West Michigan Computer Care employs trained Information Technology professionals who understand the needs of small businesses. If you are building a new office, planning to relocate, or simply need to upgrade your present space, WMCC can design and install your computer network. From pulling the wire, to installing wall-mounted connections, to specifying, ordering, and installing the required hardware, we will make sure you get a technology solution that meets your budget. Remember, WMCC is a small business too. We take your cost concerns seriously.

West Michigan Computer Care is a Dell Registered Partner which qualifies us for substantial discounts on Dell servers, desktops, laptops and related hardware. As a value-added benefit, we sell all hardware and software at our cost, with zero mark-up. We also have access to plenty of powerful, industry-tested, free software.

Need a reference? No problem. Just ask. We have plenty of satisfied business customers who will speak to you about the work we’ve done for them.

Networking at a Glance

Local Area Networking (LAN) technology allows computers to share information, and hardware resources (like printers and scanners). Computer networks are not inherently secure – network security therefore requires deliberate planning. Since computer data is the life blood of any business, protecting that data should be the most important function of a network.

Unfortunately, networks and data security are often overlooked or misunderstood by many small businesses. Failure to adequately organize and secure computer data can lead to disastrous consequences. In some industries, inattention to network security can even result in costly lawsuites and government fines. For example, the The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires all types of healthcare providers to use any security measures to “reasonably and appropriately protect electronic health records.” The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) imposes similar requirements on financial service providers.

Even if government regulations do not specifically apply to your business' technology, the potential economic risks associated with data loss should motivate owners and managers to make network security a top priority. Best-practice network security guidelines include three primary safeguards:

1. User Access Control – The capability to assign unique network accounts to, and control access permissions for each user. Sound network security strategy recommends that network access control policies should enable authorized users to access the minimum information necessary to perform their job function. It is important to recognize that such a policy not only protects company data from malicious users, it also prevents accidental data loss (which accounts for the vast majority of user-induced computer disasters).
   
2. Protection from External Threats – Most business require high-speed (broadband) Internet access to conduct business. Unfortunately, this type of “always-ON” connection can leave your network (and confidential patient data) vulnerable to hackers and malicious software like viruses and spyware. A hardware or software firewall should be installed to block unauthorized access via the Internet. In addition, business utilizing wireless (wifi) technology must enable industry standard security to prevent “back door” access. Finally, effective anti-virus and anti-spyware software applications should be installed and maintained that protects the entire network.
   
3. Contingency Planning for Disaster Recovery – Disasters are random and unpredictable but businesses must plan for them to minimize downtime and lost productivity. A disaster recovery plan should document the procedures, administrative settings, and technical support contact information required to restore network operation. To properly protect computer data from loss or damage, this plan should must implement a comprehensive backup strategy to make sure they can quickly recover from a catastrophic network failure.

Types of Networks

Thre are two types of network models: Workgroups (also known as Peer-to-Peer Networks) and Domains.

• Workgroup Networks – Workgroups typically used for home networking, or very small business networks. Each computer is equal on the network and manages its own security and file-sharing permissions. User accounts and security must be set up and maintained at each individual workstation. This means that if the Office Manager needs access to more than one computer, a separate user account has to be set up and maintained on each computer. In a workgroup environment, users often store their files on their own (local) computer. This presents a challenge when it comes to organizing and managing business-critical data because files and folders are scattered around the network. Furthermore, since data is stored on many different computers and managed by many different users, implementing a comprehensive backup strategy can be challenging as well.
  
  One can create security policies and centralized file sharing strategies to overcome some of the shortcomings of a workgroup environment, but they have to be created and maintained at each local computer. These characteristics make it difficult to maintain and enforce a secure computing environment when the network grows to more than a few computers. While Microsoft officially recommends the workgroup environment NOT be used for networks consisting of 10 or more computers, many IT professionals will tell you that even a smaller computer network will push the limits of a workgroup.
  
  
• Domain Networks – Domains are frequently used in business enviornments, where security is a high priority. In this environment, a single, centralized computer (server) manages login credentials and security for all users and computers on the network. The server that manages a domain is called a “domain controller.” Domain controllers can use a variety of operating systems but the most common are Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2008 Server. At first glance, these operating systems look very similar to the versions of Windows used on desktop computers. However, Windows Server adds a great deal of administrative tools that allow you to manage and secure the network.
  
  Servers are usually equipped with very large-capacity hard drives. Therfore, it is commonplace for servers to provide shared, centralized data storage for network users. Using built-in security features, the server can dictate certain permissions for certain users. For example, all network users in “group A” can be given permission to read files stored in a common shared folder on the server, but not change or delete them. Members of “group B,” on the other hand, could be configured to have full authority to modify these files as well. Another, feature called “group policy,” allows the domain controller to manage and maintain certain functions on selected computers on the network. For example, you can use group policy to lock out certain Windows features that aren’t required for a user’s job function (such as Internet access).