PNTR Computer & Networking Services

10/26/2024

for those of you that are still looking for options for Payroll since Quickbooks Desktop is coming to an end. Here is a viable option you may want to consider. Payroll Mate - Desktop Payroll software. I am not affiliated with this company in any way shape or form. I simply came across this software and figured I would share it.

Payroll Mate is $219 desktop-based small business payroll software that runs on Windows devices and allows users to run payroll in-house with no monthly fees.

09/27/2019

Might have some big news in regards to PNTR... maybe... but in the mean time Microsoft has news for you. REPLACE YOUR OLD WINDOWS 7 PCs. The deadline is on your doorstep Jan 2020 is fast approaching and as an IT guy our schedules are booking up for the rest of the year. If you haven't upgraded, you better get your plans together.

04/11/2018

As many of you may know the net neutrality was federally repealed earlier this year. What does this mean to you... it means essentially that if your internet service provider wants to, they can block or severely slow down certain services they deem not in their best interest. So while you may pay your ISP for service, they still get to dictate what you have access to on the web. That is the nuts and bolts of it anyway.Oregon and Washington states said if you want to be an ISP in our state, you are going to provide open service regardless of what the federal laws say. There is obviously some tension that is happening here, but Oregon at least put their bill into effect in a matter by "Instead of imposing prohibitions on all Internet providers, the law forbids state agencies from purchasing fixed or mobile Internet service from ISPs that violate the core net neutrality principles laid out in the soon-to-be-dead FCC rules."
Big Kudos to Oregon and Washington states for standing their ground on Net Neutrality!

07/11/2017

Cody and I found the bench we dedicated to the trail system. He decided to jump up make use of it. Thanks to the guys at Providence Township for a great job!

07/07/2017

If you have limited space but still want to have a nice, organized IT area... check out this 6U wallmount rack setup.

04/12/2017

Security researchers are warning of a new in-the-wild attack that silently installs malware on fully-patched computers by exploiting a serious — and yet unpatched — zero-day vulnerability in all current versions of Microsoft Office on fully-patched PCs.
The Microsoft Office zero-day attack, uncovered by researchers from security firms McAfee and FireEye, starts simply with an email that attaches a malicious Word file containing a booby-trapped OLE2link object.
When opened, the exploit code gets executed and makes a connection to a remote server controlled by the attacker, from where it downloads a malicious HTML application file (HTA) that's disguised as a document created in Microsoft's RTF (Rich Text Format).The HTA file then gets executed automatically with attackers gaining full code ex*****on on the victim’s machine, downloading additional payloads from "different well-known malware families" to take over the victim's PC, and closing the weaponized Word file.

09/29/2016

As of Oct. 1, ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ) is going to be handed over to the U.N. away from the United States. Why is this happening... well it is said that it will be more fair for the world. However, here is the main issue. Like all things having too many cooks in the kitchen can mess things up really quick. So during this transfer of power, a lot of things that you take for granted could easily come to a halt. This group is responsible for keeping IP addresses organized and the domain names linked to those that own them. In a way it is like the U.S. giving up being the keeper of the keys. Is that a good thing?

09/14/2016

With AT&T, Verizon, and several other phone companies planning to completely do away with copper phone lines in the coming few years, PNTR Computer & Networking Services, LLC is pleased to announce that we now offer a great Hybrid VOIP solution! If your company is soon considering replacing an outdated phone system, you should definitely be considering switching to VOIP. Contact us for information on the solution we offer and how it compares to the competition!

08/31/2016

We get lots of questions about people purchasing laptops. Here is my rule of thumb... Memory and hard drives are easily changed. Therefore look to make sure the laptop you are buying has a good processor. I often recommend the Intel Core i5. You can always add more memory or a larger hard drive. Better yet, we can switch out the hard drive in your laptop for a fast solid state drive, giving your system new life (due to faster read/write).

07/20/2016

Another round of "crypto" emails is going around. Watch for emails which appear to be from yourself with an attachment. I would confirm with the sender any email with an attachment if you weren't specifically expecting such an email.

07/16/2016

Windows 10 for Free deadline is right around the corner. While it is definitely not necessary to do the upgrade, if you are on the fence now is the time to do the upgrade for free. However, the fact is Windows 7 is still a decent operating system and will still receive update until Jan 14, 2020. Which if you are still using Windows 7 at that point, you will probably be ready for a new computer.

07/06/2016

OK so obviously I have neglected the company page, but that is about to start changing! One of my colleagues and I get calls all the time about this screen that pops up on the computer saying they need to call Microsoft due to one of many reasons... Look everyone, IT IS NOT MICROSOFT! Please do not call the number, it is a scam. The person on the other line knows about as much about computers as a 13 year old. However, they do know how to run thru a line of BS with you and make you believe you are infected and then take your credit card info. Again, DO NOT CALL THEN PHONE NUMBER. If something like this pops up on you, either call a computer tech you know. If you don't have a trusted IT tech, open your Task Manager and you will most likely see that the warning screen in question is running from your internet browser. End the task for that browser and it will most likely disappear from your screen. Save yourself a lot of time and frustration, I can 99.9% guarantee it is not Microsoft on the other end.