed, even the genuine one.

When it comes to office software some people still think when they buy a new computer Microsoft Office will be included as standard (sometimes a basic or trial version will be included, but not always), because when they bought their last computer the computer shop did them a favour.

OpenOffice:

An alternative if you don’t want to part with any money is to download OpenOffice. OpenOffice is office software that is free to download from www.openoffice.org. It includes word processing and spreadsheet software, amongst other tools.

If you feel you need Microsoft Office, maybe you are familiar with it and enjoy features that are unique to Microsoft’s product, or it’s what you use at school, college, work, then you need to ask yourself the following:

Are you a home/student user or business user? There is different licensing for each.

How many computers do you want to install the software on? Typically the home and student versions can be installed on up to 3 computers. The business/professional versions usually only 1 (or one main computer and a portable computer)

Do you only require Word and Excel? If you need Publisher, Access, PowerPoint or Outlook then you will need to look to the Home and Business or Professional versions of Office, or you can buy the packages individually.

Do you need Office 2010, or will older version do? If you’re used to using an older version and only need to purchase Office to install on a new computer it may be possible to source a previous version for less.

Example Prices:

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010 = £95
Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. 3 User License.
This is the full retail version. For non-commercial use only.

Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Edition = £385
Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access.
This is the full retail version. It can be installed on 2 PCs*
*Licensed for 1 user on their primary and portable PC.

Microsoft Publisher 2010 = £99
This is the full retail version. It can be installed on one computer.

Services from BMH Computers:

To my local clients I can install software for you at an additional cost and I will also install the updates which will have been released since the software was created.

To those buying new computers from me, I will install any software you purchase at the same time at no additional cost.

Backup Solutions

Most people don’t appreciate the importance of keeping meaningful backups of the files stored on their computer… until they’ve lost something important, or everything.

A computer’s hard drive is a mechanical and electrical device and can fail, regardless of its age. SSDs, memory cards and memory sticks aren’t infallible either. Files can be lost as the result of a computer virus, power surge or user error. Sometimes files can be recovered, but in the worst case this can cost hundreds of pounds.

An external hard drive such as the Freecom Mobile Drive Classic pictured here is an ideal choice. It houses a 320GB 2.5 inch hard drive, connects via USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 and doesn’t need a separate power connector. The convenience factor is that it includes Nero backup software – once your initial backup is complete, the next time you plug in the drive the bundled software will only update the backup with what has changed. And then that’s all you need to do, plug it in.

Freecom 320GB USB Mobile Backup Drive Classic = £85.

To my local clients I can offer installation of this device at an additional cost, please get in touch to find out more.

How much backup space do I need?

This depends how much space your files currently take up and how much you are likely to accumulate. If your computer’s hard drive is only 250GB or less, then the Freecom 320GB will be more than enough. Higher capacity drives are available.

Other solutions:

Image for illustration

USB memory sticks are an option if you only have a small amount of data to backup. They come in similar capacities to and are priced similar to digital camera memory cards, so if you’re backing up photographs this isn’t a logical solution. As well as the small capacity compared to a backup drive, memory sticks don’t usually come with any backup software, so you will need to manually copy and paste what files you want to backup.

Memory stick prices: 4GB = £12, 8GB = £20, 16GB = £28, 32GB = £39.

Online backup services are available, sometimes even free ones bundled with security software but you have to ask yourself how easy will it be to recover your files should you need to, does it provide enough space, and can your broadband service cope with transferring all that data, data that will be sent to a server somewhere else in the world?

CDs and DVDs only hold 700MB – 4 or 8GB respectively, depending on what your optical drive supports and are really only recommended for posting photographs to friends and family. Photo discs can often be used in DVD players. Otherwise it’s not really worth the hassle of ‘burning’ discs.

How often do I need to backup?

You have to ask yourself how much data could you lose in a week, or a month? I recommend setting yourself a weekly or monthly routine where you plug in your backup drive, or get into the habit of plugging it in after you’ve just transferred your latest batch of photographs from your camera or spent hours working on an assignment.

Other tips:

Keep your backup drive separate from your computer, in a different room, or if files are vital to a business, keep them in a separate building – for added security consider a drive that offers encryption. Don’t leave your backup drive/device connected to your computer all the time – a power surge or computer failure could leave your backup drive damaged also. Check your backups – make sure the files are actually there on the device as you intend them to be, perhaps carry out a mock recovery.

These backup solutions will only backup the files stored on your computer. Consider your photographs stored online, your e-mails, your Facebook or Flickr accounts for instance. It is recommend that you keep copies of all of your files stored online in a separate folder on your computer so you can keep these backed up too – don’t presume a free online service will always be available, or will be without fault.

Make sure you have recovery discs for your computer. The new computers I sell come with these as standard but many new computers don’t and you are expected to create them yourself. Also keep backup copies of any free software you may have downloaded so you can easily reinstall software if you need to.

If you’re a local customer and would like to discuss a backup routine or would like further advice on what solution would be ideal for you then please get in touch to arrange an appointment.