Simple Solutions to a Slow Wi-Fi Connection in Prescott - Softech Computers

A Wi-Fi connection is something that we take for granted. There those days when we encounter a slow connection, and believe it or not, here at SofTech Computers in Prescott, we have had similar issues. You might ask, "Why is my connection slow?" SofTech answers the question, "How can I fix my Wi-Fi problems?"

Faster speeds are keeping us more closely connected from around the block, across our beautiful state of Arizona, to around the world. If your connection still works, but is slow, try these simple tips:

• The most common problem with slow Wi-Fi is being too far from the router. The farther away you are from the router, the less reliable your connection. Try moving a little closer to the room where the router is located. If you find the constant moving inconvenient, simply re-locate your router to a centralized room, away from other devices, and on a shelf.
• Lack of bandwidth can cause a slowdown. Your internet could be spread too thin when everyone in the house is placing a demand on it through use of additional phones, computers, and televisions – all with data hungry apps such as Netflix and YouTube. Try disconnecting any device that is not in use. Try connecting one of the devices with a Cat-5 Ethernet cable directly to the router. It could also be that someone is leaching off your internet. Prevent that by a secure setup for your network, and keep your password a secret!
• A real issue could be interference. Most of us leave the settings unchanged when we first set up the Internet. Avoid channels 1, 6 and 11. They can be overcrowded. Try a newer model of router. They are capable of selecting less crowded frequencies upon rebooting. Otherwise, you can perform a power cycle or log into the admin panel and choose a different channel.
• Once in a while there really is no Internet connection. Something glitches and the router, modem, or both stop communicating – for no reason. It happens. The first thing to try is pulling the plug. Disconnect both the modem and router, wait 30 seconds, then restore power to both.
• If any of these quick fixes don’t work, the cause could be a service outage, most likely a severe one. It’s not always an issue that has to do with the hardware. There’s not much you can do other than to call your Internet Service Provider. While you won’t get instant results, at least they will know from your call which area is being affected.

SofTech Computers is your first choice for computer repair in Prescott. If our tips don’t solve your slow Wi-Fi problems immediately, talk to one of our specialists today. We are conveniently located in Downtown Prescott a few doors away from Far From Folsom. Call 928 443-8770 or visit us at http://www.softechcomputers.com/ to learn about the services SofTech Computers offers.

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Are you buying a new computer? We recommend NetBooks - Softech Computers

We all know it is frustrating when your computer stops working. Sometimes we hold on to computers longer than we should. They start to become slow and sometimes nonfunctional, however the fear of replacing your computer should not overwhelm you. This week SofTech Computers in Prescott shares with you tips on what you should look for when purchasing a new computer.

Look at prices... But before that, decide what you really need. Sometime we want shiny and new, or the fastest on the block, but it is really necessary?


First, decide what you are willing to spend! This will help you gauge possible features and if you really need or could live without them.

Is a netbook your answer?

Most lower end computers such as netbooks are made for exactly what they should be used for: Searching the web, accessing email, writing basic documents. These computers are light weight, inexpensive and somewhat limited, BUT if that’s what you need then you don’t need to spend much.

So what are you giving up by going with a netbook? To keep these netbooks light and inexpensive they leave out quite a bit, for some users this is a key factor. They reduce the number of external ports, such as a VGA, HDMI, and the number of USB slots. They do not come with a disk drive, this means they do not have CD, DVD or BLUray capabilities. Many have reduced processor, memory and hard drive sizes.

This example is just for netbooks and there are many types of computers out there and many more types of configurations of parts and software. Knowing what features you want and how much you want to pay for them, that will be your best guide.




Want to save more?

If you want to save more money and still want to get great features not offered in a Netbook that’s where we come in. SofTech Computer in Prescott has many custom built machines that will have the features you are looking for. Feel free to stop in our shop on Montezuma, call 928-443-8770, or visit our website at http://softechcomputers.com.

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Should You Repair, or Replace Your Computer? - Softech Computers in Prescott

To repair or do you replace? SofTech Computers in Prescott Arizona gives some helpful insight to the process in the hopes of helping consumers come to a conclusion.

Over a period of time, for most it’s several years, your computer has collected an arrangement of music, documents, photos and movies. These items are precious, and finding a way to safeguard your files is as important to us as it is to you. You cannot put a price on memories and your files are just that, memories stored in a little tiny box.

In the spirit of analogies let us compare your computer to a tree. As a tree grows the roots spread deeper into the ground and branch out into many different places. Sometimes you can up root a tree with little effort and others it becomes complicated due to the nature of those roots. The same is to be said about computers. Depending on the system you are thinking of replacing or possibly repairing, there are some factors you need to look into:

Some factors to consider when you want to repair or replace your computer:

The programs – Not all computer programs will work on just any machine, even if you were to modify those programs to run in a compatibility they may just not work on the newer operating systems. For specialty programs that you have already invested time and money into this may not be something you wish to give up. Yes, programs have evolved and in many instances, there are really good upgrades that are worth the change to upgrade rather than repair but this option is not always available due to possible cost factors. Remember you can’t transfer programs from one computer to another, you have to install those programs in those new systems, if you no longer have the media to do so, and cannot go without said software, this makes the option to repair a better choice.

External (peripheral) devices – From the home user to the small business owner, external devices should always be considered prior to investing into a newer machine. Reason? Cost! Mice, keyboards, audio devices, and printers; Laser, ink-jet, receipt or even impact printers, are all specialty devices that do not always allow you to just connect to a newer device. The cables, ports, and drivers to those devices are not always compatible and this leads to increased costs when considering the repair or replace options.

In an example of this could be impact printers (for some these are still used even today) for specialty forms that you currently have and use. Most programs that rely on impact printers for those forms cannot simply be attached to a new computer and work. This would require a newer printer, form, and possibly even newer business software to use those printers. Those costs need to be weighed into the possible reasons to either repair or replace your computing unit.

Possible improvements – Technology is an ever-changing creature. Vast improvements in sometimes as little as a few months, weeks, days or even hours. Computers created in the days of windows 98, xp, vista, 7, and 8 have increased one after the other in storage space, speed, power and abilities. Sometimes those changes are amazingly wonderful, other times they are extremely painful. In an example the vista operating system, for many users this “upgrade” was a reminder that not everything new is good and wonderful. Now that does not mean avoid upgrading to a newer computer system or even just the operating system, but understanding that the latest is not always the greatest is some of the best advice we can give.

There are many different kinds of computers and everyone is going to have different situations, so being able to give advice that suits everyone is not always possible. We do hope that this gives you a bit to think about and if you have any questions feel free to stop in our shop, visit our website at http://www.softechcomputers.com or give us a call at 928-443-8770 and schedule some time to chat with one of our techs and come up with a solution that works best for you.

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Why computer maintenance is important and informative by Softech Computers in Prescott.

Computer maintenance should be included in your daily, weekly and monthly routine and Softech Computers in Prescott Explains why. From the basic to the most expensive computers on the market without proper computer maintenance you may not be getting what you paid out of the computer.

Speed of the computer and your network.

Computer hard-drives are complicated and unfortunately, they are not the best design. Over the course of saving, copying, deleting and moving files in side of your computer you are in a simple way to describe it, throwing all of your photos, documents and programs into a theoretical box and shaking them up. The files are not all in the same place on the hard drive, the computer keeps a location for each file and references it. Over the course of time this gets a bit messy and the computer slows down, taking longer to retrieve information as well as respond to requests by other computers for that information. The slowness we have all experienced, it can be maintained and prevented with basic monthly maintenance.

Early Detection of problems

Checking for failing drives, memory or other possible issues before they actually fail and then cause more damage PLUS cost more to repair.

Running various on board system and external tools to check for hardware and software problems early on can save you time and money. More than 75% of the time we see problems come in that could have been prevented and addressed prior to catastrophic failure. In an example, over 50% of the population has hard drives that have moving parts in them, meaning they are not like the flash style memory of the solid-state drive. These moving parts slowly wear down, addressing the replacement and cloning of the drive prior to the failure of the drive could save $1,000-$2,500. When these drives fail and become damaged they need to be sent off for data retrieval and this means sending them out to a specialist. It is a very costly and lengthy process, and in many cases, you will still lose a large chunk of what was saved. Early detection is a must for all types of users. Protect the things that matter the most.

Keeping Antivirus Programs and definitions up to date

Many users assume that having a virus program installed in your system is all that you need and that it will work on its own without any input from them. For a lot of the time this can actually be true, but, from time to time there are actions that must be performed by the user that helps clear the system of infected files, running system checks for possible security breaches, updating virus definitions, and insuring that the Anti-Virus program has not become compromised by checking system files. Having a go to Tech for these these things can be extremely helpful for any user because after all its what they live for.

Preventative measures against Viruses, Trojans and other nasties

The terms viruses, spyware, trojans, and worms are all subcategories of malware which by definition is the words ‘malicious’ and ‘software’ combined. They are designed with many different purposes and we can assure you none of them are things that you want. Even if something was seemingly harmless, their intent is to disrupt your day to day and in many cases, destroy years of your work and or memories.

Your photos, documents and system files are important to you, trusting those things to chance is a game of roulette where the user eventually loses it all, it’s just a matter of time. Researching current trends, daily news articles and understanding various behaviors of viruses are an important aspect to anyone’s day to day. When it cannot always be addressed things get forgotten. Ask yourself how much your photos; the memories, and your documents; the hard work, are worth to you. Having a maintenance service for keeping up on this for you is more than worth it.

Keeping Operating system and programs up to date

Computers change constantly as new technology is applied and even more so as new programs are developed. This leaves your computer open and vulnerable. No matter how good a program is written there is always the eventual problem of that program having an error or bug on various computer systems. The programmers of those programs most times will attempt to correct these issues and come up with a fix for them, unfortunately the fix is not always easy to understand and implement, and sometimes it’s not so much the fix you were looking for and it ends up causing more harm than good. Knowing how to respond to updates and implement them as well as correct the problems that come with them is a task, leave that up to your maintenance team.

At Softech Computers in Prescott hope that this helps you understand why having a maintenance plan implemented is very important and that you are better able to see the benefits to keeping things updated, cleanup, and protected. We have a special maintenance program you should consider, the SofTech One Plan will keep you protected! Contact us at 928-443-8770 or visit our website to lean more http://www.softechcomputers.com/oneplan.

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Some things every computer user should know in Prescott - Softech Computers

Whether you are a pro or are just getting your first computer, there are certain things every one of us has to do when using a computer.  Our goal is to teach you ways to be more efficient while keeping your computer safe from harm.  Softech Computer Repair in Prescott shares some tips on how to do just that:

1.    Keep your personal information safe and secure. 

2.    Have regular maintenance performed to keep your computer running smooth.

3.    Don’t download unnecessary programs or add-ons.

4.    Make sure your network is setup correctly.

5.    Protect your computer from viruses.

6.    Learn how to use keyboard shortcuts to save time.

7.    Regularly backup your hard drive.

8.    Don’t keep your laptop plugged in.

9.    Use Bluetooth technology to free up some USB ports.

10.    Keep the computer well ventilated so it doesn’t over heat.

We hope you found these tips helpful.  SofTech Computer Repair in Prescott is here to help!  Do you have persistent computer issues? Contact us today about our computer maintenance plan. Call us today, 928-443-8770 or learn more at http://www.softechcomputers.com/?p=15633795825629a4e400e05 .

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