Month: September 2024

Internet speed test

Posted on by talhaahmed18

Today faster connections well over 100Mbps are becoming more common, and end users expect to test they are receiving the amount of speed they are paying for. When testing a connection faster that 100Mbps you may be surprised that accurate internet speed testing can be limited or affected by several factors.

Several limiting factors when testing bandwidth:
1. Limitations with NIC cardsspeedtest
2. Wi-Fi will almost always test slower than actual. This is due to wireless speed limitations, signal strength and packet loss
3. PC/Firewall/router duplex settings
4. Browser or device slowness (Cache)
5. Old cabling and patch panels limited to 10Mbps or 100Mbps
6. Slower 100Mb switches in between you and the core network switch, firewall or router
7. Other bandwidth traversing in/out from your networking to the internet needs to be factored into the math. For example, on a 100Mbps/100Mbps circuit and test your current usage lets say is about 20/50, your speed should reflect about 80/50.
8. Testing server speed limitations – Because testing servers are free, some companies do not like to pay for upgraded networks, servers and maintenance or additional bandwidth and so they limit the bandwidth for example to 50Mbps or 100Mbps. This bandwidth pipe will be shared across all network tests hitting that server at the same time, and that can be hundreds or thousands of simultaneous tests at one time.
9. Testing server test limitations – In most cases the testing servers are just not capable of testing speeds over 100Mbps per connection or test and when multiple tests are being run. The testing server or network is not capable of sustaining the many concurrent testing requests.

If you try internet speed testing using different speed testing systems, you will notice inconsistent results. This can be due to the current testing server load or software, geographical location of the server, or network configurations that may be different from the other servers.

Also, the most ideal way to test is to isolate out your network by connecting directly into the core switch or router and test from there. No other network devices should be connected during your test. This will rule out any local usage, viruses, or an incorrectly configured device. Read more on our website or test our network speed

Here are some approved testing servers:

ATT – http://www.att.com/speedtest/

Verizon – http://speedtest.verizon.net/

TWC – https://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/speed-test.html

Level 3 – NY – http://linespeedtest.newyork1.level3.net:81/capacity.html

http://myspeed.visualware.com/index.php

http://www.speedtest.net/

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/speedtest.jpg

Dedicated Internet

Planning for a UPS – power supply system

Posted on by talhaahmed18

Crashing computer systems and network devices can be detrimental to the continuity of technology and business operations. Loss of power can cause potential database errors, leading to failing programs and devices resulting in loss of business workflow, downtime, and thousands of dollars in labor or hardware for recovery attempts.

With aging power grids, the evolution of technology, and constant growing consumer demand; today’s business environment is demanding more than ever before from the electric power supply. Because of this demand and an aging power supply system, businesses and homes are more susceptible to current changes from upstream power outages or power outages as a direct impact. If you are dependent on technology, protecting your technology data and assets from a potential unrecoverable crash needs to be a priority. Power continuity for core network infrastructure and computing systems is imperative and planning for a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) needs to be properly planned and managed.

Here is a list of items to consider when designing or planning for a UPS system.ups-300x219

  • What type of power supply do you have or require?
    1. Single Phase (small servers, switches, routers) or three-phase (larger data centers, critical loads)
    2. 110V or 208V – 208v is recommended for mission-critical high load devices
    3. Outlet type i.e. L5 20R See: https://www.powerfig.com/nema-locking-chart.aspx
      1. You may be required to change the outlet type to suit the UPS or your requirements
    4. Outlet breaker size i.e. 15AMP, 20AMP or 30AMP breakers
  • Type of services i.e. PBX or Servers & switches or old servers
    1. Older machines may need a consistent voltage supply with less current changes and may require a more robust UPS system
  • Required watts or amperage needed on normal load, start-up, and heavy load i.e. Current output is 4AMP or normal and 6AMPs on startup/heavy load. It is recommended to leave about 4 AMPS below the breaker size.
    1. How much expansion will you require?
  • Run time needed at how many WATTS or AMPS.
    1. How long do you need to maintain power when on UPS?
    2. Do you want redundancy if a battery fails (N+1)?
  •  SNMP or Network interface Module
    1. SNMP module can be used for monitoring uptime, power changes, and also automatically powering down outlets as needed
  • Rack-mounted or floor stacked?
  • Maintenance
    1. The rule of thumb is to replace batteries every 24 months

If you provide this information to your engineer or power technician they can determine the appropriate UPS unit for your technology.

Contact a Global IT support technician for assistance in engineering the right UPS systems for your technology.

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ups.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ups-300×219-1.jpg

Cloud|Computer Security|How-To|IT Services

Learning From iCloud’s Security Breach – How To Keep Your Network More Secure

Posted on by talhaahmed18

pw1It was just a matter of time before another leading corporation became the victim of another hacker incident by accessing information through an IT security breach. The last major reported breach in 2014 during the holiday season when major corporations Target and Goldman Sachs became victims. Now, headlines of Apple and Home Depot, computer and technology networks being comprised are all over the news.

The one irrefutable fact that stands out about these incidences is that these major corporations have massive budgets for IT and administrators, yet they are still being compromised. Which leaves me to ask, how safe are we and what can we do to protect ourselves? Surprisingly, the answers to these questions are pretty easy. The average person is as safe as they are responsible. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own protections when it comes to our online activities and personal devices.

Most people now days are becoming savvy to the phishing scams being used by cyber attackers. A new method of phishing called “Spear Phishing” is being used to target individuals such as high level government officials, people of influence and celebrities. Information gathered through social media and other public outlets are used to create targeted attacks. According to Apple, this technique might have been used by attackers to gain access to celebrity accounts.

[testimonial author=”Apple“]After more than 40 hours of investigation, we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet. None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud or Find my iPhone.[/testimonial] –Apple

card1It was also discovered that Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker, an app designed for law enforcement, was used to gain access to these accounts. The app works by downloading a backup copy of the victims’ phone, which has been saved in iCloud. The only way the attacker could gain access to the accounts is by using a Brute Force Attack, a technique where a software key generator is used to basically guess usernames and passwords over and over again, hence the name “Brute Force”.

Here are a few tips that can help you minimized the risk of a security breach:

  1. Anti-Virus – Make sure you have a paid, trust worthy Anti-virus installed on your devices and it is up-to-date. Be wary of free AV.
  2. Firewall – Make sure you have an up to date firewall device and/or software and it is configured correctly by a certified networking security specialist. Examples:
    • Firewalls can block numerous unauthorized login attempts (Brute Force)
    • Protect certain vulnerable standard applications like MS Remote Desktop Connection or Apple Desktop Connection
    • Allow multiple step authentication
    • Provide encryption of data being transferred and connections to a network
    • Block unusual traffic patterns i.e data dumping
  3. Specialized Email Accounts – Setup email accounts designed for specific task, such as banking, voicemails, and online purchasing. Having specific email accounts will allow you to have avoid accidentally opening up a malice’ phishing email.  Examples:
    • bk_karenadler@gmail.com (banking)
    • vm_karenadler@gmail.com (Voicemail to email)
    • pur_karenadler@gmail.com (purchases or online transactions
  4. Strong Passwords – In today’s cyber world, criminals are utilizing sophisticated password crackers that can have a substantially higher success rate then ones we have seen before. Updating you password to a more secure alpha-numeric, cryptic password will increase the password formula possibilities and reduce the chance of getting hacked.
    • Secret123! can be changed to <$3cR3ti23!>
    • Adding one more element to the password such as a zip code can still substantially increase the difficulty in a password making it nearly impossible to crack. <$3cR3t!!90601>
  5. Change Your Passwords – Have you noticed that most banks require you to change your password regularly to access your account online? This is because changing your password periodically, decrease the chances of your account getting hacked into. Scheduling an office wide maintenance at least every 6 months to change all passwords will dramatically minimize your chances of a security breach.
  6. Two-step authentication – Enabling a two-step authentication upon login will decrease the chances of being hacked. A two-step authentication will allow another device to approve access to the account. Example:
    • Receiving a text authorization code to a cell phone
    • Receiving an email authorization link or code to a verified email address

Most small businesses store critical information within their networks and the cloud. Determining the correct internet security policy may take some time to implement, however the added layers of protection can save you the stress, embarrassment and the financial burden of having to recover from a security breach.

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/card1.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/pw1.jpg

Computer Security|Internet Security|IT Services

International trading ISP network routing – IT Services Case Study:

Posted on by talhaahmed18

nwt_multpl_routers

Improving ISP connections to the US is a must for the international trading:

  1. Connections from overseas are generally run over saturated routes, reducing the speed and throughput available for international communications.
  2. International traders rely on real-time information to allow them to trade quickly, and when a connection is slow, a matter of seconds can cost thousands of dollars.
  3. Redirecting traffic to go over less saturated routes is a method that can be used to reduce the high latency which plagues international traders.
  4. Global IT has direct network fiber access to Level 3, Internap, Verizon, ATT, XO, Time Warner, Saavis, and 300+ other major Telco carriers. This well designed US and Global network reach provides the ability to redirect and change routing to provide optimized network routing customers connecting to the data world.

How Global IT helped an Australian based Trading Firm:

A trading firm from Australia was experiencing high latency when connecting to a trading server located in Chicago. Global IT investigated the routes and latency and found the line to be saturated. Latency to Los Angeles was much lower compared to the default route that it was taking.

international isp routing
International isp routing

In order to improve the time response, Global IT data center and network service teams investigated routing options and implemented a strategy that would improve this customers response time from Australia to USA, and ultimate end point in Chicago. Within two days a new routing plan and system had been implemented and tested by the Australian trading company successfully. In addition, Global IT improved network security for this customer. This secure and improved routing plan continues to be very successful and in use today.

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/it-services-for-trading-industry.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/int-route.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/nwt_multpl_routers.png

Cloud

Hospitality IT Services – Case Study:

Posted on by talhaahmed18

Global IT has been serving the hospitality industry for more than 11 years and our IT leadership experience dates back to 1996. Global IT hospitality product and services portfolio spans from major hotel chains to exclusive Beverly Hills and beachfront hotels in Southern CA.

Through its wide range of services, Global IT fortifies the hospitality industry with a unique set of products and services that enable hotels the opportunity to deliver a premium guest experience.

Quick links:
Hotel # 1 – Four Points by Sheraton – Los Angeles
Hotel # 2 – The Malibu Beach Inn – Carbon Beach
Hotel # 3 – Mr. C Hotels – Beverly Hills

Hotel #1fps-sheraton1

Scope of Services:

This hotel is located in a highly competitive market that services the Los Angeles International Airport. With 566 rooms and 6,000 square feet of meeting space, this hotel is one of the busiest in the area.

At the time the hotel was overspending on IT services and the IT management company was falling short of providing the level of support a large volume hotel needed. Lack of support eventually leads to the potential of lost revenues, less than satisfactory customer satisfaction, IT setbacks, confusion, and frustration from guests, employees, and management. That’s when Global IT was asked to step in. The Global IT managed IT solutions along with our expert-level knowledge of service provider infrastructure allowed Global IT to deliver the type of service that a large-scale hotel in a highly competitive market demanded.

Working with the hotel’s General Manager, Director of Operations and Chief Engineer, Global IT was tasked to identify key areas where the IT infrastructure was failing, create a short and long term action plan along with budgeting to help get the IT infrastructure up-to-date and eliminate unnecessary services from other vendors.

Global IT immediately went to work. The first step was to audit existing vendors and technologies and then implement immediate easy changes in the way the hotel managed its network. By utilizing Global IT monitoring services, the hotel was given the capability to quickly identify bottlenecks in the network reducing downtime. Our proprietary remote management service allows access to any device connected to the network for troubleshooting issues and network changes.

remote monitoring system for hotels

Network stabilization was one key element missing from the hotel. Now that they have regained their confidence in the network they have proceeded with adding additional guest services including IPTV, expanding their guest network to include increased bandwidth, and now offering new services for their meeting rooms and pool areas.

Hotel #2hotel-malibu

Scope of Services:

Located on one of the most exclusive beachfront properties in the Southern California this hotel is one of the most highly sought-after locations for hotel stays in Los Angeles.

One of the biggest areas of dissatisfaction with the hotel was the type of service local Internet carriers provided. Local carriers simply did not understand the bandwidth availability needs of the hotel, only offering Ethernet over Copper solutions for the beachfront property. Global IT was asked to provide an alternative to the EOC solution that would increase the uptime and dependability needed for their network.

Working with major carriers and local municipalities, Global IT was able to install fiber solutions that delivered the bandwidth capacity and dependability the hotel needed for their guests. By understanding client requirements and being a beachfront property. Global IT deployed industry-leading networking devices and specialty configurations that would comfortable allow this hotel reliable VoIP and remote connectivity for operations.

Once the hotel had the capability to serve their guests, they needed a wireless solution that could perform up to the standards that their guests had come to expect. Global IT designed a wireless solution utilizing technology from Adtran Inc. with carrier-grade hardware to guard against corrosion from the salted air. The Adtran technology allowed for seamless connectivity for high-end guests without limitation.

The hotel faced a new challenged when they decided to expand their offices to a new location a few miles away on the hillside of Malibu.

Their new offices could not get the consistent quality of service needed to deliver IP phone service and remote access service between locations. Global IT was asked to step in and help with this issue. Using their existing Global IT circuit that was previously installed at the hotel, Global IT delivered a private MPLS circuit from the hotel to the new offices and installed enterprise networking devices. Controlling both ends of the virtual circuit gave Global IT the ability to add traffic shaping along with the quality of service to the site. The current IT team had contracted with another cabling company. Through our proprietary monitoring systems,

Global IT identified numerous cable problems and recommended ideal internal LAN configuration adjustments to help resolve ongoing LAN connectivity problems. Global IT Engineers were able to design a solution that delivered the service they were looking for.

Hotel #3hotel-bh

Scope of Services:

One of the most revered hotels in Beverly Hills, this hotel has developed a reputation for its luxurious style, quality, and service.

So when their local IT service provider was not meeting the expectations and standards set by the hotel, Global IT was asked to step in and deliver the type of service the hotel prides itself on.

One of the first items on the list was to document the hotel’s complete infrastructure. With no real documentation on service and Service Level Agreements, Global IT had to manually discover all the intricacies of the network including hardware, software, and wiring. Working with General Manager, CFO, Building Engineer, and hotel staff Global IT created a comprehensive list of wants and needs to go along with infrastructure documentation.

Next, Global IT created a prioritized task list to address outstanding weaknesses in the IT infrastructure including; backups, out-of-date licensing, legacy hardware, monitoring, and remote management. The hotel’s network was incorrectly configured and out of hard drive space. Global IT correctly and efficiently configured their network, providing a dedicated backup system and allocated more hard drive space.  The backup system ensures no downtime in the event of a natural disaster. Current licenses, upgraded operating systems, hardware, software, and anti-virus system were all purchased, installed, and are currently being managed. Servers, storage devices, and terminals are all remotely monitored and managed.

Global IT also completed a migration from Google email to Microsoft Exchange. With careful planning and organization, the migration was a smooth process with only minor delays.

With gained confidence from the hotel, Global IT was asked to take part in the building of new office suites at a nearby location. Managing the infrastructure aspect of the build, Global IT was successfully able to install and relocate the new admin offices. Global IT was asked to pick up pieces where other vendors had fallen short.

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/monitoring.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/fps-sheraton1.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hotel-malibu.jpg|https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hotel-bh.jpg

Case Studies|IT Services

Best Practices for Cash Register and PoS Security

Posted on by talhaahmed18

image_galleryBest Practices for Cash Register and PoS Security

Security policies should be implemented for all aspects of a network from top to bottom. Here you will find the best network security practices for cash registers and POS systems. While not all the policies listed below may be necessary, it is recommended that you properly understand all network vulnerabilities and implement a series of policies based on potential exposure.

  • Implement hardware-based point-to-point encryption. It is recommended that EMV-enabled PIN entry devices or other credit-only accepting devices have Secure Reading and Exchange of Data (SRED) capabilities. SRED-approved devices can be found at the Payment Card Industry Security Standards website.
  • Install Payment Application Data Security Standard-compliant payment applications.
  • Deploy the latest version of an operating system and ensure it is up to date with security patches, anti-virus software, file integrity monitoring, and a host-based intrusion-detection system.
  • Assign a strong password to security solutions to prevent application modification. Use two-factor authentication (2FA) where feasible.
  • Perform a binary or checksum comparison to ensure unauthorized files are not installed.
  • Ensure any automatic updates from third parties are validated. This means performing a checksum comparison on the updates prior to deploying them on PoS systems. It is recommended that merchants work with their PoS vendors to obtain signatures and hash values to perform this checksum validation.
  • Segregate payment processing networks from other networks.
  • Disable unnecessary ports and services, null sessions, default users, and guests.
  • Enable logging of events and make sure there is a process to monitor logs on a daily basis.
  • Implement least privileges and ACLs on users and applications on the system.

Resources: US-CERT – Department of Homeland Security

See related links:

Securing Remote Control Software and Stations

Best Network Security Practices for Merchant Processing

Backoff Point-of-Sale Malware US-CERT Alert (TA14-212A)

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/image_gallery.png

Computer Security|Internet Security|IT Services

Best Network Security Practices for Merchant Processing

Posted on by talhaahmed18

Cards and padlock online banking, credit card transactions, trading, protection, fraud, identity theft, etc.

Best Network Security Practices for Merchant Processing

Protecting and securing consumer data should be an imperative policy. Securing consumer data can increase consumer shopping confidence and add value to your business reputation. Here are some guidelines for safeguarding merchant terminals from internet hackers. While not all the policies listed below may be necessary, it is recommended that you properly understand all network vulnerabilities and implement a series of policies based on potential exposure.

  • Purchase a leading Anti-Virus and stay patched, updated.
  • Review firewall configurations and ensure that only allowed ports, services, and Internet protocol (IP) addresses are communicating with your network. This is especially critical for outbound (e.g., egress) firewall rules in which compromised entities allow ports to communicate to any IP address on the Internet. Hackers leverage this configuration to ex-filtrate data to their IP addresses.
  • Segregate payment processing networks from other networks.
  • Apply access control lists (ACLs) on the router configuration to limit unauthorized traffic to payment processing networks.
  • Create strict ACLs segmenting public-facing systems and back-end database systems that house payment card data.
  • Implement data leakage prevention/detection tools to detect and help prevent data exfiltration.
  • Implement tools to detect anomalous network traffic and anomalous behavior by legitimate users (compromised credentials).

Resources: US-CERT – Department of Homeland Security

See related links:

Securing Remote Control Software and Stations

Best Practices for Cash Register and PoS Security

Backoff Point-of-Sale Malware US-CERT Alert (TA14-212A)

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/12-Basic-Requirements-for-Keeping-Credit-Card-Data-Safe.jpg

Computer Security|Internet Security|IT Services

Best Remote Desktop Access Security Configuration

Posted on by talhaahmed18

desktop-pc2.s300x300Best Remote Desktop Access Security Configuration

Many users continue to leave wide open remote control software which can be easily exploited by a hacker. It is highly recommended to use secure methods for remote access and control stations; for example, the use of a VPN connection. Below you will find some guidelines to help secure your remote access stations. While not all the policies listed below may be necessary, it is recommended that you properly understand all network vulnerabilities and implement a series of policies based on potential exposure.

  • Configure the account lockout settings to lock a user account after a period of time or a specified number of failed login attempts. This prevents unlimited unauthorized attempts to login whether from an unauthorized user or via automated attack types like brute force.
  • Limit the number of users and workstations who can log in using Remote Desktop.
  • Use firewalls (both software and hardware where available) to restrict access to remote desktop listening ports (default is TCP 3389).
  • Change the default Remote Desktop listening port.
  • Define complex password parameters. Configuring an expiration time and password length and complexity can decrease the amount of time in which a successful attack can occur.
  • Require two-factor authentication (2FA) for remote desktop access.
  • Install a Remote Desktop Gateway to restrict access.
  • Add an extra layer of authentication and encryption by tunneling your Remote Desktop through IPSec, SSH, or SSL.
  • Require 2FA when accessing payment processing networks. Even if a virtual private network is used, it is important that 2FA is implemented to help mitigate keylogger or credential dumping attacks.
  • Limit administrative privileges for users and applications.
  • Periodically review systems (local and domain controllers) for unknown and dormant users.

Resources: US-CERT – Department of Homeland Security

See related links:

Best Network Security Practices for Merchant Processing

Best Practices for Cash Register and PoS Security

Backoff Point-of-Sale Malware US-CERT Alert (TA14-212A)

https://info.globalit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/desktop-pc2.s300x300.jpg

Computer Security|Internet Security|IT Services

How International Online Retailers Can Increase Sales and Consumer Confidence by Hosting in the US

Posted on by talhaahmed18

online-grocery-retailingMany businesses outside of the US are looking to expand their markets and offer their products to US consumers.  This is especially true if these businesses are primarily selling their products through an ecommerce platform. There are a few challenges involved in bridging that gap to online US sales. Most of US consumers are weary of making purchases from international ecommerce sites because they are concerned with lack of consumer protection, unsafe transmit credit information and unexpected taxes or fees on purchases. Colocating in the US is the first step to establishing a local online presence and increase buyer confidence.

What exactly are the financial benefits of selling products to US consumers?  Here are a few tale-telling statistics:

  1. eMarketer reports that US retail ecommerce will rise 15.5% (to about $304.1 billion) this year.
  2. Forrester Research reports that online spending will increase to $327 by 2016.
  3. RetailMeNot reports that 55% of Americans are shopping online as opposed to 46% of Europeans.
  4. Statista reports that US adults spend 11 hours per day with digital media.
  5. Credit card companies are investing a lot of money and resources to come up with solutions that allow making purchases from your smartphone easy and secure, source.
  6. WorldPay reports that US consumers spend an average of 23% of disposable income online. A large number of them (8% polled) spend over 50% of their disposable income online.

online retail sales forcast

It is very clear that online spending in the US is at record breaking highs and it only going to grow more each year that technology advances. So as and international retailer, how do you get in the game? US consumer want to feel as safe shopping online and they do shopping offline and creating and infrastructure and online presence here in the US is going to give them the security they need to purchase from you.

Here are a few examples of how establishing a colocation center in the US for your ecommerce website is going to increase buyer confidence:

  • PCI Compliance – Payment Card industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of standards for providers and merchants to make sure that cardholder data is being protected when stored and transmitted online. Becoming PCI compliant is a very complex and technical responsibility.  It requires investing money into proper firewalls, anti-virus software and many hours of technical support to ensure the proper security systems and processes needed to protect data. Remaining compliant requires constant updating and failure to update can result in very hefty fines and the ability to process transactions can be revoked.

US consumers know that when an ecommerce website has the PCI compliant verification, they can trust that making a purchase online is secure. Global IT has a full staff monitoring its colocation centers 24/7/365 and undergoes monthly inspections to ensure that PCI requirements and updates are being maintained. Colocating in one of our US facilities will give your US customers the confidence needed to make purchases confidently.

  • FCC Regulations – US consumers make purchases on ecommerce website within the US because they know that the FCC is busy regulating businesses in the US that are operating illegally.  Many countries outside of the US do not have the same system where a consumer can file a complaint and the business will be investigated. US based businesses know that they will get shut down if they do not follow FCC standards.
  • Federal Resources – Some countries do not provide stringent resources if your ecommerce website should ever get hacked.  The US provides a variety of ways to report cybercrime if hacking should occur. There are many forms of cybercrime such as online identity theft, financial fraud, stalking, bullying, hacking, e-mail spoofing, etc. Cybercrime complaint resources such as Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FBI Cyber Divisions Cyber Watch are US federal centers that allow you to make complaints of cybercrimes and will further research, develop, and refer the criminal complaints to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement and/or regulatory agencies for any investigation they deem to be appropriate. Colocating in the US give you direct access to these resources.
  • Clean Servers and IP Addresses – Some ecommerce websites in countries outside of the US may be trustable websites, but they are hosted on servers that contain viruses or malware. Interaction with these website can result in fraudulent activity on their accounts or even identity theft. All servers in Global IT colocation facilities have the most up to date firewalls and anti-virus software, therefore, you never have to worry about malicious behavior from your website being hosted on a contaminated server.  Our IP addresses are regularly scrubbed to ensure your email correspondence is never flagged as coming from a dirty IP. This helps your click-through rate if you are marketing to your US consumers.
  • Faster Servers and Networks – America is considered the center of the word for internet aggregation. All international network operators have a presence on the East and/or West coasts of USA, for example in our West coast facility we have more than 300 Tier 1 network operators. USA is an ideal place to place your software and network services because of its accessibility and technical resources availability. This means faster and higher quality network connections from end users to our network. When you are in Australia or New Zealand and are shopping on online for example Amazon or Ebay you are accessing servers in USA. Many gaming sites are hosted in USA, so if you host a gaming business Los Angeles might better suit your audience. What you will notice is faster response times, connections to your servers and more availability which means improved customer experience and a happy customer. Talk to a Global IT consultant about ways to improve your customer experience and help increase your bottom line.

Global IT has the infrastructure, engineering technology and the expertise to help you properly host and manage your ecommerce website. With colocation centers in three locations, we can guarantee uptime and speed to stream purchases 24/7/365 and can even mitigate should you come across a DDoS attack.

Allow Global IT to expand into the US market and increase your online sales by unthinkable numbers. Call us now to schedule a consultation with one of our industry experts (877) 822-5565.

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Cloud

Why Use a Colocation Facility as Opposed to Hosting On-site

Posted on by talhaahmed18

web_hosting_bannerWhen deciding whether to choose hosting on-site versus using a colocation facility, there are several factors to consider. Some of these factors include:

  • Bandwidth
  • Power
  • Redundancy
  • Security
  • Scalability

BANDWIDTH

  • Capacity – when dealing with bandwidth, you need to consider the capacity that will be available to you. Colocations are typically located near a major hub with multiple high capacity circuits within a very short distance. Connecting to one of these links ensures that you do not suffer from bottle neck issues and guarantees you a dedicated link that you will not have to share. Typically a place of business like a commercial or industrial park have shared circuits and capacity is affected when multiple businesses are utilizing the same link simultaneously.
  • Redundancy – colocation facilities have multiple links coming in with built-in redundancy. This ensures a constant connection if a dedicated circuit goes down for any reason (planned or unplanned).
  • Reliability –  it is normal practice for carriers to install the newest hardware and have more concentrated attention where their biggest circuits are, usually where a colocation facility is located.
  • Carrier Options – usually for a business, industrial park, or residence, the options for carrier links are very limited. As stated above, colocation facilities are usually located near a major internet hub which means more options for carriers. More options are better so you can avoid using a carrier that has known issues like circuit over subscription, reliability issues, or poor support.

POWER

  • Back Up Generators – Colocations are known for providing backup power in case the building or area experiences a power outage. This is usually provided in the form of a generator. When choosing a colocation facility, it’s important to find out how long a generator can remain running. High quality colocations will have a generator that is powered by gas and the facility has a contract with a local fuel company to provide continuous gas for the duration of the outage.
  • UPS Device for Further Back Up – In addition to a generator as a source of backup power, your gear, or the gear you are leasing, will be connected to a data center grade Uninterruptable Power Supply, or a UPS. These UPS devices are intelligent and long lasting with replaceable batteries. These are the backups for the backup. In case of a power outage, the generator will need to be turned on, whether automatically or manually, and will take some time to reach full operation. It’s important to have a high quality data center grade UPS to act as a buffer between the time the power is lost and the time the generator is ready.
  • UPS Device for Clean Power Levels – Another factor to consider is the quality of the power. Servers and networking devices contain extremely sensitive components which require a constant and consistent supply of clean power. Power provided by the city is known for power spikes and fluctuating levels. This is not good for computer and network equipment. As mentioned above, a colocation will have a data center grade UPS which is not only good for providing power in case of an outage, but it also cleans, filters and regulates the power coming in. This is especially important when there is an outage and power is now provided by a generator, which have severe fluctuations in power levels.

REDUNDANCY

In case of hardware or software failure, or service interruption, it’s important to have redundancy in place to avoid service interruptions for your customers accessing your website or cloud service. Bandwidth and power redundancy have already been spoken of in the above paragraphs. High quality colocations will offer you the option to have your website or other cloud service backed up by a redundant server. Suppose the server that your site or service is hosted on experiences a catastrophic failure. Instead of waiting for hours, possibly days, for the hardware or software to be repaired, a redundant server that has live ongoing replication would kick in and continue providing your service to your customers while the main server or software is repaired.

SECURITY

The investment of your hardware, software, and intellectual property needs to be protected against loss. Home and business security systems are inadequate to provide the necessary security for hosting systems. Data centers and colocation facilities are manned by guards 24/7 with constant video monitoring. These facilities also have screening processes for who is authorized to enter and leave. They also have secure entryways requiring some form of authentication via either a smart card, pin pad, biometric scanners, or a combination of such. You can sleep comfortably knowing your investments are protected and guarded every minute of every day.

SCALABILITY

One of the greatest upsides to hosting in a colocation facility is the scalability. Supposed you are hosting a service on a system that is contained in a single rack and it has the capacity to support 10 more clients. Suppose a very large client decides they want to use your service, but the capacity required to support them is larger than the capacity you have available. Now you need to purchase more hardware, find more space to put this hardware, but this customer wants to come onboard now. If you are hosting in a colocation facility, the room to expand is already available, and if you don’t have time to purchase new hardware (servers, switches, storage, etc.) a colocation is very likely to already have these devices available for lease. You can expand within a matter of hours.

GLOBAL IT COLOCATION SERVICES

By hosting in a colocation facility, you have the needed quantity and quality of resources required to support a growing customer base. Global IT has colocation facilities located in two of the largest internet hubs in the country, Los Angeles and New Jersey. They come coupled with the experience, expertise, and availability to support any conceivable hosting requirement you may have. Please contact Global IT today to discuss your colocation hosting needs (877) 822-5565.

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