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Preferred Blog

Preferred has been serving the Tinley Park area since 1991, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Tip of the Month: Setting Up a Powerful Wi-Fi Network

Tip of the Month: Setting Up a Powerful Wi-Fi Network

Every business has to choose how they network their office. Most businesses choose the ease and convenience of wireless networking to allow their employees the freedom to use their mobile devices, IoT tools, and other devices. This month, we look at some of the best tips for setting up your organization’s Wi-Fi network. 

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Wireless Innovations You Need to Know About

Wireless Innovations You Need to Know About

Individuals and businesses alike are leaning heavily on wireless technologies to maintain near-constant connectivity. There have been many innovations in this space over the past few years. We thought we’d take a look at some of the technology that you should know about in the wireless space.

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Does Your Organization Have Enough Bandwidth?

Does Your Organization Have Enough Bandwidth?

A lot of business is being conducted over the Internet right now, in terms of communication and transactions alike, which makes a business’ capability to remain connected to its clientele even more important. Now is not the time to wonder if your business is as connected as it should be, which means that you need to know how much bandwidth you have available—and that what you do have is sufficient.

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Extend the Effectiveness of Your Wireless Network

Extend the Effectiveness of Your Wireless Network

Your business wireless connection is an increasingly important consideration, which means it needs to be installed and supported thoughtfully. Today, we will tell you a little bit about Wi-Fi and how to get the best performance out of your business’ wireless network.

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Tip of the Week: Simple Device Turns Your Car Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Tip of the Week: Simple Device Turns Your Car Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

The Internet of Things may have just entered social consciousness, but people have been trying to add Internet functionality to devices for quite some time. One instance of this is the development and manufacture of smart car technology. In the same way as our services are designed to proactively monitor and maintain your business’ network, a smart car has been developed largely as an completely connected automobile that allows car owners to worry less about their car and to get the most out of their investment and driving experiences.


The further along microprocessors get, the smarter cars get. This correlation can largely be seen through the culture, but people have a different relationship with their cars than they do with, say, their washer and dryer. Besides their homes, their car is their largest investment, so they look to get the most value out of it that they can.

One company, Zubie, has developed a way to use the existing computing infrastructure that is present in most non-electric cars to get some of the functionality that many people would pay tens of thousands of dollars to receive in their new car. It does this by providing tracking and analytics, car diagnostics, and if you so choose, Wi-Fi.

The dongle connects to your car’s diagnostic port and immediately begins tracking the car’s movement. The Zubie tracks the route your car takes and also measures the acceleration, speed, braking, time you drive, cost of fuel used, and more. It also uses the VIN number, the diagnostic information, and the mileage to give you a relatively accurate representation of what your automobile is worth. There are even features for those who have teen drivers, for parents who want a little peace of mind when their teenager is borrowing their wheels.

You can see that the Zubie has some practical value for the individual user, but how can you leverage this simple device for your business? The first thing you’ll want to do is to set up your Zubie Business account at http://biz.zubie.co. Once you have submitted the basic information about your business, Zubie will customize your experience based on business type and size. Select the notifications you would like to see and install the Zubie mobile app on your devices.

Zubie will then track and relay drivers’ information to a central hub, all the while creating a leaderboard (to engage drivers in friendly competition with the other drivers in your company), complete trip histories for every Zubie key in use, a comprehensive driver scorecard for each automobile, and a useful snapshot of all the driving activity your company has done over the week or the month. With the ability to add users and admins the Zubie for Business interface it can make your drivers and dispatchers more efficient, while reducing the strain put on your fleet.

Whether you are an individual who wants to know your family’s whereabouts or you run a business that utilizes a fleet of vehicles, the Zubie is a great solution to increase your car’s intelligence and get more out of your vehicles. The Zubie is just one of many Internet-connected devices that can help businesses get more out of their existing resources. To learn more about Internet of Things devices that can benefit your business, call us today at 708-781-7110.

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Tip of the Week: 4 Reasons Your WiFi May Be Slow

b2ap3_thumbnail_wifi_interuption_400.jpgWireless Internet access is a luxury that seems commonplace, but there are many who experience trouble with their connections on a daily basis. Sometimes the problem stems from familiar issues that could happen at any minute, but other times the issues might not be so obvious. Either way, you should be aware of the most common disruptions to your WiFi signal, even those that you might not consider problems.

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Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Boost Your WiFi Signal Without Spending Any Money

b2ap3_thumbnail_office_wifi_tips_400.jpgDo you want a stronger WiFi signal? Sure, we all do. Before upgrading your wireless router, first try boosting your WiFi signal by positioning your current router in different ways. Here are five ways that you can adjust your WiFi router in order to improve your signal.

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Free Tool Connectify Turns Your PC Into a WiFi Hotspot [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_pc_wifi_hot_spot_400.jpgWe’ve all had those moments where you desperately need a WiFi signal. Without one, how will you check your email? If you have a PC with a wireless card, you can take advantage of Connectify to turn your PC into a WiFi repeater, effectively extending your hotspot’s signal. With everyone looking to take advantage of wireless technology, a WiFi signal is necessary; so here’s how to make it a little better.

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Tip of the Week: A Step-By-Step Guide to Broadcasting WiFi From Your Android Device

b2ap3_thumbnail_android_wifi_hot_spot_400.jpgWe all know how touchy WiFi can be, especially when you need it most. A shoddy wireless signal can be especially troublesome if you have tasks that need to be completed, and you need a WiFi connection to complete them. Instead of getting all flustered and calling your ISP, try using your Android smartphone as a mobile hotspot.

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Is Fast WiFi the Most Basic of Human Needs?

In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow published a paper about human motivation that would become the well-known Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. His theory states that before self-actualization can be achieved, four needs must first be met, like esteem, belonging, safety, and physiological (the most basic which includes, air, food, water, etc.). In 2014, we feel the need to add one more layer to Maslow's pyramid: WiFi.

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Tip of the Week: How to Know Who Is Using Your WiFi

We all know how annoying WiFi can be at times. Sometimes it’s simply a bad connection, or perhaps there are too many devices accessing your network. Or, maybe it’s your sneaky neighbor stealing your WiFi. Regardless of what the cause is, there’s a way to check your WiFi usage in the Windows operating system.

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Tip of the Week: How to Stay Safe on a Public WiFi Network

With the Internet of Things fast approaching, and BYOD becoming prevalent in the business world, there are a lot more devices connecting to wireless networks now than at any time in history. This makes new technology far more mobile, but it also means that more threats are able to access networks from countless new entry points. These threats can access your business’s devices which contain sensitive corporate data. How can you protect your devices from this wave of new threats?

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Hairballs and WiFi Data are What the Cat Dragged In

For Washington D.C. residents, there's a dubious threat looming in their backyards putting their personal data at risk. It's Coco, a Siamese cat wearing a high-tech collar designed for hacking WiFi networks. Have you taken the proper security measures to protect your sensitive information from feline foes like Coco?

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A Lesson on WiFi Security from the Sochi Winter Olympics

As thousands of athletes descend upon Sochi, Russia for the Winter Olympics, they will not only be competing against each other for the gold, but they will also be competing against hackers for the security of their personal data. What can we learn about network security from the Winter Olympics?

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Travel With Free Wi-Fi

Everybody likes the free goodies in a hotel room, tiny shampoo bottles, coupons to nearby restaurants, and HBO top the list. Wi-Fi however, our favorite goodie, sometimes fails to make the complimentary goodie list. It seems a little messed up to us, that hotels (the place you work and sleep) charge you for Wi-Fi while Burger King gives it away for free, but we have found a Wi-Fi loophole to help you out.

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Securing your Wi-Fi is More Important Than Ever

Does your Wi-Fi require a secure password to allow users to access your network with their mobile devices? And no, the word "password" is not a suitable password. If your wireless network is easy to gain access to, you are opening up your sensitive data to anyone within range.

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Public Safety Tip: Wi-Fi Hotspot Security

When traveling with your trusty laptop or tablet, it's pretty common to find publicly accessible Wi-Fi networks that you can connect to, enabling you to surf the web. Where ever you are, whether it's a coffee shop, hotel, airport, or anywhere else, it's important to be safe about public surfing.

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WiFi Protected Setup - How Does it Work?

If your wireless router is an archaic piece of machinery from the turn of the century, you owe it to yourself to upgrade to something a little less dusty. Depending on your Internet connection, increasing your bandwidth is a tricky matter, and the easiest way to do so is by upgrading your wireless router. These next-gen routers are simple to use and don't require passwords; something that both increases network security and ease of use.

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      Best Places to Work - 5 YEARS STRONG!!

      Preferred is once again, honored for being a Best Place to Work for the fifth straight year!  Our team is what makes Preferred a Best Place to Work.  

      Daily Herald Suburban Business 2024 Best Places to Work Honorees The Daily Herald Suburban Business has announced the names of 51 companies, in 5 categories of competition, that are honored as the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.