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Top 8 Parental Internet Controls and Safety Features

Kids today have lived their entire lives expecting a continuous connection to the Internet everywhere and all the time. Children typically spend much more time online than their parents do. There are unsafe, disturbing, and illegal sites that children can reach very easily if they are not properly supervised. Children are also continuously exposed to the risk of harassment, threats, and other aggressive acts by bad actors without appropriate safety measures. Kids access the Internet through home computers, and also through a wide array of devices including phones, gaming consoles, and tablets. Here are some simple steps you can take to help ensure your kids’ safety and monitor their use of the Internet.

1. Filtering Software

Internet filtering software is designed to sort content found online and classify content accessible by different users. This type of software is designed to block content that parents do not want their children to access, including social network platforms and chat interfaces. Parents should look for applications that include menu options for different types of content or sites that should be blocked. Specific URLs can also be added to a filter list. Typically, a whitelist of allowed URLs can be created, blocking access to all unlisted sites.

Filters for social media apps are becoming more sophisticated as well, filtering and blocking explicit content and suspicious images. Parents are able to control the filters for social media content, and any current filtering program should be designed to send parents instant alerts of any blocked or suspicious content or attempts to access blocked sites or content.

2. Monitoring Software

Relationships between parents and children depend on open communication and trust. Additionally, parents are responsible for protecting their children from dangerous activities. There are a number of applications that are available that allow parents to keep up with their kids.

Apps are available that allow parents to monitor device calls, texts, app use, and GPS locations without their children being aware of the monitoring. Details related to videos viewed can be provided. Alerts can be sent to parents regarding what sites a child accesses on a mobile device and when pictures are shared over social media or other apps. Monitoring apps can also alert a parent to the speed of any vehicle a child is traveling in.

3. Physically Secure Your Home Router

Children know many methods to defeat security measures, and one simple way is physically resetting your home router. Restoring factory default settings can often be done with a push of a button on many router models. Many routers will default to a factory password printed on the router or which can be found with a Google search. With security features disabled, safety features and other settings can be modified. This type of router manipulation can be very difficult to detect, as power outages or surges can cause similar resets. Securing your home’s router in a locked closet or another secure area will prevent physical manipulation of safety settings and other features.

4. Set Internet Access Time Limitations Through Your Router

In addition to safety and security concerns, unlimited internet access causes sleep disruption for many children, along with all of the health concerns that accompany the lack of proper nighttime sleep patterns. Most modern router models feature a setting that allows repeating periods without internet access through the router. If you want sleep hours in your home to be from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., just set your router to cut Internet access during the times you chose. This setting also provides additional protection against hackers during the downtime you assign for your router.

5. Disable Wireless Remote Administration of Your Home Router

Disable the “Remote Administration via Wireless” function on your router. Some children know how to modify security settings on routers, and using wireless remote administration is a common technique used by teenagers and hackers to defeat system security. Disabling remote administration will only allow modification by a user physically connected to the router through an Ethernet cable. By keeping your router physically secure, as described above, you can ensure that only you are able to modify the router’s security settings.

6. Consider the Location of All Computers in Your Home

Always consider low-hanging fruit solutions. Children today want to enjoy using computers in their bedrooms. However, often the simplest Internet security step is controlling the physical spaces where children can go online. Consider creating a semi-private computer and study area in your family room or kitchen where the kids can do homework and enjoy the Internet. Just knowing that you are close by and able to see what they are doing directly can be the most effective security measure of all.

7. Enable Parental Control Features on Mobile and Gaming Devices

Web browsers are not only on the computers you have stationed in your house. Almost all the devices that kids use — mobile phones, gaming consoles, tablets — allow full Internet access. For every mobile Internet device your children own, check the manufacturer’s security and safety settings. Also, look at the capabilities of the filtering and monitoring software discussed above to determine if your best solution is a universal application across multiple devices or a single-device-designed app or internal setting. Regularly check device passwords and settings to ensure no modifications have been attempted.

8. Scan Around Your Home for Unsecured Wireless Access Points

The easiest way for children to defeat all the security and safety precautions you take with your network is to simply use a different network to access the Internet. If your neighbor has an unsecured network that penetrates your house, then kids need only to simply click on the unsecured network. Use your phone or laptop to scan for any unsecured networks that are available on your property. Check all the different locations that your children might use around the house to go online. If you do find an unsecured network present in your home, you will hopefully have a good relationship with your neighbor and will be able to discuss the benefits of protecting their network with a simple password.

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10 Ways High-Speed Internet Can Improve Business Productivity

Businesses of all sizes depend on fast and reliable Internet access to be competitive in all industries today. Internet speed has a direct impact on productivity and bottom-line success. Traditional broadband cable or DSL service provides typical speeds between 10 and 30 Mbps (megabits per second). Fiber-based Internet service providers are able to provide speeds up to 1000 Mbps and beyond. Modern high-speed Internet access benefits business infrastructures, employee performance, and customer protection and satisfaction.

Here are 10 ways that a quality high-speed Internet connection improves business productivity.

1. Fast Internet Access Makes Employees More Productive

A substantial majority of employee positions involve daily Internet use. Many employees are more dependent on their Internet connection than they are on their phones in performing their daily tasks. Slow Internet speeds mean slow loading times for all applications that employees rely on to do their jobs. High-speed Internet also supports multi-tasking among several Internet applications at the same time.

Time that is wasted on delayed Internet research, customer service, email, chats, software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications all add up over the course of a day. Fast Internet allows employees to move quickly and seamlessly from task to task without losing steam and becoming distracted by downtime.

2. High-Speed Internet Access Reduces Costs

The initial added cost of high-speed Internet access is usually absorbed through the added efficiencies of established business processes. There are many other direct savings available with fast Internet speed.

High-speed Internet makes Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone voice service an option that companies without fast speeds do not have. All companies rely on telephone service. Depending on the number of employees, phone numbers, and extensions a business uses, immediate savings over traditional landline phones can amount to thousands of dollars.

High-speed Internet access also supports moving or adding employees who are able to work remotely. In order to access company systems, remote workers rely on the quality of the business’s Internet access.

Fast and reliable Internet connections generally support scaling up cost-saving efficiencies throughout an organization and streamline processes while eliminating costly redundancies.

3. High-speed Internet Improves Cloud Access

Most current business applications require constant uploading and downloading that are associated with cloud access and remote data storage. Slow speeds significantly affect the performance of SaaS apps, customer relationship management (CRM) programs, and financial processing programs.

Lags in processing data through CRM programs cause customers to lose interest and confidence in a business’s ability to operate safely and efficiently. Slow load times involving any third-party user leads directly to dropped communications and losses due to inefficiency.

Poor Internet performance often acts as a complete barrier to businesses even entering into the market of cloud applications and opportunities. Virtually all new software products coming online currently are designed to rely on fast cloud access. High-speed Internet access is not only important to efficient use of software products, but it is also essential for accessing new products that can support business success.

4. High-Speed Internet Provides Consistent Broadband Efficiency Without Data Cap Losses

Traditional Internet Services lack the bandwidth capacity to handle video conferencing, VOIP services, large file transfers, and efficient use of cloud applications. As businesses struggle with low Internet speed to use necessary programs, data caps can also disastrously affect operations. Many Internet service providers supply a limited amount of their already limited-speed service.

When data caps are hit, a business often finds that many applications will no longer properly operate at all because of highly reduced speeds. High-Speed Internet service can provide consistent access to quality service without arbitrary cap limitations in addition to superior performance overall.

5. High-Speed Internet Supports Effective Collaboration

Remote working opportunities require fast Internet speeds. Remote employees and those who work while traveling and have high-speed access can share files, collaborate through sharing platforms, print documents remotely, and perform tasks as if they were physically present in the office. These remote efficiencies facilitate easier communication and sharing with clients, customers, and other partners.

High-speed Internet access also allows companies to invest in video conferencing and other teleconferencing products without sacrificing Internet performance for other essential company functions. Many businesses are enjoying the time and money savings associated with replacing in-person meetings with video conferencing when possible.

Collaborative platforms for marketing, sales, and training are also available when companies have sufficient bandwidth to support the many sharing and conferencing products available.

6. Reliable Service Supports Productivity

Any unexpected Internet outage can impose significant costs and losses on any business that relies on Internet access to get work done. High-speed Internet service, and especially fiber connectivity, uses hardware that is far superior to traditional cable and DSL connections. Weather conditions, electrical interference, and physical breakdowns are less likely to interfere with a high-speed provider’s service.

Increased bandwidth also prevents losses through slow load times or lost connections for customers. If a business’s pages load slowly or crash, customers lose confidence quickly and move along to a competitor’s site. The reliable performance also promotes customer loyalty and encourages repeat business.

7. Greater Security

High-speed Internet service is more physically resistant to hacking and other illegal access than traditional Internet service. Security breaches present a substantial risk to businesses in many ways and are always expensive to remediate. Prevention is the best cure for the risk of loss of customer information or any sensitive material. Agility is critical to any disaster response, and agility is entirely dependent on speed.

Most companies today use offsite resources to back up data for safety and disaster preparation. The amount of data that most businesses need to back up efficiently is continuously increasing. Slow Internet connections make effective backups difficult during working hours. Even overnight backups are often compromised because of slow connections.

8. Consistent Signal Strength

Traditional Internet service suffers signal loss as user interfaces are located further away from the service router. Companies with large campuses and buildings benefit from the consistent signal provided by modern high-speed Internet. Ethernet signal strength generally exceeds even the best WiFi signal and provides a more secure connection. High-speed Internet provides a more resilient and strong signal that helps avoid downtime, poor operation and lost productivity.

9. Symmetric Speed Provides More Effective Service

Traditional Internet service normally produces higher download speeds than upload speeds, although both are inferior to high-speed service. The organizational staff enjoys higher productivity with more equalized speeds in addition to the overall higher speed for both downloads and uploads.

Modern companies are more likely to rely on multiple applications that upload and download data simultaneously such as VOIP calls, video conferencing, and large data transfers. High-speed data connections provide smooth and efficient use of applications that require substantial uploads while maintaining simultaneous downloads.

10. High-speed Internet Reduces Losses From Latency

Latency refers to service delays that happen while data is being processed through an Internet connection. Traditional Internet service can suffer from latency issues, and especially while handling high-bandwidth material like VOIP calls and video data. High-speed Internet promotes greater productivity through improved VOIP quality, uninterrupted large data transfers, and more efficient use of cloud-based applications.

Join thousands of Chicago and Milwaukee residents, SMBs, and enterprise-level businesses who have discovered the true gigabit speed and concierge-level, 24/7/365 local customer service that Zentro delivers without contracts, fees, or taxes.

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8 Tips to Improve Your Home Internet Speed

After a long day of work, you settle in for an evening of catching up on the latest Netflix offerings. You kick back and power up your 70-inch 4K UHDTV, thinking of what to watch first. Things take a bad turn when you realize that the video is not streaming correctly, and when you check your tablet, your email is taking forever to load, and your Google Drive is just sadly telling you that it is having issues getting any functions to load. Gritting your teeth and taking some deep breaths, you think of your Internet service and decide to return to the kitchen and have that ice cream.

What can you do to get the most out of your home’s Internet speed? Here are eight simple tips that might help get you back on the couch, relaxing with the remote.

1. Is Your Router Up to Date?

Take a look at your router. If you use an older model Wireless G (802.11g) or Wireless N (802.11n) router, your equipment is outdated. Your router should perform as well as your devices, and if you have phones, tablets, TVs, or other devices that you have purchased in the last couple of years, you should look at a Wireless AC (802.11ac) router to ensure the most reliable and fastest performance for your Wireless AC devices. Even with older devices, a new Wireless AC router will enhance performance, and any new devices you add over time will take full advantage of the power of a Wireless AC router.

Upgrading your router will also help ensure that you are receiving current support and firmware updates to address performance and security. A Wireless AC router may not have greater range than your old router, but you will notice much greater performance throughout the router’s range, all the way out to the coverage fringe. Modern Wireless AC routers analyze and manage the way that multiple devices connect, maximizing speed across all devices.

2. Stick With Wires When You Can

Even with the latest WiFi equipment, wireless connections cannot compete with a solid wired connection for speed or signal reliability. Think of positioning your router close to the devices you use that pull bandwidth. Your TV, gaming consoles and streaming media devices will produce the best performance your router can supply when connected directly to the router with a networking cable.

Depending on the size and configuration of your home or apartment, a central location for your router may also work as the hub for your most speed-dependent streaming media devices. To the extent that you can save your router’s wireless connections for your truly mobile devices, your entire system will operate at higher speeds.

3. Are You Getting Dinged with a Data Cap?

Sometimes slow speeds are not the fault of your equipment but are the responsibility of your ISP. Successful marketing usually means emphasizing the positive, and it is no wonder that ISPs do not go out of their way to talk about data caps. A data cap can leave you with a connection with significant speed issues affecting every connected device.

Data caps apply when your service period renews each month. While ISPs heavily advertise their fast speeds, they may also have caps in place. A plan may provide for a data limit at a higher speed and a significantly lower speed after reaching the limit. ISPs will advertise there are no “hard caps,” which means you will not lose all service. The problem is that the speed you have after the cap may be unable to supply your devices.

Check your bill or call your ISP to determine what data cap, if any, applies to your service. You may need to consider changing plans or providers to get the service you need at a price you are willing to pay.

4. Give Your Router Some Routine Maintenance and TLC

Many times we think of our routers as we think of our refrigerators–plug it up and forget about it. Internet connections are a bit different than electric motors, however, and a quick rest and reboot can make a huge difference in performance.

At least once a month, you should reset your router to give it a short rest and to refresh your Internet connection from the source through to the router and all connected devices. If you have a modem that is separate from your router, you should reset it as well. If you are forgetful or do not like keeping up with these routine tasks, you can get a programmable timer that powers the router and modem down and back up at pre-scheduled times.

You may also want to check the firmware version of your router, even if it is a modern Wireless AC one. Upgrading the firmware version can provide performance and security upgrades.

5. Consider Your Router’s Position and Range

If your router is stuck in a back bedroom or out in the garage, lack of sufficient range may be the source of your speed problems in the parts of your property that you use most of the time. If your router and TV have a few walls and several feet between them, your streaming speed and signal consistency are likely to suffer. Whenever possible, position your router in a central location in your house or as close as possible to the majority of your connected devices.

If you have problems finding a suitable position, or if you have a large house and backyard you would like to supply with adequate WiFi coverage, consider buying one or more WiFi extenders (also called repeaters). The small devices receive your router’s signal where it is strong and then retransmit the signal to other parts of your property. The issue with extenders is that they create another level of connectivity that is naturally less resilient than a simple wired or one-jump wired connection.

6. Use Both of Your Router’s Bands

Most modern routers transmit their radio signals on two different frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This allows you to have two separate networks running off of your router at the same time. Each device connected to your router will only use one of the two running networks, and some planning on which devices use which frequency can improve speed and performance.

The 5 GHz frequency is normally less congested and works better with high bandwidth consumers like video devices and gaming consoles. The dual-frequency design is intended to allow your router to more effectively handle bandwidth traffic on your system, so take advantage of it.

7. Keep Your Home Network Secure and Free From Hackers

Neighbors who connect to your router can create significant speed issues in addition to the obvious security concerns. If data caps are a problem, you certainly do not want your neighbor to click the gigs off of your plan like an electric meter playing video games.

Make sure your router’s firmware is always up to date. Change your router’s default login and password, and update your personalized password anytime you notice any suspicious activity. Be sure that your WiFi network is using WPA2 encryption, and turn off WPS if your device connections allow connection otherwise.

8. Update Your Antivirus and Malware Protection Software

We usually think of viruses and malware causing problems with our PCs and the programs that they run. Malicious software is also designed to infect and compromise your router and all other connected devices as well. In addition to affecting your Internet speed, malicious software can create significant security issues. Set your protection software to regularly scan your entire system and address any issues that are identified.

Join thousands of Chicago and Milwaukee residents who have discovered the true gigabit speed and concierge-level, 24/7/365 local customer service that Zentro delivers without contracts, fees, or taxes, starting at $29/month. Click here to get started.

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Zentro’s Tim Mahoney on Matt Laricy Group Podcast

Zentro’s Senior Account Manager Tim Mahoney is featured on the latest episode of the Matt Laricy Podcast, a podcast hosted by one of the top real estate brokers in Chicago. Tim discusses Zentro and our service, how your Internet actually works, what to look for when buying a Chicago home, and where the future of the Internet is headed.

Click here to watch the podcast