Norton Business Suite

Many Interconnected Technologies clients know about Comcast Business Class internet service because they’re already using it or we’re in the process of moving them to it. One of the small benefits of the Comcast Business service – in addition to the much more important speed improvement and cost savings – is Comcast’s inclusion of Norton Business Suite (NBS). NBS is essentially a re-branded version of Norton 360, which is a superset of Norton Internet Security, the standard antivirus and firewall package we’ve used and recommended for years.

Comcast Business clients receive 25 “free” non-expiring licenses of NBS as part of the service package. It takes a little setup work to get to the point where one can download and use the software, but we’ve set up so many of these that it’s a snap for us to do it, and the result is the best protection available, at no additional charge, with licenses that don’t have to be renewed each year. All we need is the Comcast account number. Once we have that, we create what Comcast refers to as a “portal” account from which we can download and install NBS. It’s a good thing.

Windows XP support from Microsoft ending in early 2014

Microsoft has announced already that certain older versions of Windows have been removed from support:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/end-support

This is one of the few places I've seen an official, albeit tangential, statement that Windows XP SP3 - the *last* version of Windows XP - will be out of support on April 8, 2014:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307853

That seems a long way off, but if you have a corporate strategy that still includes Windows XP - either by preference or due to an application requirement or limitation – or if you have an old Windows XP machine around that’s just sitting there providing some function it’s always provided just fine - it's time to have a firm plan now to upgrade from Windows XP in the next calendar year. Yes, that a year ahead of the official termination of support. Still, that is our recommendation – no sense running into an externally imposed deadline.

Having an operating system exit support may not sound like an urgent matter, but it is since it means that updates will no longer be provide. This includes *security* updates, even for identified security problems for which there is no defense.

It’s important. Windows 7 is a very solid, very usable system. Windows 8 will be out this year. Windows Vista is a memory. Windows XP is a relic. 

It’s time.

We can help!

Norton Business Suite (NBS) Installation Instructions

As Comcast Business continues to offer excellent value as a business Internet Service Provider (ISP), more and more of you are taking advantage of the Norton Business Suite (NBS) offering that comes with the service. There are many reasons to pursue this, and few not to, as long as you are working with us on the front end while it’s being set up.

Herewith, instructions for installing NBS on a Windows computer:

Step	Notes/Information
Remove the old program	NBS doesn't always do this, so you might as well do this first. This will involve using either Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP) or Programs and Features (Windows Vista or Windows 7) in the Control Panel and removing the previous program. You must restart the computer afterward. If you decide to simply start the NBS installation and let it try to remove the old program that's OK too. When/if the old program is removed, it'll prompt for a restart. ---------------------------
Log on to the Comcast business site	Go to http://comcastbiz.net Log in as an Existing Customer with the email address and password for the "portal" account for your business. ---------------------------
Download Norton Business Suite	Scroll to the bottom of the screen, where the download link for Norton Business Suite is. Click where it says to click to download NBS. If you are connected via a current high speed ISP, the download will take a couple of minutes. If not, it could take 30 minutes or more. Follow the instructions to complete the installation. ---------------------------
Service PIN	If you are asked for a Service PIN (you should not be, but it's happened), go ahead and enter that. If you are asked for your Service PIN, you may also be prompted to give your computer a name. Pick a descriptive name the identifies the computer on which you are installing NBS. ---------------------------
Secret question	If you are asked the Secret Question, go ahead and provide the answer.

LogMeIn Security

If we’ve set you up to be able to access one or more of your computers remotely (a service we can provide for free in most cases), and you’ve gone through the process of setting up your LogMeIn password, you will access your remote computers by going to www.logmein.com and entering your user name and password as the first level of security. At that site you will be presented with a list of the computer(s) to which you have access.

Once you’ve selected the computer to which you want to connect, LogMein may prompt you for a computer access code:

If you know and use such a code, enter it here. If you more typically (or exclusively) use the remote computer’s username and password at this step, click on the More button, and you will be prompted for those:

Once you’ve entered either your computer access code or your username and password (the second level of security) for the remote computer, you will be presented with the computer as it is at that time. That is: if the remote computer is logged in and the Desktop is displayed, you will see that. If the computer is logged off (or locked) you will be presented with that screen, at which you will need to enter your user name and/or password just as you would if you were sitting in front of the computer (the third level of security).

The next step: using the remote computer!

Browser wars - an update for 2011

Back in 2010 I posted the results of these folks latest testing. Here is an update.

'Nuff said.

http://www.nsslabs.com/assets/noreg-reports/2011/nss%20labs_q3_2011_browsersem%20GLOBAL-FINAL.pdf

I use Internet Explorer 9 when I can, and Firefox with I have to. NO other browsers allowed.