Windows 10 - March Update

Microsoft has been ever increasingly aggressive in its attempts to push consumers to download Windows 10. Starting recently, the company is upping the ante once again. As of now, Windows 10 is now classified as a “Recommended” update, which means many Windows 7 and 8.1 users will download and begin the installation automatically.

The upgrade process is less problematic now, some users have managed to upgrade with no problems. But there still remains a small risk if upgrading, we can normally sort out any problems for you.

By default, Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 shipped with updates enabled and a second box — “Give me Recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” checked as well. Plenty of users have changed these settings, but you can bet millions of people haven’t. 

Microsoft has stressed that end users who begin the upgrade process will still have the option to say “No” before the upgrade begins, but we're dubious of this for several reasons:

First, we’ve already seen what Microsoft’s version of “No” looks like — it looks like this:

Microsoft have made it nearly impossible to NOT upgrade to Windows 10. The company’s opt-out for Windows 10 installation is unlikely to be much better. Even if it is, however, there’s still a larger issue — specifically, the people this upgrade is going to hit are those who are the least likely to know it’s coming.

There’s no way this doesn’t create headaches for at least some Windows users, as well as Microsoft. Some drivers still won’t update properly if you upgrade to Windows 10. Some people will misinterpret the installation as malware, since Microsoft hasn’t historically updated its operating systems in this fashion. Some will click on “Get Windows 10″ without realizing that it’s an entirely new operating system that makes massive changes to how basic system functions work and look. 

All of these issues are issues with any system upgrade upgrade, but OS updates are typically something the user initiates and wants. Microsoft clearly wants its entire user base on Windows 10. But think about this: This move targets users who don’t know enough to disable Recommended updates, but have also rejected Microsoft’s previous offers. This could create a nasty snarl of blowback if the upgrade push starts making life difficult for large numbers of people.

Microsoft has published a KB article detailing how end-users can control the upgrade prompts and disable them in the future, available here.

We are still advising customers to only upgrade if they have newer computers and have taken a full backup before they start the process. Sometimes it is possible to downgrade back to your old OS, but a lot of the time it is not, so think twice before upgrading.

How to extend WiFi internet to a Garden Office or Outbuilding

How to extend your home internet to a garden office or outbuilding

With more and more people working from home, it's increasingly common to have a converted barn, garage, summerhouse or out-building specifically built for a home office. Often people come to us saying that the WiFi range from their router in their house just won't reach the office.

What’s the situation?

You've probably tried moving your router to the windowsill nearest the garden or pointing it towards the outbuilding, but often you find this still won't provide a stable strong wireless link to the outside office or it suffers annoying drop-outs, or can even adversely affect the wireless coverage in the house.

Let's assume you have an external office in a summer house approximately 30 meters away from the house, which already has power but no internet connection. The house already has a Broadband connection with a WiFi router in the hallway. The garden office has two PCs, a network printer and you would also like to use a laptop and iPad wirelessly in the office. You can't get a signal in the office from the WiFi router in the house but you want to share the broadband as no-one wants to pay for another line - right!?

What’s the solution?

Well, the simplest way to do this is with a WiFi point to point link. This means you have a dedicated WiFi link between your house and the office providing maximum data-throughput with no drop outs. At the office end, you're presented with an Ethernet connection which can be connected to a switch to provide connectivity for all the desktop PCs, printers etc and to a WiFi access point to provide WiFi for your iPad and laptop. Happy days!

What is a WiFi Point-to-Point link (PtP)?

The WiFi Point-to-Point link consists of a pair of outdoor WiFi access points for a dedicated link between the two points. This link runs on a completely different frequency to that of the house Wi-Fi, so it doesn't cause any interference or affect the range in any way.

Is it difficult to install?

No, it's easy to install but sometimes requires a bit of drilling. We mount one of the bridges on the outside of the main house and the other on the office building, the higher the better. The unit on the side of the house needs to be connected via an Ethernet cable to the WiFi router.

For ease of installation you can always use Homeplugs to provide a physical Ethernet port where the cable enters the building rather than moving the router. Alternatively, a more long term solution is to lay cable is between the 2 devices.

At the office side, you have exactly the same setup. The other WiFi Point-to-Point link is mounted on the building and a single Ethernet cable runs from the unit into the office delivering your connectivity, only this time the wireless signal is now converted back to Ethernet, via a cable into an Access Point to provide a local WiFi hotspot in the office as well as some wired links.

How much is this going to cost?

We will carry out a free* site survey to see if this solution is good for you. If it is then it really depends on the distance between the house and the outside office and the speed of your current internet. We can then give you a rough indication of the costs and any other solutions.

Contact us on 0208 445 6700 for more information! 

*Free - subject to completing the job with us otherwise there will be a charge for the site survey.