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6 Benefits of Colocation for Your Business

Posted on by Tonya Davis

Business data is a valuable asset that requires a secure and controlled storage location where it is not vulnerable to disruption or loss. Businesses should be taking the necessary steps to ensure their data is secure and vital server equipment is protected.

Forward-thinking organizations should have a plan in place that will address their current IT infrastructure needs and lay out a path for future growth and success. As part of this plan, they need to consider if they are going to store their growing data in their own data centre facility or colocate their data infrastructure to a data centre provider.

Understanding the value of colocation is the first step in making an informed decision. Below are 6 benefits of colocation that you should consider to help you decide if it’s the right strategy for your business.

6 Benefits of Colocation for Your Business

Cost savings

When you colocate there is no costly capital investment required and you save on fixed and variable costs that go along with the environment needed to house your equipment and host your data like security, energy usage, and IT resources. By hosting your data through a data centre you can free up the time of your IT department so they can focus on more important things and the money you save can be channeled for more growth in other areas of your business.

Business continuity

Data centres are designed to protect against disasters such as fire and flooding. They offer a controlled environment with fire suppression, redundant HVAC systems, and raised floor applications to ensure climate control.

Scaling for growth

As your company’s business data volumes grow your colocation strategy can be optimized to host and handle your equipment and technology needs. Colocation enables organizations to expand or reduce their data center footprint as needed, so you only pay for the space you need as you need it.

Security

Data security is one of the most important objectives for organizations today. Colocation providers can offer advanced network security to prevent unauthorized access and keep the servers safe from intruders. With colocation, you typically gain the benefits of increased security with 24/7 video surveillance, swipe card access, climate, and fire detection/control, plus more. Maintaining this level of security is difficult and costly for many businesses to do on their own.

Guaranteed uptime

Data centres typically offer an uptime guarantee because downtime is not an option. A single outage can cost a company millions of dollars. With colocation, you get permanent connectivity and flexible bandwidth to ensure your business-critical applications always run uninterrupted.

More bandwidth

Data centres are built to process data. Having this level of processing ability may not be accessible at your office location. Data centres handle the data through large bandwidth pipes and have redundancies in place to ensure access doesn’t deteriorate.

Colocation can be a major undertaking for an organization, but the benefits far outweigh the effort to migrate. When you outsource your data centre to a colocation facility you can streamline your operations and focus your resources and efforts on your core business tasks. With your IT staff having more time to dedicate to core business objectives and innovation, your company will be on the path to future growth and success.

Call us at 1-877-561-6771 or visit our Data Centre page to learn if Colocation is right for your business.

Learn more about Execulink’s Colocation Services today!

5 Ways Complete Wi-Fi Can Improve Your Home

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

Execulink’s Complete Wi-Fi system includes a Premium Wi-Fi Router and Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes. It’s the next generation of Mesh Wi-Fi that will expand coverage in your home to create a reliable connection no matter where you go in your house. Instead of Wi-Fi signal coming from just your Router, the Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes also emit Wi-Fi.  This creates a strong network by covering more square-footage and sustaining device connections. We recommend starting with the Premium Router and adding Mesh Wi-Fi nodes if you find the signal is not reaching every area you need. Here are 5 benefits of using this technology!

1. Improve Wi-Fi Coverage

Smart Home Technology is rapidly expanding and more and more appliances and electronics require an Internet connection. The Premium Router has the capability to connect over 60 devices at one time. To help eliminate dead zones you can place Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes in strategic locations that will extend your network.

Do you have a wall in the middle of your house that makes it hard to access the Internet from the kitchen? Do you wish you could video call from your deck or the far corner of your basement? Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes can help fix these connection issues. Even just using the Premium Wi-Fi Router on its own without the Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes, provides better coverage than the average router.

2. Gain More Insight into Your Network

With Complete Wi-Fi, the Premium Wi-Fi Router and Mesh Wi-Fi nodes, we have better insight into your connection allowing us to better diagnose and solve issues. We can perform a wide range of diagnostics to make sure you are getting the best possible service.  For instance, if your Internet connection is not strong we can monitor recent and current errors based on data from the Premium Wi-Fi Router.  We will be able to identify interference on your Wi-Fi network from other devices.  As well, by renting any equipment from Execulink Telecom, you get full 24/7 support and warranty on the hardware.

If you want to look into your connection on your own, you can also download the Execulink Helps app on your Apple or Android device! This app allows you to examine your network to see if there are ways to boost your signal.

3. Improve Reliability

We all want to have the most reliable Internet for our daily activities, whether you’re video calling for work or trying to get to the next level on your video game. The Premium Router uses Beamforming technology to focus the signal directly to your devices rather than having the signal spread in all directions from the broadcast antenna. This will improve wireless bandwidth utilization and increase your network’s range.

One of the best ways to ensure a reliable connection is to use an Ethernet cord. The Premium Wi-Fi Router also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports that let you connect a variety of wired multimedia devices for rapid data sharing across your network.  You can also share large files effortlessly over the network by connecting your portable storage devices to the Premium Wi-Fi Router’s USB port.

4. Features to Enhance your Connection

The Premium Router has several features that will enhance your home network including:

MIMO (multiple input, multiple output)

This allows many devices to talk to the router at once. This decreases the time each device has to wait for a signal and dramatically speeds up your network.  This feature will keep your smart home devices happy as they all need an Internet connection to run.

Band steering

Bandsteering automatically connects to your devices to the best available Wi-Fi frequency in your home. The Premium Wi-Fi Router has Dual-Band support, which means there are two Wi-Fi radios – a 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz band. Band steering will automatically select which frequency is best to reduce connection drops. Some people choose to separate these two bands to have separate Wi-Fi network names for each band frequency. This would involve connecting certain devices to the 2.4 GHz band frequency and network and others to the 5 GHz band frequency and network.

Unified SSID

The Premium Router offers a unified SSID, which means that both of these bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are controlled under one Wi-Fi network. This means remembering only 1 Wi-Fi Network name and password and you will still get the right frequency for your devices.

5. Fast and Easy Set Up

Getting set up with your Premium Router and Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes is easy! These devices are compatible and made to connect to each other. You simply plug the node into a nearby power outlet and push a button to pair it with your router. You can add up to 4 Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes to the Premium Wi-Fi Router. Down the road if you find you need more coverage and want an additional Node, getting it connected is a piece of cake.

Check out what our customers are saying!

5/5

“We’ve been Execulink customers for a couple years now. We recently upgraded to the premium router. What an amazing difference it has made! We have the 150mbps, and we were lucky if we got half that speed. Now with the premium router, we get pretty darn close to that regularly! This was even on a cell phone and 2 kids using their phones when I did this speed check!”

– Dave and Shannon from Owen Sound

Our Sales team will be able to help you decide what the right Complete Wi-Fi option is for you.  You can make the upgrade with your existing Execulink services or sign up as a new customer!  Check out our Complete Wi-Fi page for more information. Call us at 1-866-706-1942 or email us at sales@execulinktelecom.ca!

Learn more about Complete Wi-Fi

Why Do Businesses Use Colocation Facilities?

Posted on by Tonya Davis

What is Colocation?

Data Center Colocation or “colo” is a practice of outsourcing in-house server equipment in a third-party data center where shared space is rented to store hardware related to data storage and other equipment. Typically the customer supplies the servers and other equipment needed to run their daily operations and the colo provider rents them a secure, monitored space with service options that guarantee a certain amount of bandwidth and uptime, ongoing maintenance, support, and power.

Why Colocate your in-house server equipment?

Many companies do not want the hassle of constantly maintaining and monitoring equipment or they don’t have the infrastructure, expertise, and budgets to do it themselves. Colocation of your servers in a data center provides security, power, space, cooling, redundancy, reliability, and fast connectivity. It’s the optimal environment to keep your business data secure and available at all times.

Many companies decide to use a Data Centre to host mission-critical data, if this data is damaged or lost it could cause significant financial or reputational damage to the organization. Another alternative for many businesses is to outsource their Data Centre as a recovery location. In this scenario, companies will host their data in their office location and then use the Data Centre as an off-site backup location for their data in case of an emergency.

A data hosting solution for companies of all sizes

Colocation is an advantageous hosting option for businesses of all sizes. Small businesses gain access to a large IT department without the capital investment that many simply cannot afford. Medium to large enterprises can expand their infrastructure capacity as their business data grows and technology advances, increasing the availability and performance of their applications. Whether your business is small or large colocation enables you to focus on your core business without having to worry about the costly logistics and infrastructure that goes along with building an in-house data center.

Top benefits of Colocation

Cost savings

When you collocate there is no costly capital investment required and you save on fixed and variable costs that go along with the environment needed to house your equipment and host your data like security, energy usage, and IT resources. By hosting your data through a Data Centre you can free up the time of your IT department so they can focus on more important things and the money you save can be channeled for more growth in other areas of your business.

Room to grow

As your company’s business data volumes grow your colocation strategy can be optimized to host and handle your equipment and technology needs. Colocation enables organizations to expand or reduce their data center footprint as needed, so you only pay for the space you need as you need it.

Security

Colocation services give you the benefit of increased security with 24/7 video surveillance, swipe card access, climate and fire detection/control, and more. Maintaining this level of security is difficult and costly for many businesses to do on their own.

Guaranteed uptime

Data Centers typically offer an uptime guarantee because downtime is not an option. A single outage can cost a company millions of dollars. With colocation, you get permanent connectivity and flexible bandwidth to ensure you are always connected.

More bandwidth

Data Centers are built to process data. Having this level of processing ability may not be accessible at your office location. Data Centers handle the data through large bandwidth pipes and have redundancies in place to ensure access doesn’t deteriorate.

Your business data is a valuable asset that deserves a secure and controlled location where it’s not vulnerable to disruption or loss. Data Centers are designed to keep your computer equipment operating in an optimal environment that has the capacity to handle high volumes of data and traffic with minimal, latency. Colocation services can maximize value and streamline your operations so your business can reach new levels of success.

Call us at 1-877-561-6771 or visit our Data Center page to learn if Colocation is right for your business.

Learn more about Execulink’s Colocation Services today!

What is the Best Web Hosting Solution for a Small Business?

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

If your small business isn’t online, then you’re missing out on customers, marketing exposure, and are impairing your ability to compete with your top competitors. Web hosting solutions help you create and maintain a website, helping to modernize your business and connect with your target market. The web hosting service is the provider who owns the server that will host and “store” your website, making it accessible to the world. But what is the right web hosting solution for your small business? If you’ve been shopping around, then you’ve likely discovered there are countless options to choose from.

At Execulink, we provide leading high-speed business Internet service and awesome Hosting and Web Domain solutions. We understand how important it is to our customers to receive reliable service without interruption. We offer 24/7 customer support to help get your Internet and company website running as fast as possible.

Read on to learn about your web hosting options as a business, and how Execulink’s Business Hosting & Web Domain Solutions can help complement your business’ needs.

Hosted vs. Self-Hosted Websites

Some small business owners struggle to figure out whether they need a hosted or self-hosted website. Self-hosted solutions require a more hands-on approach; you’ll start by obtaining the server space from a provider, but the rest of the managing and configuring of your chosen Content Management System (CMS) will be your responsibility. You’ll need to find and integrate various tools and plugins on your own. This can give you flexibility and the opportunity for customizations, now and down the road.

Meanwhile, hosted web solutions can be a more convenient option for some businesses since they provide you with an all-in-one website hosting and building platform. However, note that this can create some limitations as a result of the platform being used; you may not have access to certain plugins or customizations that can make your website truly unique.

No matter which hosting option you choose, there are important factors to consider. Here’s how to determine the right web hosting solution for your small business:

1. Budget

Web hosting is an ongoing expense, so it’s important that the provider you choose is offering packages within your budget. Consider how much storage and features the provider is offering for that price. It may seem like a good deal initially, but if your small business easily surpasses your initial limits, then you may need to upgrade your web hosting package sooner rather than later. Keep business growth in mind and try selecting packages that have the flexibility to grow or scale alongside your business. Don’t choose a package solely based on price; a reliable web hosting package with a reputable provider will give you far greater value for your money, and may even save you from costly headaches down the road.

2. Reliability

As mentioned, choosing a reliable web hosting provider is critical. If your web hosting provider doesn’t have reliable service, then it can affect the quality and consistency of your business’s online presence and may cause you to miss out on exposure and sales from potential customers. Seek out a provider with a history of reliable uptime. No provider will have a perfect record and websites will go down for a variety of reasons, but do your best to find a web hosting provider that will commit to prompt response time and issue resolution when things do go wrong.

3. Bandwidth

While most web hosting companies offer unlimited bandwidth, it’s important to ask providers upfront if their packages have any limits. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred and can be affected by the amount of traffic your website gets at any given time. The amount of bandwidth is an important consideration because if there are bandwidth limitations, it can jeopardize your website. While it’s uncommon for small businesses to exceed their bandwidth limit, if for instance you’re having a flash sale that suddenly drives up traffic on your website, without adequate bandwidth it could cause your site to go down. Not only will this lead you to lose out on sales, but it can reduce the level of consumer confidence in your brand, which isn’t easy to re-gain!  Upgrade to a web hosting plan with enough bandwidth to support your current needs and has the option to flex up if needed.

4. Security

Some web hosting service providers may not have security features that your small business needs. Take into account the types of security features you’ll need on your site, such as https, for example. If you’re planning on selling products or services on your website, then you’ll need an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate. Ensure you ask the web hosting provider about the security features offered in their package to protect your website and to give customers the confidence to complete a transaction with the peace of mind that their personal information is secure.

5. Disk Space

Disk space is the amount of storage needed for your website to store its files. If you’re planning on uploading a lot of large pictures or high-definition videos to your website, then you’ll want to be sure your web hosting service offers a lot of disk space. These days, websites feature lots of visual media to improve the user experience. Let’s say you want to have a demo or introduction video on your homepage; will your web hosting package support all this rich media? Customers enjoy navigating sites where they can see and interact with your products and services, without lag time. That’s why disk space can be an important consideration when selecting a web hosting package or provider. At Execulink, our Hosting Packages offer 1 TB of storage!

6. Customer Service

If you have a website emergency, then you’ll want access to responsive, reactive customer support teams to get you back online as quickly as possible. Ask potential web hosting providers about the kind of support they offer, whether over the phone, email, or live chat. Are they available around the clock? Are their customer service representatives knowledgeable and helpful? Depending on your preferences, decide which web hosting provider has the communication available that will work best for your needs.

With 24/7 support and a wide range of Internet and Web Hosting options to suit every lifestyle, at Execulink we have the awesome services and features your home or business needs to stay connected to what matters the most! Call us at 1-877-561-6771 today or visit our Business Web Hosting and Domain page to explore solutions to meet your current and future needs.

Check out your Web Hosting and Domain Options

The Spookiest Halloween Activities Happening in Lambton Shores, KW, London, Norfolk County, and Oxford County!

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

Halloween is fast approaching and your time for corn mazes and haunted houses is running out. Halloween is officially back this year, and the question is – when and where are there Halloween activities happening? Well, we have you covered. Read ahead to find out what spooky, Halloween activities are happening in areas near you.

Kitchener/Waterloo

Shantz Family Farm – Petersburg – Open Daily until Nov 1

The U Pick Pumpkin patch is always available for customers however; they do not have the traditional pumpkin patch activities offered in previous years. For more information visit shantzfarm.ca.

KW Scuba 9th Annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving – Trout Lake Innerkip – October 23 at 10am

All you need to bring is a pumpkin and a carving knife. The pumpkin needs to have the top cut open and the insides need to be taken out prior to this event. Pumpkins are also positively buoyant, so you will also need extra weight to put inside the pumpkin during carving. For more information, visit this website. This will take place on Saturday October 23 @ 10am at Trout Lake in Innerkip. They will be doing the underwater carving on top of the platform, which is located just inside the gates of the park.

Rocky Horror Picture Show – The Princess Cinemas – October 27 – October 31

It’s time to do the timewarp again at the Princess Cinemas by watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show! This year you must wear a mask, not throw airborne’s, and show proof of your vaccine and ID. Tickets are going fast, visit eventbrite.ca to get yours!

The Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum Halloween Party – October 29 – October 30

Tickets are selling fast for this one! Wear your scariest costume and walk through Doon Heritage Village, lit with lanterns and carved pumpkins. Enjoy the evening with our spooky tricks and treats! Each child will receive a pre-packaged goody-bag to enjoy at home after the event. Buy your tickets here!

Screampark – Bingemans – Weekends until October 31

Six horrifying attractions at Bingemans this year are sure to give you a fright! For ticket information and more visit their website here!

London

Halloween Family Fun Fest – Camp Kee-Mo-Kee in Komoka ON – October 30 at 11am

Walk the trails to find Halloween surprises! Costume parade for all ages at 1:00pm/5:00pm with prizes! There will be fall market vendors, games and activities, campfires. S’more kits and other items for sale – bring your cash! Tickets are available here!

Halloween Tween Night – Ignite Youth Centre – St. Thomas – October 22 from 5pm – 9pm

Join the Ignite Youth Centre for Halloween minute to win it games, some free time, a Halloween movie, popcorn, and candy!  Wear a Halloween costume and get a treat! Click here for more information on this free event!

The Abandoned Village – Fanshawe Pioneer Village – October 23  and October 29 from 7pm – 11pm

The ByronScaryHouse is back at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. You are definitely in for a fright at this haunted house! This event is 14+ and will have safety protocols in place. For more information click here.

Zombie Training Camp in Support of the Kidney Foundation – Westmount Shopping Centre – October 23 from 12pm – 3pm

Transform yourself into your scariest (or silliest) zombie version at the first annual zombie training camp! You will learn how to “Zombie”, learn cool Halloween dance moves, and there will be giveaways and raffle prizes! Get your tickets here!

Fright Market at the Western Fair District Market – Western Fairgrounds – October 23 from 9am – 3pm

A free market happening in the back courtyard at the Western Fairgrounds. There will be indoor and outdoor vendors, a kids costume photo area, costume contests, hot chocolate and cider, and more! For more information click here.

Kustermans – Mount Brydges – Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays

Kustermans has many great activities for the fall season including an adventure farm, pumpkins, and a market. Tickets and more information is available on their website!

Lambton Shores and Kettle & Stony Point

Drive Thru Turkey Dinner – Forest Ontario – October 29 from 4pm – 6:30pm

There will be a drive-thru turkey dinner happening in Forest on Halloween weekend! Pre-orders only and tickets are $25.00. To place your order and find more information click here!

Halloween Parade – Kettle Point – October 29 from 1pm – 3pm

All kids are invited to trick-or-treat from 1pm – 3pm. Attendees are asked to social distance and participants aged 10 and up must wear masks. For more information check out the Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point’s Facebook page!

Norfolk County

The 4th Annual Juravinski Cancer Centre Pumpkin Patch Market – September 18 to October 24

Opened 7 days a week from 9am-6pm until October 24. They have lots of pumpkins, gourds, and baked goods to get you ready for Halloween! For more information visit norfolktoday.ca!

Virtual Halloween Party – Norfolk County Public Library – October 30 at 1pm

Stephanie from the library has some tricks and treats for you in this fun Virtual Halloween Party! Watch the virtual event unfold on Facebook or Youtube! For more information visit norfolktoday.ca or the library’s Facebook and Youtube.

Halloween 2021 at the Norwich Museum – October 30 from 1pm – 4pm

Join the Norwich Museum for an afternoon of Halloween fun! Trick or Treat in the first house in Norwich, see the spookiest items in the Museum’s collection, and enjoy spooky crafts themed around Norwich history! This event will follow appropriate COVID protocols. For more information visit their Facebook Event.

Woodstock, Tillsonburg, and Oxford County

Visit the Oxford Drive In!

The Oxford Drive In has teased on their Facebook page that the movie Halloween Kills will open on October 29! We will be giving away a fun prize at the Drive In on October 29th! For tickets, visit oxfordrivein.com.

Halloween Bingo with Community Living Tillsonburg – October 25 from 2pm – 3pm

Join Community Living Tillsonburg for a game of bingo on zoom! Registration is not required. For more information visit their website.

Halloween Décor Craft Class with Community Living Tillsonburg – Every Wednesday from 1pm – 2pm

Every Wednesday you can join a Halloween décor class with Community Living Tillsonburg either virtually or in-person. The cost is $5 and you can email baxercentre@communitylivingtillsonburg.ca to check availability.

Tillsonburg Town Centre Magic Show – October 26 from 7pm to 7:30pm

Tillsonburg Town Centre invites families to our Halloween Magic Show! Tickets for the show are free of charge, but are required for entry to ensure COVID-19 protocol is in place. One ticket per family member. For tickets visit eventbrite.com.

Fear Farm – Bright – Weekends until October 31 

There are four frightful haunts including a Hillbilly Hike, Hiller House, Hayride, and Stalking Dead. To get tickets for the weekend events visit their website here.

There is a good mix of virtual and in-person events happening this year so you can enjoy the holiday from home or in your community! We hope you get a chance to attend some of these awesome Halloween activities and have an extra spooky Halloween.

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The 7 Best Ways to Deal with E-Waste

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

In a rapidly growing digital age, when technology is constantly becoming smarter and faster, more e-waste is being created than ever before. Canada is one of the world’s biggest offenders producing 725000 tonnes of e-waste each year. We wanted to share some tips on how to repurpose, reuse, and recycle old electronics to help combat the growing amount of e-waste.

What is E-Waste?

Lets start by defining what exactly e-waste is – it includes anything that requires batteries or electricity to work.  This could be items such as batteries, cables, cellphones, toys, and tablets. It could also be larger items like a washer or dryer, circuit boards, or a hard drive.

Minimizing e-waste is important for many reasons. It helps to conserve the resources and energy we take from the earth when creating it. Reusing precious metals and plastics from old devices can save on additional mining of more of those materials and save the energy required to create them from scratch.

Tips for Reducing E-Waste

1. Re-Evaluate

There are a few things to consider when buying a new electronic device such as a computer, TV, or a cell phone. One question to ask yourself is “Do I really need this extra gadget or can I find one that does multiple functions?” Technology usually comes with a big price tag; research your options before making the purchase.

When you are researching, look into trade-in programs or repair centres in your area that may have a refurbished device that works just as well as a new one!

2. Extend the Life of Your Electronics

You can take steps to care for your electronics to ensure you’re getting the most of their life! Consider doing things like:

  • Avoid getting the electronics wet or try not to drop them. Moisture can really damage the inner component of your electronics. Be smart about where you place your smartphone or laptop and how you store it.
  • Learn how to charge your electronics properly to sustain the battery life for as long as possible. Start by using the right charger for your device. An off-brand charger can overheat the battery and cause damage. For smart phones, its best to avoid charging them for more than 12 hours at a time. Avoid leaving your cellphone plugged in overnight.
  • Know the life of the device versus the life of the battery. The average life of a smartphone or laptop is 4 to 5 years but proper care can extend that. Many people will trade in their devices not because they are broken but because the device will no longer hold a charge.

3. Buy Environmentally Friendly Electronics

You can purchase batteries that can be re-used or re-charged instead of single use options. When purchasing a new toy or device consider options that are re-chargeable rather than those that use regular batteries. When making purchase decisions consider if the retailer is eco-conscious or energy star certified.

4. Sell Used Electronics

You can sell used electronics in several ways; start by looking at your nearest major retailer. Many of these companies have in-store, online, and drop off recycling options. If you are a business owner, many of the large retailers have options for re-selling old office electronics as well. They recycle computers, mobile phones, and TVs. You can also set up a Kijiji account or use Facebook Marketplace to connect with people in your area who may be able to find a use for your old electronics.

Before you sell your electronics, you should do a thorough clean out of the devices, be sure to delete old photos, account information, and documents before giving your electronics away. Doing a factory re-set is a recommended step in this process.

5. Donate Used Electronics

There are plenty of charities that accept used electronics if you prefer to donate. Look into your charities in your area that accept them or consider donating to Goodwill. Goodwill has donation options for business or personal devices. If your device does not have re-sale value, they will recycle the device for you. If you want to donate a large item (ie. A large old TV), some locations may not be able to accept it. When in doubt call ahead before dropping off the device.

6. Re-Use Old Electronics for New Purposes

There are many cool ways to use old electronics for crafts or decorations! Check out our blog with tons of e-waste craft ideas!

7. Recycle Old Electronics

Finally, if you are not able to find a new use for your electronic it might be best to recycle it! There are options around Ontario for recycling old electronics. We checked out some local government websites for their e-waste policies. We love the ‘what goes where’ feature on the websites for the Region of Waterloo and Oxford County! You can search your device and it will tell you how to dispose of it!

In today’s modern world, e-waste is inevitable. It is possible to stay on the cutting edge of technology, while still being mindful of the environmental impact technology has. Keep your new or refurbished devices connected to what matters with Internet from Execulink! You deserve to have the best speeds that support your life at work or play! Call us at 1-866-706-1942 or check out our Internet plans to find the package you’ve been looking for!

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The Benefits of Execulink’s Private-WAN

Posted on by Tonya Davis

As today’s digital landscape advances and multi-site organizations adopt new technologies at a rapid pace, their legacy network systems just can’t keep up with the increasing evolutionary demand. Traditional networking solutions do not deliver the performance, flexibility, security, and cost profile that businesses need as they expand to multi-site organizations and migrate to cloud and managed services. Common drawbacks are ISP outages, poor bandwidth, lack of QoS, and lack of visibility to network conditions which all affect employee productivity and customer experiences.

What is Private Wide Area Network (PWAN)?

A Private Wide Area Network (PWAN) uses a dedicated connection that prioritizes private internet traffic and data between multiple locations with a secure path for the exchange of information, delivery of services, and applications without risking security and reliability.

Execulink Private-WAN

Execulink Private-WAN is a high-quality, high-performance, and fully managed private network solution. Execulink Private-WAN enables businesses to quickly deploy and connect new networks or expand existing networks with the uptime, reliability, and flexibility they need as their organization expands and migrates to cloud and managed services regardless of their site locations.

Execulink Private-WAN combines any existing carrier circuits into a single over-the-top virtual network that delivers a better application performance and voice quality, plus faster download and upload speeds, so businesses can provide a better employee and customer experience.

Features and Benefits

Benefits of Execulink Private-WAN

Bandwidth Adaptation

  • Bandwidth Adaptation gives businesses better application performance and voice quality, allowing them to provide quality service to their customers

Bandwidth & Link Aggregation

  • Increase bandwidth – Enough for all your Cloud and business critical applications.
  • Works with any connection type – Get the aggregate bandwidth of all connections – no matter which type or providers you use: dsls, Cable, Fiber, Fixed-Wireless, 4G, LTE, T1, etc.
  • Data acceleration – Additional on-demand performance enhancements can be achieved by applying data acceleration to compressible data travelling over the bond.
  • Scalability – Adaptively increase network bandwidth by layering on additional lines, so the network scales to meet your business needs when necessary, at a price you can afford.

Monitoring and Management

Proactive reporting of real-time network issues:

  • Jitter
  • Latency
  • Packet-loss
  • Bandwidth fluctuation
  • Connection state changes
  • Throughput/usage

Productivity

  • Solve network headaches that impede your Business to get the most out of your network. Real-time traffic and WAN health are configured to align with your business policies.

Return on investment

  • Cost-effective solutions designed to optimize IT investments.

Peace of mind

  • Get alerted to issues before they become a problem.

Visibility

  • Secure portal for viewing and managing your entire Wide Area Network (WAN).

Quality of service (QoS)

Customization

  • Assign unlimited priority layers inside the connection to ensure consistent delivery of important VoIP and other real-time application data.

Expandable class priority

  • Allows for bursts in use of prioritized applications to manage the flow of traffic between sites.

QoS elasticity

  • As your business’s dependence on IP or hosted voice and video applications increases, so does the need for those calls to be crisp and clean. Get the peace of mind that packets will make the trip free of any disturbances.

Reliability & Failover

Network redundancy

  • Providing a failsafe for when an internet connection suddenly degrades or drops. Your data continues to flow through the remaining healthy links.

Simple no-touch

  • No need to reconfigure network settings. You could be on a VoIP or video call when a link degrades or dies and you won’t even notice.

Same –IP failover

  • Each appliance maintains its own IP address in the event of a failover. No more DNS round-robin time delays

Security

Firewall

  • Monitor and control the incoming and outgoing network traffic to identify overall network capacity and enforce entry/exit rules associated with applications.

Traffic distribution

  • Packets are distributed across multiple circuits, networks and even transmission media making physical intercepts like “man-in-the-middle” much less likely to be successful.
  • Encrypt communications to ensure privacy and security end-to-end with a choice of two industry-standard algorithms:
  • AES 128
  • AES 256
  • Each circuit in a Private-WAN tunnel has its own encryption session. Sessions renegotiate their security keys hourly by default.

Execulink’s full suite of business and networking solutions will help you drive productivity, increase efficiencies and keep your employees and co-workers connected no matter where they are. Call us at 1-877-561-6771 or visit our Private-WAN page to learn how you can connect your business and branches to your customers today.

Check out Execulink’s Private-WAN Today!

Finding the Best Business Internet Packages for You

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

Nowadays, almost every business relies on an Internet connection in some capacity to connect to your employees and customers, whether they’re local, or around the world! Bringing your business online can make a huge impact on how it operates and may even lead to a competitive advantage in your industry. Yet, with so many options on the market it can be challenging to decide which Internet option is right for your business. For most businesses, big and small, the most efficient and cost-effective way to do this is with a business Internet package.

At Execulink, we provide high-speed business Internet service across southern Ontario. We understand how important it is to our customers to receive reliable service without interruption. We offer 24/7 customer support to ensure your Internet is running as fast as possible, with limited interruption, so that your team can remain connected and productive. When you’re shopping for Internet services for your business, it’s best to explore our Internet technologies to ensure you’re selecting a package with the features that make the best sense for your unique needs and budget.

What type of Internet connection is best for businesses?

It’s important to know that the best Internet package isn’t the same for every business – there simply isn’t a one-size fits all solution. Depending on the needs of your business, you should choose a package that makes sense for you. The type of package that fits your business best could be determined by the price, speed, availability, and more. Here are some factors to consider when you’re shopping around for the most suitable business Internet package:

a) Your Business’ Need for Speed!

One of the most important factors that your business may consider is the speed offered in the Internet package. Your business may require high speeds to ensure your employees have the support they need to do their jobs. Would it hurt your business if your clients weren’t served in real time? How can your business stay competitive if it takes a long time to upload or download a file? If you own a business where your employees rely on the Internet to conduct business, then you may require faster speeds than a business that doesn’t use the Internet as frequently.

b) Size of Your Business

Another consideration when choosing the right Internet package is the size of your business – how many employees do you have?  If you operate a very small business, then your Internet needs may not be as extensive as a large enterprise business.  Let’s say you’re an entrepreneur and you don’t have any additional employees, then a cost effective solution like DSL might be a viable option for you since it offers sufficient speeds to keep your business running smoothly. However, if you have many employees and your Internet needs to support multiple devices under one roof – especially during peak times then you might need a dedicated Fibre plan that offers flexible bandwidth with less opportunity for interference. Do you have clients or customers who may also need to access your Internet while on your premises? In either case, ensure you secure a package that has speeds and download capacity that is appropriate for your business size and Internet demands.

c) IT Support Requirements

The Internet is an invaluable tool when everything works smoothly, but what happens if you run into issues? Your business may require more frequent IT support for complicated technical issues. If this is the case, then you should choose a business Internet package that offers 24/7 business support. This can help keep your employees online should challenges arise, or limit downtime while an issue is being troubleshooted. If you’re a smaller business, the IT support available through your Internet service provider may even help you avoid needing to hire internal IT staff, which could lead to significant cost savings.

d) Availability of Internet

There are some types of Internet that simply will not be available for your business based on its location. Your options may be limited based on what’s available in your area, so do your research to see what package will provide you with the most reliable Internet connection for your business.  Internet like Cable and Fiber are usually good options for businesses in rural areas. Meanwhile, businesses located in urban areas usually have more diverse options for business Internet.

e) Price Point & Your Business Budget

You business’ bottom line is inevitably probably top of mind when it comes to choosing the right business Internet package. Remember if you bundle your Internet service with Phone or TV service, you may be able to get a better deal on your business Internet overall. If you’re a budget-conscious business, there are basic business Internet packages available that don’t offer the premium features of more robust packages. But remember that the cheapest option may not necessarily offer the speeds or services that your business needs to run smoothly; if you are sacrificing productivity or efficiency, you may lose money in the long run. Your ISP will help match you with a business Internet package that offers the Internet products you need, for the best value.

If you have extra room in your budget, then you can explore more features, conveniences, and add-ons to your business Internet package.

Why is business Internet more expensive than residential Internet?

If you’re wondering why business Internet packages are typically more expensive than residential Internet packages, it’s because they often offer more features that help support a business. Business Internet packages are designed to be robust enough to support multiple devices, employees, and even customers, connecting under the same roof. Your business may also rely on fast Internet speeds to boost productivity and collaboration. When it comes to your home, you may not need all the bells and whistles that business Internet packages offer.

With 24/7 support and a wide range of Internet options to suit every lifestyle, Execulink has the awesome services your home or business needs to stay connected to what matters the most! Call us at 1-877-561-6771 or visit our Internet page to find the Internet package you’ve been looking for! Get started and speak with an Execulink Business representative today.

Explore your Business Internet options

How Your Business Can Benefit From a TV Service

Posted on by Tonya Davis

You might be asking yourself – How can TV possibly benefit my business?

Well, if you’re a business that serves customers, caters to crowds, or often has people waiting in lines or waiting rooms, then your business qualifies as the perfect TV provider.

TV can be a valuable amenity regardless of the industry you’re in. From hospitality to healthcare, providing TV as a service gives you the ability to create positive customer experiences, increase your customer retention, promote your brand image and boost your business sales.

TV’s are a medium meant to entertain, educate and inform and there is no better time to do this than when you have your customers attention while they’re waiting in your lobby or reception area, having a drink with friends, running on a treadmill, or relaxing in their hotel room.

To provide a bit more context around what businesses can benefit from a TV service we have compiled a list below.

Types of businesses that can benefit from providing TV as a service:

Restaurants & Bars: Let’s start with the obvious. Bars utilize TVs and premium programming like live sports to keep their customers engaged and in their establishment longer. Promotions of game day events drive customer traffic in-store and ultimately boost their business sales of food and drink items.

Coffee & Breakfast Stops: Smaller casual settings can also benefit from TVs with local programming and news packages that keep your regulars coming back as part of their daily/weekly routine. Regulars are considered vital to a successful restaurant so make them feel comfortable by choosing programming their interested in.

Retail Shops: Use TV to add to the ambiance in your store with music channels that aligns with your customer demographic and style. It’s an effective tactic to keep customers in your store longer.

Hotel & Hospitality: Here is another obvious business. It’s not often you would book a stay at a hotel that didn’t offer TV service. In-room TVs provide a way for people to unwind and relax and offering a variety of program options helps to provide that home-away-from-home experience.

Some people look at TV services as a make or break amenity when booking a hotel, so don’t miss out on new and repeat customers because you chose to offer subpar TV programming.

Exercise/Fitness Centers: For some gym-goers the ability to watch TV allows them to multi-task, keeping them up-to-date on the news, sports, or catching up on their favourite shows while they work out. For others who don’t particularly like working out, it’s a great way to get through their sets, and for some, it motivates them to push harder.

Gym facilities typically serve a lot of customers so offering a broad channel selection will ensure each customer can find a program they like. Providing the best experience will keep your members coming back and give you a competitive advantage.

Salons & Barbershops: Don’t underestimate the power of TV while people are pampering themselves. There can be a lot of awkward silence while getting your hair cut, nails done or makeup applied. Providing news and current event programming keeps your customers occupied, giving them something else to focus their attention on.

Their overall experience is improved when you remove that level of discomfort and can help to get you a positive review and recommendation, boosting your brand awareness and bringing you repeat and new business.

Office Waiting Rooms & Lobbies: TV is a great amenity in doctors’ offices, airports, financial institutions, healthcare facilities, car repair shops, and many more professional service companies where customers and clients have to wait. It creates a welcoming environment, keeps them engaged, and helps to drown out uncomfortable silence, reducing their anxiety and occupying their time.

Universities, Colleges, and Campuses: Provide students with an outlet in their dorm rooms and keep them up-to-date on news and current events in common areas. Schools are very diverse so it’s important to offer programming that caters to all students’ interests and needs.

Apartment Buildings/Condos/Senior Complexes: Provide your residents with local program options, news, and current events so they can stay connected and choose the latest and greatest themed channels to keep them entertained.

Providing options is sure to keep your tenants and residents happy with choices that align with all of their unique interests and needs.

So now you may be thinking – Great! I’ll get myself a TV and place it in my lobby.

The positioning of your TV is important but to be successful and achieve all the benefits mentioned above you have to choose the right content. You need to provide programming that is aligned with your consumer’s interests and needs.

Business solution providers like Execulink, let you choose your own programming, giving you total control since you know your customers best. With Link TV from Execulink, you have tons of HD channels to choose from, affordable package options, Cloud DVR features, Video-on-Demand, and Pay-Per-View events, that will maximize your business’ potential to attract new customers, keep customers coming back, spending more time in your establishment and ultimately boost your revenue.

Check out Execulink Link TV, choose your programming, and start reaping the benefits of TV as a service today!

Check out Execulink’s Business Link TV options today!

How Secure is WordPress for a Small Business Website?

Posted on by Meredith Gillin

For small business owners, Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress are a popular choice to start an online business or bring an existing business online. With the many CMS options available on the market today, you may be wondering if WordPress is the best and most secure option for you. A potential security breach could be detrimental to your business and leave it open to vulnerabilities. If there was any doubt about WordPress, the CMS is already being used worldwide and even has some of the largest enterprises taking advantage of its intuitive interface. In fact, WordPress spends millions of dollars each year to protect its users from security threats.

Is WordPress Secure?

Overall, WordPress is secure for a small business website, but keep in mind that nobody can guarantee this 100%. The platform has engineers constantly working to ensure the security of the CMS. Yet, web security isn’t only the responsibility of the CMS; it’s also a user’s responsibility to take measures to increase the security of their WordPress site. Fortunately, there are a few best practices that you, as a site owner, can follow to increase the security of your WordPress website:

1. Themes and Plugins

When selecting the themes and plugins for your WordPress website, ensure you choose ones that are trusted. Many of these themes and plugins are created by third-party companies, so it’s important to read reviews and industry blogs, and download your themes and plugins from reputable sources. These extensions are one of the top ways you may be putting your website at risk of a cyberattack.

2. SSL Certificate

An SSL Certificate, otherwise known as a Secure Sockets Layer, allows your website to move from HTTP to HTTPS. The added “s” signifies that your website is more secure and encrypted. It is essential for protecting your website, so ensure you download it. As you browse other websites, it’s also important to look for the HTTPS, so you know that your personal information is secure if you’re inputting it into a form.

3. Assign User Roles

WordPress allows you to label certain individuals who have the login information for the CMS with user roles. These give permissions to access certain parts of the website, meaning certain people will have more access than other people. There are four total roles that you can have assigned on a WordPress website: administrator, editor, author, and contributor. For instance, some people may be able to update the website blog, while others may not have the same permissions. By assigning user roles, you can control the amount of access a user has to your website and maintain a higher level of security.

4. Update Your Site

Website updates may seem tedious and feel like they’re slowing you down, but when you fail to update your website, it can expose it to all kinds of security threats. Make sure you keep up with new website updates, including software, themes, and plugins, so that the latest security features are incorporated in your site. You can even enable WordPress’ automatic updates, which will take this task off your plate regularly.

5. Install a Security and Firewall Plugin

Choose trusted security and firewall plugins to add to your WordPress website. A security plugin will alert you to any suspicious visitors to your website. Meanwhile, a firewall plugin will protect against attacks from hackers.

The Benefits of Using WordPress for Your Business

Now that you know WordPress is secure enough for a small business website, you can explore the several other benefits of using this platform:

Easy

WordPress is known for its easy and intuitive website-building interface. It’s clean, uncomplicated, and the dashboard can help you continuously update your website with new web pages, forms, menus, and more. You don’t need to be a tech whiz to get your website up and running with WordPress since it doesn’t require advanced coding skills or knowledge of servers or hosting. Several members of your team can easily learn how to run your small business’ WordPress website.

Flexible

There are thousands of beautiful WordPress design themes you can choose, helping you created a plug and play website. These themes may be built for specific niches like non-profits, ecommerce, service businesses, and more. Simply choose the theme that fits your business, select it, and it will automatically be applied. From there you can customize the content to align with your business. The best part is that many of these themes are free.

SEO Friendly

WordPress websites are SEO friendly which gives you an opportunity to optimize your site and increase your chances of being seen by your targeted audience. WordPress has clean and consistent code, making it easier for Google to crawl the website.

By amplifying your SEO, your small business has a greater chance of being discovered online, which equals more traffic and potential sales. Other CMS options may not be as easy to optimize as a WordPress website. Without SEO, your website may never be found organically, which can limit your growth and revenue.

With WordPress you’ll also need a reliable and secure hosting package. Execulink offers a variety of hosting packages which all include 10 email addresses, 1 TB of storage, same-day setup and 24/7 technical support. Check out our hosting and domain solutions here.

Another important consideration is the type of internet powering your business. Insufficient upload and download speeds will affect how you navigate and update your CMS, and can limit the effectiveness and efficiency of your employees’ internet experience. At Execulink, we provide high-speed Internet service to businesses across southern Ontario. With 24/7 support and a wide range of Internet options to suit any type of small business, at Execulink we have the awesome services your business needs to stay connected to what matters the most!

Call us at 1-877-561-6771 today or visit our business services page to find the right hosting and Internet package for you!

Learn more about your Business service options!

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