My IT Wish | ICT Guide

Basic Networking Commands to Test a Network and Internet

2021-01-05T21:32:00.001+05:30

Type “cmd” on search bar and open “Command Prompt” with administrator privileges. After that you can try these commands by yourself.

"ipconfig" Command

ipconfig is a command line utility available on all versions of Microsoft Windows starting with Windows NT. ipconfig is designed to be run from the Windows command prompt. This utility allows you to get the IP address information of a Windows computer. It also allows some control over active TCP/IP connections. ipconfig is an alternative to the older 'winipcfg' utility.

You can see status of your different network adapters, their IPv4 & IPv6 addresses, subnet masks and default gateways etc.

"ipconfig /all" Command

This option displays the same IP addressing information for each adapter as the default option. Additionally, it displays DNS and WINS settings for each adapter.

"Ping" Command

The ping command is a Command Prompt command used to test the ability of the source computer to reach a specified destination computer. The ping command is usually used as a simple way to verify that a computer can communicate over the network with another computer or network device.

The ping command operates by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages to the destination computer and waiting for a response.

How many of those responses are returned, and how long it takes for them to return, are the two major pieces of information that the ping command provides.

For example, you might find that there are no responses when pinging a network printer, only to find out that the printer is offline and its cable needs replaced. Or maybe you need to ping a router to verify that your computer can connect to it, to eliminate it as a possible cause for a networking issue.

Type “ping 192.168.1.1” (give your routers IP address or any other IP address in same network). Now you can check whether you’re your Router is communicating with your PC as expected. If it gets 0% loss of data packets, that means communication between the Router & PC is better.

"tracert" Command

The 'tracert' command is a Command Prompt command that's used to show several details about the path that a packet takes from the computer or device you're on to whatever destination you specify. You might also sometimes see the tracert command referred to as the trace route command or traceroute command.

Type “tracert www.facebook.com” (give any website address). Wait until the Tracing process complete. It show several details about the path that a packet takes from the computer or device you're on to whatever destination you specify.

"getmac" Command

Media Access Control Address (MAC Address) is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for interactions on the physical network part. MAC addresses are used as a network address such as Ethernet. Internet connection is an important part of your Computer. Mac Address is a part of the Internet Network Connection. When you enter to the Internet, that time, Internet Connection depends on the MAC Address of the Network MAC Address. Usually, MAC Address is generated automatically in your Lan Card in your Computer. Usually, MAC Address is unique Network Address. MAC Address stays with your Motherboard Build In Lan Card. Sometimes, some people use External Lan Card in their Computer. They also get a MAC Address for their Internet Network Connection. MAC Address is used to identify a Unique User of a Computer for a Location. Usually, MAC Address helps you to identify a Unique Computer User from a Country or Location. MAC Address can not be Match to one Computer User to another Computer User. getmac is a Windows command used to display the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses for each network adapter in the computer.

Type “getmac” and press enter. It will display the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses for each network adapter in the computer.

Microsoft Loopback Adapter

Microsoft Loopback Adapter is a dummy network card, no hardware is involved. It is used as a testing tool for a virtual network environment where network access is not available. Also, you must use the Loopback adapter if there are conflicts with a network adapter or with a network adapter driver. You can bind network clients, protocols, and other network configuration items to the Loopback adapter, and you can install the network adapter driver or network adapter later while retaining the network configuration information. Then you will have a network card that will allow applications (such RDBMS) to be installed. After installation you need to set an IP address to it. A good IP address would be 10.10.10.10 and 255.255.255.0 as mask. General recommendation is something like 192.168.1.1, but I have seen many DHCP servers where the gateway is 192.168.1.1 and this means that your internet connection will not work.

Testing a Network Adapter using a Loopback Address

A loopback address is an address that tells the computer not to test its connections to another computer, but to test its own basic network setup. Ping 127.0.0.1 tests the IP stack, is the TCP/IP stack configured and working. Basically pinging the loopback just lets you know that the TCP/IP has loaded at run time.

Type “ping 127.0.0.1”. If you get 0% loss of data packets. That means your network adapter & network drivers are working well.

creating a cat 5 cable or rj45 cable

2021-01-01T12:01:00.000+05:30

We should have a good idea about different cat 5 cables, methods, color codes, connectors and other tools.

CAT 5 Cable

CAT 5 or Category 5 cable is a twisted pair cable. It can transmit data at 10 to 100Mbps speeds and is suitable for most varieties of Ethernet over twisted pair. Cat 5 is also used to carry other signals such as telephony and video. There are shielded and unshielded Cat 5 cables. Cat 5 has a maximum length of 100m, exceeding this length without the aid of bridge or other network device could cause network issues. There is also a Category 5 Enhanced (CAT 5e) cable which can transmit data up to 1000Mbps speed.

You can see that there are 4 pairs of twisted wires with different colors. There are two color standards that you have to know before create any Ethernet cable using CAT cables. They are T-568A and T-568B.

T-568B

White/Orange (Transmit +)
Orange (Transmit -)
White/Green (Receive +)
Blue
White/Blue
Green (Receive -)
White/Brown
Brown

T-568A

White/Green (Receive +)
Green (Receive -)
White/Orange (Transmit +)
Blue
White/Blue
Orange (Transmit -)
White/Brown
Brown

Straight Through Cable and Cross Over Cable.

Let’s identify the difference between Straight through cable and Cross over cable. We use Straight through cable to connect MAC device to Non-Mac device and cross over cable to connect MAC device to MAC device or Non-MAC device to Non-MAC device. PCs, Laptops, Serves, Routers are some examples for MAC devices. Non-MAC devices are switches and Hubs. In a straight through cable both ends are in same color code. It means it can be T-568A Straight-Through Ethernet Cable or T-568B Straight-Through Ethernet Cable. (Both ends can be in type A or in type B).

RJ 45 Connector

In each end there is a special connector called RJ 45. Due to that sometimes Ethernet cables are known as RJ45 cables. The "RJ" in RJ 45 stands for "Registered Jack," since it is a standardized networking interface. The "45" simply refers to the number of the interface standard. RJ45 connector has eight pins. The wires we identified above are connected to these pins, according to the color standards.

Crimping Tool and Stripper

To connect those wires with these pins, we need to use a tool called crimping tool. To remove the rubber coating we have to use a tool called cable stripper.

Network Cable Tester

After we created the cable we need to test it to identify whether it is working or not, for that we use a tool called Network Cable Tester. If you are testing a straight through cable the lights on tester will glow as 1 with 1, 2 with 2 likewise you can test all the eight wires. If you are testing cross over cable lights will glow as 1 with 3, 2 with 6, 3 with 1, 4 with 4, 5 with 5, 6 with 2, 7 with 7 and 8 with 8. The reason to happen this is that both ends are in different color codes in a cross over cable and tester is trying to send a signal trough each wire. E.g.:- if No 1 is White-orange wire (type B) in other end (type A) that white-orange wire is in no 3. Then the lights will glow as 1 with 3.

How to Create a Straight Through Cable

I have created a T-568B straight through cable.

Step 1:- Take a CAT 5 cable and measure 1.5 inches from an end. Then remove the rubber coating of that measured area by using a cable stripper or with a crimping tool as shown in below.

Step 2:- Separate twisted pairs of wires as shown in below. Then untwist those wires one by one and place them in order (T-568B standard).

Step 3:- Measure an inch (1) beginning from the end of coloured wires and cut it off using the crimping tool as shown in below.

Step 4:- Insert the remaining part of the coloured wires to the RJ 45 connector from back side of it. (Pins of RJ 45 connector should face to you)

Step 5:- Before crimp you need to make sure the colour order is correct and all the wires meet the end of the connector.

Step 6:- Place the RJ 45 connector on right place of the crimping tool and give a slight presser to the cable towards the connector and hold like that to make sure the wires meet the end of connector. Now squeeze the handles of the crimping tool. You will hear a little sound like “tick”, it means you have crimped the connector.

Step 7:- Check again about the colour order. If it is right, you can do same steps to the other end of the cable (same colour order T-568B)

Step 8:- After both ends are connected to the RJ 45 connectors you have to test the cable using network cable tester. In an above paragraph I have explained the way of testing a cable. Through that way you can test it. (1 with 1, 2 with 2 likewise)

How To Create A Network Drive Or A Mapped Drive

2020-12-21T22:23:00.005+05:30

What is a Network Drive?

It is used to connect and access shared network resources. Network drives work as a shortcut to folder shared by another PC, or the devices on network. They are stored separately for each user account. That means only the user who has created or mapped a network drive can see it in his user account and they are not available for other users on the same computer.

Basic needs;

A shared folder.
A network connection between two PCs.

Lets start!

01. Click on windows button, go to settings and click on network and Internet. Make sure that you are connected to a Private Network. See below screenshots.

02. Go back and Click on Network and Sharing Center on right side. Then click on Change advanced sharing settings. Then you need to turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing under Private drop-down list. In All Networks drop-down list, you need to turn off password protected sharing.

03. create a folder. I named it as Map drive 1. I also created a sample word file. Right click on it and go to folder properties. Go to the Sharing Tab. Click on share and Click on arrow and find everyone in the drop-down list. click on add. Give the required permissions as you need. Click on Share. Then go back and click on advanced sharing on same folder properties. Tick/Check the box as share this folder. Then click on permissions and give permissions that you need and then click on Apply and Ok. See below Screenshots.

04. Now copy the network path of your folder from folder properties. Click on network, then paste and press enter. Then go back by clicking on upper arrow. Find your shared folder then right click on it and click on map network drive. Choose a name for your map drive. Check the box reconnect at sign in. uncheck connect using other credentials. If you check that box you may need to type the username and password of other computer to access the mapped drive. Now go to This pc and you will see the mapped drive.

05. Now go to other PC and do the same. type the network path of other PC on network. Then go back by clicking on upper arrow. Find your shared folder then right click on it and click on map network drive. Choose a name for your map drive. Check the box reconnect at sign in. uncheck connect using other credentials. Now go to this pc and you will see the mapped drive and its contents. Through this you can share files and documents with other users easily. You can pin network drives to the start as well. If you don’t need a network drive you can click on disconnect to remove it.

How To Share A File Between A Computer And A Mobile Phone By Using WiFi

2020-12-21T01:15:00.001+05:30

Basic needs

A Computer or a Laptop and a Smart Phone.
A Wi-Fi Router and it should be connected to both devices or a Wi-Fi Hotspot Connection between two devices.
Need to download CX file explorer app to your Smart phone.

Lets Start !

I am using a normal Wi-Fi router, a smart phone and a Laptop for this process.

01. My smart phone and Laptop already connected to the Same Wi-Fi router.

02. Lets Configure the Computer first. Just create a folder. I named it as 123. Right click on it and go to folder properties. Go to the Sharing Tab. Click on share and Click on arrow and find everyone in the drop down list. click on add. Give the required permissions as you need. Click on Share. Then go back and click on advanced sharing on same folder properties. Tick/Check the box as share this folder. Then click on permissions and give permissions that you need and then click on Apply and Ok. See below Screenshots.

03. Now we need to do these things to your computer as well. Click on windows button, go to settings and click on network and Internet. Make sure that you are connected to a Private Network. See below screenshots.

04. Go back and Click on Network and Sharing Center on right side. Then click on Change advanced sharing settings. Then you need to turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing under Private drop down list. In All Networks drop down list, you need to turn off password protected sharing.

05. Click on search bar and type CMD (Command Prompt) and click on it. Then type "ipconfig" command to find your Computer's IP address. Under wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi you can find your IPv4 address. Mine is 192.168.1.101.

06. Lets do the required things to your smart phone. Download the app called Cx File Explorer from App store. Go to Network tab. Click on + icon. Go to remote tab and click on Local Network. Click on Manual Input. Give your PC's IP address. mine is 192.168.1.101. Tick / Check Anonymous. then click on ok. Click on PC's IP address and try to copy and paste items to the shared folder. My shared folder name is 123. Now you can share items between your PC and Smart Phone easily. Please refer below screenshots.

Computer Technician, Network Technician, Network Manager & Network Administrator

2020-11-30T16:50:00.001+05:30

Computer Technician

A computer technician's job focuses on fixing software, operating system and hardware issues that customers face. This role requires knowing the details about how software and hardware function, along with an ability to provide good customer service. This also include troubleshooting activities. They have to ask the customers different questions about the installed computer systems, and they run diagnostic software, handle software security updates and they reassemble computers when needed. You need to have strong customer service and listening skills to understand a customer's problem so that you can help them, even when they are frustrated. Problem solving skills are very important in here as they help you to figure out exactly what is causing the complicated hardware and software issues.

Network Technician

Networks are there to enable communication between customers and business. These networks are built and supported by network technicians. They also provide technical support for applications and personal computers to end users. This position is a basic entry level job. You can say that it is the first step to become a network engineer. They normally handle preliminary troubleshooting on network connectivity and performance problems. They have to familiar with the company’s network design in order to provide timely resolution to network problems. A Network technician should have better communication skills in order communicate clearly with network engineers and end users. They should have also good writing skills in order to do documentation activities. Documentation will help to save time when there is an issue and its solution at the same place. when expanding the network this documentation will help.

Network Manager

Main tasks of a Network manager are gathering all information about network and generating reports to company director board and providing theoretical plans and solutions for network admins. Network managers establish and maintain voice and data networks. A network manager is responsible for providing services to a single building, for multiple LANs connecting several buildings or in a WAN. The Network manager need to find the technological requirements and provide investment plan for creating above types of connections. The manager supervises the installation, which involves communication equipment programming, with products such as switches and routers.

Network Administrator

This is the person who is responsible for keeping organization’s computer network up-to-date and make sure it runs smoothly. Designing and planning the network, setting up network, maintaining network, expanding network are the main responsibilities of a network administrator. A network admin should be well organized to provide support and should be able to identify future problems and be prepare at the present time. A network administrator has to work with different people in a company, so he/she should have good interpersonal skills to do that.

Main Responsibilities of a Network Administrator

Designing the Network

Network administrator should be able to identify organizational current needs and future needs and design the network correctly. To do that he/she has to talk with employees and with other persons within the company. Then identify their needs and expectations correctly. Then design network according a given budget range.

Setting up the Network

Now the network admin should set up and configure the network. This process consists with installing hardware and configuring servers, databases, routers etc. this process should be done more carefully.

Maintaining the Network

Adding new host machines to the network, administering network security, administering network services such as NFSTM services, name services, and electronic mail, Troubleshooting network problems are the main responsibilities of network administrator has under the network maintain process.

Expanding the Network

With the growth of a Company, it will need more services for increased network users. The Network administrator should have a pre prepared solution for this issue. Setting up a new network and connect with old network, upgrading current hardware, or use virtualization facilities or any other solution may help to overcome this issue. However, Network admin should have an idea to overcome this problem with minimum affect to the productivity.

How To Become A Good IT Supporter

2020-11-29T21:33:00.002+05:30

Qualities of a Good IT Supporter

Responsible

IT supporters are always responsible for smooth running of computer systems and also for making sure that users get maximum benefit from those systems. However, the responsibilities may be changed according to the organization and its structure.

Install and configure computer systems (Both Hardware and Software)
Monitor and maintain computer systems
Should be able to support via both onsite and remotely (Telephone calls)
Solve computer systems related issues quickly and properly

Be a Part of The Team

An IT technician should think and work as a part of the company and also among other employees. There may be an IT team in your company or not. It doesn’t matter, to be a good IT supporter you should think and work as a team member. IT supporter should be willing to share knowledge with other team members, assist for their works, work within the plan, ask for help, respect others etc. Also, an IT supporter should have good communication and interpersonal skills in order to interact with others and to build their confidence.

Effectiveness

All IT supporters should be always active. They should come to the job at the relevant time and also should be willing to work extra hours. In order to achieve effectiveness and accuracy, there should be a higher theoretical knowledge and also practical experience relevant to IT field. It will help them to perform their job tasks quickly and accurately. Also, they should be able to prioritize their tasks according to the job types and organizational structure and help them to resolve issues effectively.

Patience

If a confused and frustrated user says that there is a problem with his computer system and he needs immediate help, an IT supporter should be able to calm him and patiently ask and understand the actual problem. Sometimes IT supporter won’t understand what the user is saying (due to non-technical words), but he has remain patience and ask questions and understand the real situation. Patience is also needed when cleaning computer systems. The patience of an IT supporter is important for both users and to his self.

Encourage

As an IT supporter has a huge amount of works to do, he has to motivate and encourage team members and also himself to do the tasks within a given time period without giving excuses. Any organization has goals, as a part of that organization IT supporter also has a huge responsibility of supporting the staff to achieve it.

The Importance of Analyzing IT Problems

Every IT Supporter should have a pre-prepared plan to deal any kind of IT problems. It will help him to avoid panic and it increases the confidence as he is already prepared and ready to face any problem. He should identify different IT problems and rank them according to the possibility to happen. Also, He has to include the best way to solve the problem. E.g.:- Avoid unnecessary work, Avoid fixes that cause more problems, Avoid cost of unnecessary fixes, Avoid only treating the symptom, false fixes etc. To be a good IT supporter he should always keep elements like maintenance journal, diagnostic checklist and questions, identification of possible causes and solutions, application and testing solutions, validation and also a proper troubleshooting toolkit. Troubleshooting framework can be simply mentioned as Analyzing, planning, solving and recording. By doing these things he can identify exact problem and then perform his duty quickly and accurately, and also it will help for other IT guys to learn and train.

Tools and Software for Troubleshooting Computer Systems

Tools

Screwdrivers, Screw Trays and Magnetic Non-Slip Project Mats

These are more important tools which are needed for assembling, dissembling and for other purposes. There are also electric screwdrivers which makes your work much easy. I recommend using “Thermalright Screwdriver” which has a magnetic tip and also 230mm long. Due to its higher length, you can easily reach the screws inside in your pc casing and it won’t drop any screws as there is a magnetic tip. Also, I recommend using a small size screwdriver like Kingston HyperX screwdriver as you will need that kind of short screwdrivers to deal with SSDs and to reach screws in difficult areas.

Multi-meter

Every IT supporter should have a digital multi-meter E.g.:- Fluke 87-V Digital Multi-meter. It is a device which is used to measure voltage, current and resistance. These multi-meters are useful for IT supporters to troubleshoot power supplies, motherboards, circuits etc. you can use it to check wall outlet voltage, power supply output voltages, CMOS battery power, to check cable connectivity and fuse status.

Brushes and Anti-Static Vacuum Cleaners

Computers get dirty both from outside and inside. This dirt will block air flows, makes system run hotter and less reliable, increase electrical resistance and corrodes surface. In order to clean this dirt you can use brushes and vacuum cleaners. Brush will help you to sweep the dust and Anti-Static Vacuum cleaner will help you to suck dust and dirt out of your system.

Contact Cleaner

There is dirt like oils, sticky water-based juices, oxide and many more which you can’t remove using a Brushes and Vacuum cleaners. To remove these dirt you can use a Contact cleaner. It will spray cleaning agents like isopropyl alcohol, then clean and evaporates quickly. I personally recommend to use WD-40 specialist quick drying electrical contact cleaner spray.

Power Supply Tester

There is also a special tester called Power Supply Tester which you can use for testing/troubleshooting power supplies. It is a handheld device that has number of different plugs that can be connected to a power supply. There is also a digital display which gives information about voltage and other useful information and LED lights labelled as +12V, +3.3V, and +5V which help you to identify whether different types of connectors are working or not.

Loopback Plugs and Network Cable Tester

If there is a problem with RJ45 ports or any other networking ports you can simply use a Loopback Plugs to test those ports. They are not crossover cables. They will pass receiving data packets back to the same device in order to check the port is working or not. You may also need some software to work with loopback plug.

Software

Operating Systems and Built-in Tools for Troubleshooting

The operating system is the most important software in your computer system. Each and every application that you need to run is depending on your computer’s operating system and also it manages all the hardware components in your computer. But you must purchase an original copy of an operating (not cracked versions) or download an image from original/legal vendor’s website. Also there are built-in tools on OS which you can easily use for troubleshooting.

Driver Packs

Usually drivers are software programs which control different devices of a computer system. There are many drivers in a computer for different purposes. E.g.: - Sound card driver, video card driver, printer driver and built in drivers which come with the OS. Without drivers you can’t properly do most of the activities using a computer. Also, you need to update those drivers regularly.

Driver Booster Software

This software is from “iobit” company. There is a free version and also a paid version of this driver pack software. The latest version is driver Booster 8.1 and it is able to update over 1,000,000+ drivers and fix missing/faulty and outdated driver issues. The great thing is that this software will automatically start with your operating system and automatically scan, download and install all the drivers to your computer. It will also keep a backup copy of the previously installed driver

Driver Pack Solution

This is a free software and it has a huge database of drivers. There are 3 different versions of drive pack such as online version, network version and offline version. Online version is about 500kb and all the required drivers for your computer system will be downloaded during installation process. Network version is 400mb in size and drivers for network equipment are available immediately.

CPU-Z Software

This application is made by CPUID Company and it can be downloaded free. It gives in-depth details about the components in your computer. E.g.:- CPU information like CPU name, live voltage information, Cache information, bus speed, number of core and threads etc. motherboard information like manufacturer, model, information about BIOS, graphic interface info etc. Memory information like Ram type, channel, size, DRAM frequency and different clock timing information. If you have installed two or more Ram cards, you can get information for each RAM card separately.

BIOS Beep Code Viewer

This software is from Rizonesoft and it is for free. It will give information about your systems current BIOS (BIOS vendor, BIOS date, BIOS version etc.). It also gives all the information about different BIOS Beep Codes of different BIOS vendors like AMI, AST, Award, Compaq, IBM, Intel (Phoenix). It also describes about different Beep Codes, reasons to occur them and the way to fix the system. Without remembering all the different types of beep codes from different vendors you can use this software to troubleshoot beeping problems easily.

Recovery Software

Recovery software will allow you to recover corrupted, deleted or inaccessible data from your hard disk. “Recuva” is a good recovery software. it can recover music, pictures, videos, emails, files and folders and also it can recover from rewritable media like flash drives etc. It can also recover from damaged or newly installed drives. It allows you deep scan and recover. You can also use tool to delete files permanently. If you do that you can’t recover it even using a recovery software.

Application Software Packages

Application packages are built with a collection of many computer application software. Each program serves a different purpose and is compatible with other programs included in the package. E.g.:- Microsoft Office, Libre office, G Suite etc. You may need to type letters, create a presentation, create a database, So it is good to have some Application Software Packages with you to install and use when you needed.

Dangerous IT Devices And Ways To Prevent

2020-11-28T22:46:00.001+05:30

Below risks are affecting not only to your life but also for the productivity of your company. If employees have health problems, they won’t come to the job regularly. The company is responsible for its worker’s lives, so it may have to pay lots of money to protect their employees. This situation is not good for both financial and for the goodwill of the company.

CRT Monitors

First, we need to identify the way of CRT monitor works. Signals from your computer graphic card are loaded into three electron guns at the base of the monitor. There is one gun for each of three colors, Red, Blue and Green when these tree colors mixed together it can create all the colors you see on your screen. These guns shoot a powerful beam of electrons towards the face of the monitor. The beams pass through the deflection yoke. It uses magnetism to bend the electronic beams, so they can sweep across the entire screen and create the picture we see.

By exposing to electromagnetic fields of CRT monitors you may get chromosomal changes, bad effects on eye retina, cancers, disturbance of bone growth and heart rate, and alterations to the genetic structure of the cells. Not only that, when disposing of CRT monitors, they release toxic compounds to the environment. You can simply avoid these electromagnetic fields by sitting away from the monitor at least about 85cm. Also, you can use Anti-Glare Protection Filters to reduce the exposing to this electromagnetic radiation or else you can simply shift to the latest LED monitors which are the best option for your health.

However, there are some basic things to follow in order to reduce the bad effects from any type of monitors.

Follow 20-20-20 rule
Every 20 minutes, take 20-second break and look at anything 20 feet away
Adjust the monitor to 15 to 20 degrees below your eye level. (measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes)
Starring at monitor may dry your eyes and cause redness and irritation. So remember to blink your eyes periodically.
Avoid high-intensity lamps, which cast shadows and create glare. Place a dim light on either side of your workstation to create equal brightness without dark and shadowed areas.
Keep the monitor bright in order to reduce flicker rate and fatigue.
Clean your monitor screen regularly to minimize the glare.

Printers

According to the researchers of Queensland University of Technology's Air Quality and Health Program, they say that some printers are emitting toner dust particles in a form of ultrafine particles. These dusts can enter into your lungs when you are inhaling. This may cause respiratory problems, cardiovascular problems, cancers etc. These researchers fear that these UFPs may contain Carcinogens.

Below are some solutions that you can take to avoid this toner dust problem.

Take measures to increase the ventilation of your office.
When a printing process is happening do not stay near to the printer
If a printer is using highly, you can locate that printer in a separate room
You can also wear masks before doing any printing activities

Optical Fiber

Most fiber optic systems do not have sufficient power to cause harms to your eyes. As fiber optics systems worked in the infrared region, not in the visible section of the spectrum, you can’t see most of the light. The light exiting the optical fiber exits in a cone so that by the time the light reaches your eye, you only see a very small part of it, and the fact that its expanding makes it impossible to actually focus on your retina where it causes harm. However, there are systems which have very high power from many wavelengths and fiber amplifiers like DWDM systems that can cause damages to your eyes. Never look into any kind of fiber with your eyes or using a microscope without making sure that there is no optical power. Fiber scraps are also dangerous.

Below are some precautions you should take before dealing with any kind of fiber optics.

Always wear safety glasses with side shields.
Treat fiber optic scraps same as you would treat glass splinters.
Always wear gloves and masks before working with fiber optics.
Do not touch your eyes while working with fiber optics, until you wash your hands properly.
Always work in well-ventilated areas
Keep all combustion items safely away from you.

Devices Which Use Laser Scanning

Optical mice, optical drives and barcode scanners are some devices which use laser beams. Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) categorized these devices as Class II devices. The definition of a Class II device is one that is limited to laser output levels of 1 milliwatt or less and are restricted to visible light, most typically red lasers. These Class II lasers only effect to you if it directly falls on to your eyes for a long period.

Mobile Phones

Each mobile phone emits radio waves in a form of non-ionizing radiation and the tissues near the antenna of the phone will absorb this energy. However, according to the researchers of National Cancer Institute (NCI), there is no any proof that mobile phones are responsible for cancers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Different Industries

2020-11-27T22:21:00.001+05:30

What is Artificial Intelligence?

McCarthy and Minsky can be considered as the founders of the concept of Artificial Intelligence. They said that if a person does some activity that means he or she needs to apply human intelligence for that task, if the same activity can be performed through a program or a machine it can be described as an AI.

AI systems have some human intelligence features like planning, speech, manipulation, learning, creativity, problem solving, perception, motion, knowledge representation, reasoning etc. Artificial Intelligence Programming is based on three main cognitive skills. They are learning, reasoning and self-correction. In modern world you can find AI mostly in applications such as speech recognition, natural language processing, expert systems and machine vision. E.g.: - Microsoft’s Cortana, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Autonomous (self-driving) vehicles like Tesla cars & Medical institutions like British National Health Service use AI programs.

Where AI Is Being Used

Today you can find lots of industries which take advantages from Artificial Intelligence and below I have explained about some of them.

Unlike in old days, most of the online stores now use AI for sorting and finding best matching products according to your searching key words. Now you do not need to remember the exact name of a product, AI can find it for you easily. E.g.: - eBay, Amazon

It observes and examines previous searches for goods, reviews and comments that you have performed and millions of other searches conducted by similar users. Then sort out the best matching products for you.

Banking

Most of the banks now use AI technologies for things like detect credit card frauds, irregularities and to provide customer care services. E.g.: - HDFC Bank’s EVA. This electronic virtual assistant already helped many people. It has the ability to interact with users by itself and provide solutions for them quickly (within 0.4 Seconds). It also has the self-learning ability integrated so it can learn from many sources.

AI technologies can be used to detect fraudulent transaction patterns and prevent card frauds. E.g.: - Master Card, RBS WorldPay

Finance / Stock Trading

Trading depends on analyzing and by predicting future patterns within a market. In old days data scientists and computers helped to do this forecast. Nowadays finance companies use AI technologies to do this. AI help them to increase performance of the stock trading and the profit. E.g.: - Nomura Securities has a new stock trading system which use AI technologies. This was developed by analyzing the decisions and ideas of many skillful stock traders. It contains many trading data and price details and it can use those data to demine how the future trading market changes will happen.

Agriculture

AI can help farmers to get maximum from their lands while using minimum of resources. We have to look for new ideas to face the issues like population growth, increase of weeds and insects, climate changes and food preservation issues. Nowadays you can find that companies innovate automation and robotics combined with AI to provide more features for farmers to face these issues. E.g.: - PEAT company developed an application called Plantix to detect lack of soil nutrition & other defects. It uses the images taken by user’s smartphone camera and provide facts and solutions. The company says that this app is accurate about 95%.

Health Care

Health care industry is also a field which is benefiting from AI technologies. These AI technologies help to provide better services for patients. You do not need to develop new medication systems to use with AI based systems. The benefit is that you can use current medication systems along with AI systems. E.g.: - Cambio health care has a clinical decision support system to detect heart strokes of a patient. This system able to give warnings for doctors that if a person has a risk of a getting heart stroke. Coala life company also has developed a new device to detect cardiac diseases.

Gaming

We can say that AI is very powerful in modern gaming industry. E.g.: - DeepMind’s AlphaGo software. This software was able to beat the world champion of the GO game. Then they developed an advanced new version called AlphaGo Zero. This new version able to learn the game over time by itself.

If you are a gaming fan you must have heard about the game F.E.A.R (First Encounter Assault Recon). It is a first-person shooting game which use AI technologies. Enemies in this game do learn over the time and never do the same mistakes again. So, the actual players need to change strategies and methods constantly.

Space Exploration

Kepler telescope and many more devices already collected vast amount of data that actual humans cannot process. So now they use AI to analyses these data. NASA is also using these AI technologies. They have dispatched a new rover called the AEGIS to Mars planet. This rover has the ability of targeting camera autonomously to conduct investigations on Planet.

Autonomous Vehicles

Nowadays you can find vehicles which use AI technologies to provide self-driving facilities. E.g.: - Waymo cars. AI on these cars use radars, cameras, GPS and cloud services to create signals and make it function. They also use advanced deep learning algorithms to predict the other drivers/vehicles actions. Tesla is also using this AI technologies for their self-driving cars. They also expect to provide a Robo-taxi service in near future. These AI has image detection, deep learning and computer vision.

Chatbots

There lots of virtual assistants that you can find nowadays which help you to perform many tasks easily. E.g.: -Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant, Amazon’s Echo

Amazon’s Echo has the ability of speech recognition and use NLP to do many tasks through voice command. It can control lights, turn on A/Cs and control many other devices, make phone calls, book cabs, order foods, check whether conditions etc.

Social Media

You have to know that if there is lots of data, it is most likely to have an AI integrated to perform tasks. Facebook uses facial recognition based with AI technologies. It uses machine and deep learning to do this. Deep Learning is used to obtain every minute detail from an image by using few deep neural networks, While Machine learning algorithms are used to project what you see based on your interests.

Twitter is also using an AI to detect hate speech and terroristic using of words. It uses machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Natural language processing (NLP) to filter above mentioned things within tweets. With the help of this AI, Twitter abled to find and remove more than 300 000 accounts.

AI Usage In Manufacturing Industry

As I explained in earlier AI is being used in many industries. Likewise, it is growing in manufacturing industry by providing industrial automation. This helps manufacturing industry to have many benefits like provide new opportunities, increase production and its efficiency, lower the overall cost etc. With the help of AI, you can lower the need of manufacturing experts, face the difficulty in decision making, resolve issues related to integration and overloaded information. You can believe that in near future manufacturing industries will use AI for supply chain, design team, production line, and quality control and for other sections.

Below I have explained how AI is being used within Manufacturing Industry;

Directed Automation

Many modern manufacturing industries use AI and Robots to increase the mass production. Because of this manufacturing industries are able to minimize the human errors, ensure product quality, build automation solutions, face the competence, perform activities with minimum usage of time, and design the production models etc.

24x7 Production

Humans need time to think and then can perform a task. Also, humans need rest. By using AI robots manufacturing industries are able to perform 24/7 production and satisfy the customer needs. This helps manufacturing industries have a rapid growth.

Safer Operational Environment

Sometimes workers need to perform dangerous tasks and tasks which need more labor. By using AI, manufacturing industries able to replace workers and conduct day to day activities and as well as risky, laborious activities and ensure the operation environment is safe.

New Opportunities for Humans

As I said earlier AI can be used to perform day to day tasks. Then other employees can focus on other complex and innovative activities. That means more opportunities.

Lower Operating Costs

It can be costs highly to invest in AI. However, after establishing AI within manufacturing company it will significantly lower the operating costs.

The Trends of Manufacturing Industry With Emerging AI

In old days we used computer visualization for quality assurance. But today you do not need to have workers to enter data for computers, as there are AI systems with computer vision. These systems can decide how the information is being gathered. E.g.: - A worker gets raw material from stock and the camera within the stock area will detect it and create stock transaction automatically. You do not need to put thing in to the system AI will automatically perform this.

AI can be used with Internet of Things (IoT). Through this manufacturing industries can deliver supplies and services for customers who may not know that they need these things. It also can send data for producers and distributors to inspect quality and factors that can cause troubles. This helps in improving product and in improved reproductive design processes.

v Below I have mentioned some statistical information of Artificial Intelligence.

By 2035 AI have the impending to rise in production 40% or more.
By 2035 AI will increase the economic growth on 16 industries from an average of 1.7%.

For Further Knowledge;

https://www.plantautomation-technology.com/articles/the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-in-manufacturing-industries

Explain Network/Data Traffic and Network Cables

2020-11-26T11:03:00.002+05:30

Network Traffic/Data Traffic

It describe amount of data or Data packets transfer through a network at a given point of time. Network traffic is the main component for network traffic measurement, network traffic control and simulation.

Network traffic control:- Managing, prioritizing, controlling or reducing the network traffic
Network traffic measurement:- Measuring the amount and type of traffic on a particular network
Network traffic simulation:- To measure the efficiency of a communications network
Traffic generation model: - It is a stochastic model of the traffic flows or data sources in a communication computer network.

By analyzing data traffic you can identify security threats for the company. E.g.:- unusual data traffic can be occurred due to a malware or any other attack.

Network Cables

Networking cable are hardware used to connect networking devices together. Type of the cable depend on network’s physical layer, topology and network size. Also there are IEEE standards for cabling and they help to maintain reliability and speed of the network.

Coaxial Cables

This type of cable have an inner copper conductor covered with tubular insulating layer and tubular conducting shield. Many coaxial cables also have an insulating outer sheath or jacket. Middle conductor carry electrical signals while the Shield is there for ground potential. There are two types of coaxial cables such as Thicknet (10BASE5) and Thinnet (10BASE2).

ThickNet:- This type of coaxial cable able to span distances of up to 500 meters. Popular in applying for backbone of LANs (BUS topology). Systems connected to the cable using an external transceiver unit than actually tapped directly into the wire. The transceiver connected to a network card using an Attachment Unit Interface cable.

ThinNet:- It can extend of up to 185 meters. This was usually the media of choice for connecting computers on a LAN. Systems connect to the network via a BNC-T connector attached to the network card.

Twisted Pair Cables

These type of cables are made by intertwining two separate insulated wires. There are two twisted pair types as Shielded Twisted Pair and Unshielded Twisted Pair. UTP is common in Ethernet installations (for normal installations), common in computer networking.

In Shielded Twisted pair cables each pair of wires are wrapped in a metallic foil. The four pairs of wires then are wrapped in an overall metallic braid or foil, usually 150-ohm cable. STP is used to prevent crosstalk and electromagnetic interference. STP provide grounding and also it ensures maximum bandwidth can be get. Twisted pair cables are low in cost than fiber optic cables and also the installation is much easy.

Commonly used types of UTP cabling are as follows:

Category 1:- Used for telephone communications. Not suitable for transmitting data.
Category 2:- Capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 4 Mbps.
Category 3:- Used in 10BASE-T networks. Transmit data at speeds up to 10 Mbps.
Category 4:-Used in Token Ring networks. Transmit data at speeds up to 16 Mbps.
Category 5:- Transmit data at speeds up to 100 Mbps.
Category 5e:- Used in networks running at speeds up to 1000 Mbps.
Category 6:- Typically, Category 6 cable consists of four pairs of 24 American Wire Gauge (AWG) copper wires. Category 6 cable is currently the fastest standard for UTP.

Fiber Optic Cables

It is a network medium capable of conducting modulated light transmission. Fiber optic cable consists of two fibers wrapped in separate coverings. As you can see in the above picture, each optical fiber surrounded with protective buffer material (a plastic shield). Then with a Kevlar reinforcing material and with an outer jacket.

The plastic conforms to appropriate fire and building codes. Kevlar is there to provide additional cushioning and protection. Where buried fiber-optic cables are required, a stainless steel wire is sometimes included for added strength. SC is the most common Fiber optic connector. It has two optics one is there to connect for transmit and other one is there to connect with receive.

The light-guiding parts of an optical fiber are called the “Core” and the “Cladding”. Core contains with pure glass with high index of refraction. Cladding layer (glass or plastic with low index of refraction) surround the Core and the light trapped inside the fiber core. This process is known as Total Internal Reflection. Due to this process optical fiber acts as a light pipe which guide the light for long distances and also around bends. This is the most expensive network cable type, but it is the fastest data transmitting cable type. As they are transmitting light (no electrical signals) other devices can’t get those signals, so fiber optics are much secure. There are two types of fiber optic cable types as Single mode and Multi-mode.

Single mode:- this cable only allows to broadcast one mode or wavelength of light. This type of cable has higher bandwidth and capable send signals for more distance than multimode. This cable type use lasers as light generating method and also more expensive than multimode cables. Maximum cable length is about 60+km.
Multimode: - this cable allows to broadcast multiple modes of light. It use LEDs as light generating method. The maximum length is about 2km.

Describing Network Security with CIA Triad

2020-11-25T20:33:00.004+05:30

Introduction to Network Security

Network Security is a process of ensuring usability and integrity of data and network. There can be used both hardware and software technologies for this. Network Security is there to stop entering different threats to your system and stop spreading them on your network

Managing security means that you have to have an idea about what are the risks and how much risk that you are willing to accept for your organization. There can be different levels of security for different organizations. E.g.: - Banks have high level of security as they deal with lots of money and they have a liability to protect those money, but in a simple textile shop there will not be that much of security.

You need to remember that any network cannot be 100% secure. So, there is no point for targeting that much of security for your organization. You need to find out how much risk is there for your organization, how much resources can be allocated for security of your organization, what are the main vulnerabilities existing with organization, then you can decide the appropriate level of security for your organization. Network security is there to secure your network, protect It from threats and monitor network related operations. The most common and simple way of protecting a network resource is by giving it a unique name and a good password.

Advantages of Network Security

Protect data

Network Security keep its eye for unauthorized access and stops it. In a network there can be lots of confidential data related to employees and organizational secrets. If anybody able to hack into the network and get those data it will be a disaster. So there should be Network security to protect those data from intruders.

Prevents cyber attack

If there is an internet connection, there is a risk for the network. There are hackers and other intruders who can snoop into a network and also there are viruses, ransomwares etc. Network Security can prevent these types of attacks and protect your network

Levels of access

Network Security can be used to give different level of access authority for different users. E.g.: - Management level access, Operational Level access etc. The authentication of the user is followed by the authorization technique where it is checked whether the user is authorized to access that resource. There can be password protected folders to control access. The Network Security software knows who can access a certain resource.

Centrally controlled

Network administrator is responsible for controlling Network Security software. So other people cannot mess with security software. Most of the times this software is installed on a server where there is no internet connection. So, the virus attacks and intruders cannot simply invade network.

Centralized updates

A user should perform Operating system updates, utility updates and antivirus software updates regularly, but practically it not happening. So Network admin can use centralized security software to give those updates to computers and devices without even telling users.

CIA Triad

Confidentiality, integrity and availability, also known as the CIA triad, is a model designed to guide policies for information security within an organization. The model is also sometimes referred to as the AIC triad to avoid misunderstanding with the Central Intelligence Agency. The components CIA triad are the key components of security.

Confidentiality

This describe about the measures that can be taken to secure sensitive data from falling to wrong people, and also it says that right persons can get those data without any issues. Data can be categorized according to their importance and security measures can be implemented according to those categories.

Integrity

This describes that data should always keep its consistency, accuracy and reliability. Unauthorized people should not be able to change the data. Data cannot be changed during a transit. You can use file permissions and user access controls to do this. Version controls also can be used to secure data from larger changes and deletion. Electromagnetic pulse or server crashes may cause on data loss and corruption, So you need to keep a way of tracking data to identify those issues. Redundancies and backups must be kept. There can be used checksums and cryptographic checksums to verify the integrity of data.

Availability

Hardware and software of the entire network must keep up to date. That means you should do regular updates and perform necessary upgrades. You must maintain all hardware properly and do required repairs immediately and maintain a software conflicts free operating system environment.

6 Main Network Topology Types

2020-11-24T23:06:00.001+05:30

Computer Network Topologies

Network Topology refers to layout of a network. How different nodes in a network are connected to each other and how they communicate is determined by the network's topology. They can be either physical or logical. There are many types of Network Topologies. I have explained basic and the most famous network topologies below.

Bus Network Topology

In the bus topology every computer is connected to a main cable called the backbone or trunk. Therefore in effect every computer is directly connected to every other computer in the network. The back bone is made out of coaxial cable. There are NIC cards with BNC ports in each computer to connect with main cable. As you can see in the above picture we also use T-connectors and Terminators. This is an outdated network topology.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Easy to setup	If something happens to the main cable the entire network goes down
Low cost	Need terminators in each end
Works well in small networks	Not recommended for large networks
Requires only less cable length	Outdated
	Hard to troubleshoot

Ring Network Topology

In the Ring topology, the computers are connected in a closed loop configuration. Adjacent of computers are directly connected. Other pairs of computer are indirectly connected. The data or communication travels in clockwise. In here we also use coaxial cable with T-connectors, but we do not need any terminators.

Advantages	Disadvantages
All data travels in clock wise, so the collisions are reduced	Network depends on the wire. If something happens to that wire whole network goes down
Better than Bus topology	Data packet must past through all the nodes
No need any network servers. No need of terminators	If one workstation shutdowns it will effect for whole network
Each computer has equal access to the resources	Some components are more expensive
Additional components do not affect for the performance of the network

Mesh Network Topology

Mesh is a network topology which devices are connected with many redundant interconnections between network nodes. In here we need to use many NIC cards for a pc. There are fully connected mesh topologies and also partially connected mesh topologies.

Advantages	Disadvantages
No need any servers	Hard to manage and Troubleshoot
Robustness	Very expensive
Scalability	Higher redundancy
A broken node won’t distract the transmission of data in a mesh network.
Expansion and modification can be done without disrupting other nodes
Data can be transmitted from different devices simultaneously. This topology can withstand high traffic.

Star Network Topology

In star topology there is a central hub or switch which all the computers are directly connected. Every computer indirectly connected to every other computers through the central hub or switch.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Easy to implement	Expensive
Easy to expand	If switch or hub fails the whole network goes down
Can troubleshoot easily	Number of the computers in the network depends on hub or switch
Failure of a computer does not effect for the whole network

Tree Network Topology (Star Bus Topology)

The tree topology uses two or more star networks connected together. The central hub or switch of the star networks are connected to a main cable. Tree topology can be describe as a combination of Star and Bus topologies. This is one of the popular topology nowadays. The purpose of this network is to have bunch of networks.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Can expand the network easily	If something happen to main cable communication between other networks will stop
Can easily manage and maintain	Expensive
Easy to troubleshoot	Difficult to maintain when the network getting larger
If one segment is damaged, other segments are not effected	Scalability depends on the type of the cable
Can apply in the places where Bus and Star topology cannot be used

Hybrid Network Topology

This topology contains more than one of the previously illustrated network topologies connected to each other. E.g.:- Connecting a star network topology to a ring network topology.

Comparison of Star, Ring and Bus Topologies

BASIS	STAR TOPOLOGY	RING TOPOLOGY	BUS TOPOLOGY
Architecture structure	All the clients and peripherals connected to a switch or hub.	Every node has two branches connected to a node either side of it.	All the PCs and peripherals are connected to a single Coaxial cable known as backbone or trunk.
Cabling required	Larger	Less	Less
Point of failure	Switch/Hub	Every node in the ring	Every node in the bus network and the backbone.
Data traversal	All data passes through the central network connection.	Data moves clockwise until it reaches destination.	Data moves both directions until it reaches destination.
Network expansion	Can easily add another device by using Ethernet cables without breaking the existing Network.	Network has to break in order To add a new device to the Network.	Network has to break in order To add a new device to the Network.
Fault isolation	Easy	Difficult	Difficult
Troubleshooting	If there is a Switch/Hub failure, other nodes are affected. Failure of a single node does not affect whole network The other nodes are affected only in the case of a hub failure.	If a node goes down data can only travel up to that damaged node.	If a node goes down data can only travel up to that damaged node.
Cost	High	Low	Low

Advantages of Star Topology for Enterprise Networks

In star topology all the client devices and other peripherals are isolated. So a failure of one or more of those devices do not affect the whole company network. This is very important for company environment because it helps to keep the network up and maintain the productivity. And also this helps for troubleshooting (can easily identify the troubled device). It very easy to understand, implement and navigate through star topology. Non-technical users can easily understand what is going on with network, so it is very easy to train them to use networked system. A company growth can’t be limited, number of the employees can increase so the network should fulfil their needs also. Star topology provide grate support for network extending. You just need to add a PC and connect Ethernet cable for the pc and switch and set up IPs. By using different servers with star topology network a company can easily manage user accounts, passwords, policies, restrictions etc.

5 Network Related Environments

2020-11-24T00:34:00.001+05:30

E-Banking

A normal bank provides money deposits, various banking services and loan facilities. E -banking provides most of those facilities through internet such as opening accounts, transferring funds, electronic bill payment.

A bank gives walk-in or face to face banking services at bank branches. In addition to that they provide e-banking services through the World Wide Web. A customer can log in to their bank account and do account balance inquiries, fund transfer activities, bill payments. Some banks have also included services like financial calculators, online stock quotes, insurance services, brokerage services in their e banking service.

Most of e-banking services are provided without extra cost to customers. There are advantages of e-banking for customers as well as for the bank. Customers can perform required tasks on their bank accounts without going to branch, without staying in queues and without dealing with branch representatives. When customers do their tasks themselves it will be very easy for bank assistants and other staff members to continue their jobs with satisfaction. Also we can say that these things are some benefits of Networking.

Most banks have a physical presence and also an online presence. But there are some special banks which have only online presence. NetBank is an example. Through that they can cut off physical operating cost and can potentially offer higher deposit rates. However providing a quality bank service for customers is a challenge for these banks. So they use ATM machines and wire transfer to deal with this issue. Customers can deposit and withdraw money through ATM machines and wire transfer.

E-banking services are delivered to customers through the Internet and the web using Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML). Customers need a computer system, internet connection and a web browser to use E-Banking services.

Online Marketplaces

Thanks to Network technology now we can buy or sell items online through different websites like eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Alibaba, Ebid, Bonanza, Newegg, Rakuten etc. It can be a website or app which allows people to shop online from different sources.

The admin doesn’t own any goods in the online marketplace. His job is to let people to present their goods to other online users through the website and facilitate a transaction method. Due to higher availability of goods, the prices are more competitive. You can navigate on the site and select the best opportunity that suitable for you.

It works as an intermediator between supplier and the consumer. There are real time information about the products on website. Most marketplaces have the facilities of auctioning, catalogues, ordering, wanted advertisements, trading exchange functionalities and capabilities like RFQ, REP, or RFI. People can sell items in these sites under a post-selling free. With the help of World Wide Web and other network technologies you can access these websites and buy or sell from any place in the world.

E-Channeling

Due to improvement of Network technology different concepts and businesses have been introduced. Today we can channel any doctor through Internet. So we do not need to stay in queues and get numbers to meet the doctor. We can easily make an appointment through internet and meet the doctor at the appointed time.

It helps us to save time, money and energy. Go to e-channeling website. First you need to find a doctor using search bar in website then you should select required session. After that you need to give required information about the patient and make payments using bank account or using a credit card to confirm the appointment. You will need a credit card to make the payment. E.g.:- Visa, Master card or American Express credit card etc.

From the payment page you should select relevant Internet Payment Gateway (IPG). Thereafter you will connect to payment gateways from there you can enter account or card details securely. At the end you can get a print of the channeling receipt. If you don’t have a printer just write down the reference number and go to the hospital.

You can get your channeling receipt from the channeling counter. Most of the times you cannot cancel an appointment made through e-Channeling and obtain a refund. You can request for a change of the appointment before the commencement of the doctor’s consultation session at the hospital. You may call the hospital to enquire and then visit their channeling counter to request the cancellation.

E-Learning

Like in E-Channeling now you can study from home without going to physical places (Universities and colleges). You just need a computer and an internet connection to connect with World Wide Web. You can access internet from any place in the world.

There is no geographical boundaries for that. So you can study from any place all over the world. With the improvement of e-learning you feel like that you are in a real classroom. E-learning give us the ability of share materials like Videos, Word documents, PDFs etc. there are webinars (Live online classes) to learn and also there are forums to join and discuss or to ask questions about troubled learnings. You can communicate with professors via Chat and improve your knowledge.

With e-learning there are no excuses to make about how busy was your life. You can learn from anywhere at any time. E learning is affordable and also there are free e-learning courses as well. There are online exams to face, through that you can test about your knowledge. E-learning is very adaptable to latest information as it is easy to update websites. With the help of e- learning students and employees can keep their knowledge up to date.

E-governance

The governance integrated with ICT is known as E-governance. It helps to speak easily to all the parts in the community. It will simplify all the processes at National, state and local levels. E-governance is about promoting good governance.

Good governance is related with simple, moral, accountable and transparent governance. E-governance helps for providing government services, broadcast accurate information, and to communicate in a quick and efficient manner. With the help of network technology now the government can expand the reach for people, reduce overall cost, can participate citizens for governing, higher transparency and helps to avoid corruption. There are 4 types of interactions in E-governance.

I think in near future we can expect advanced new networking technologies to face this "new normal" arises with Covid-19 situation.

Network Types, Peer to Peer & Client Server (Domain) Architectures

2020-11-23T11:59:00.006+05:30

Types Of Network

LAN (Local Area Network)

LAN covers only small geographical area (one geographical area), like a home or a building. E.g.:- the network in a Campus Branch. The various devices in LAN are connected to central devices called Hub or Switch using Ethernet cables.

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

MAN is larger than a local area network. They spread within two or more geographical areas. MANs are designed by connecting two or more LANs through a router.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

WAN is a telecommunication network. WANs connect LANs that may be on opposite sides of a building, across the country or around the world. It means it is not restricted to one geographical location or area. WANS are characterized by the slowest data communication rates and the largest distances. Computers connected to a Wide Area Networks are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. Wide Area Networks generally use different and much more expensive networking equipment than do LANs. E.g.:- The Internet

A Comparison of LAN, MAN and WAN

Basis of Comparison	LAN	MAN	WAN
Ownership of Network	Private	Private or Public	Private or Public
Design and maintenance	Easy	Difficult	Difficult
Propagation Delay	Short	Moderate	Long
Speed	High	Moderate	Low
Fault Tolerance	More Tolerant	Less Tolerant	Less Tolerant
Congestion	Less	More	More
Used for	College, School, Hospital.	Small towns, City.	Country/Continent

Understanding Main Network Architectures

Peer-to-peer Network (Workgroup)

There is no centralized administration in peer-to-peer networks. It means there is no central location for authenticating users, storing files, or accessing resources. This means that users must remember which computers in the workgroup have the shared resource or information that they want to access. It also means that users must log on to each computer to access the shared resources on that computer. This type of network is much suitable for small networks (1-30 PCs).

In these type of networks there is a difficulty of finding the location of information as they are stored in multiple computers. This may occur difficulties of making backups and also redundant the same file or different versions of the same file. Another major problem in workgroup is less security. I have seen that some people use a pc with a client OS like Windows 10 Professional as the designated server for the network. They use it as a central location to save data.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Do not need a Server OS	When someone accessing to information in your computer there may be issues with the performance of your computer
Does not need an expensive server.	Less security
Do not need specialists	No central administration
Easy to set up. No need of specialist knowledge	You need to install software (OS, Anti-Virus) one by one to each computer. (No WDS services)
Failure of a one computer does not effect to the network.	Not suitable for large networks

Client-Server Network (Domain)

In a Client-Server network, there is a powerful computer known as server. That server is the central location where users share and access network resources. It means there is a centralized administration with higher security. The other computers connected to the network are known as clients. Servers are installed with Server operating systems like windows server 2016 and client computers are installed with client operating systems like Windows 10. This dedicated computer controls the level of access that users have to shared resources. Users can access to shared files or things using there User name and Password. Server operating systems are designed to handle the load when multiple client computers access server-based resources. They are much suitable for large companies.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Has centralized administration	If something happens to the server whole network goes down.
Has a Proper Management	Highly Costs
Can make backups and recoveries	Need IT specialists
You can easily add resources, services to client computer by upgrading the server.	Sometimes congestions will occur
Has higher security	Due to restrictions, sometimes people can’t do special jobs quickly or easily.

For Further Knowledge;

https://www.guru99.com/types-of-computer-network.html

An Introduction to Computer Networks - Networking Basics

2020-11-22T21:52:00.004+05:30

What Is A Network?

A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together. They can talk to each other, see each other and exchange information or a computer network is a collection of devices connected to each other, in order to allow every device to share its resources with other devices, and access other devices shared resources. The main purposes of networking are sharing data and resources and communication between each other.

Think of your cable TV, how you work with internet or how you play multiplayer games with others. All these things are happening thanks to different networking technologies. Computer networks allow a business to find new investors, suppliers, customers, Staff and other business partners. E.g.:- Sharing an Advertisement about Job vacancies through Internet, finding new suppliers and Quality goods from eBay. Thanks to networking technology now businesses can do online conferences, online discussions with other partners, it will help those business to save money and time.

Advantages of Computer Networking

Efficient management of data and file sharing

Networking gives the facility of file sharing, remote accessibility and also the ability of centralizing data. So the access for those data becomes simple. It helps us to save our time and energy. Because of the centralization of data many users can access same data at the same time from various locations. Network administrator can add policies and rules to control the access to data.

Resource Sharing

You can share hardware resources through the network. E.g.:- if there is only one printer in your office you can share it through network, then any staff member can take printouts from that printer. It helps to save money and also time.

Increase Storage Capacity

A single computer may be lacking of storage capacity, if there are many computers in a network, the capacity of several computers can be utilized. You can run a storage server to get large storage capacity. You can simply backup data because the all the data is in file server.

Enhanced Connectivity ( Improved Communication)

By networking you can connect limitless number of computers, it means the people (users) can join with each other through that. It provides a medium to connect with each other who are at different physical locations. Individuals within a work group are linked by local area networks (LAN) and numerous LANs in far sites are interconnected via larger wide area networks (WANs). So they can communicate and share files and resources. E.g.:- The Internet. You can even do video conferencing in co-operate environment due to improvement of network technology. Remote accessing is also possible. Organizations can keep touch with their suppliers and customers with the help of networking. When consider about customer relations, networks are useful to sell goods for them (electronic store front), to provide customer services quickly and also organizations can cut off cost for physical stores. Customers can do shopping by staying at home.

High Speed

In a normal environment we have to use a portable drive or a hard copy to give others the data. But in networked environment we just need to share the file. It is happening speedily without loss of data. It help us to save time and also money.

Higher Security

Unlike in a single computer in the networked environment the network administrator can put policies to different users. He can control the accessibility to the data. In this environment we can control unwanted access to the data. By using proxy servers network administrator can even control the internet accessibility.

Flexibility

Based on the size of the organization and organizational requirements you can decide which network topology is suitable for the organization. As the files are on server it doesn’t matter which computer is used to do work, you can work on any computer and at the end everyone can access your work. I will describe network topologies also in an another blog post.

Reliability

If something happens to your computer it does not effect for the network. You can use a different computer which is connected to the same network to access your data. You can physically make sure the reliability of the network by buying high quality routers, network cables, and switches etc.as well as firewalls and Antivirus programs help you to keep up the reliability of the network.

Basic Requirements For A Computer Network

Two or more computers
Something to share (Data, printer etc.)
Network Interface Card
Transmission media (Wired or Wireless)
Networking supported operating system
Networking devices such as Hubs/Switches, routers, patch panels, key store jacks and face plates, cable management panel
Protocols

Without two or more computers there is no reason for networking. We use networks for sharing data and resources and to communicate with each other. There should be data or resources to share. Files, documents, mp3, HTML are some examples for data.

Printers, projectors, scanners, finger print machines are some examples for resources that we can share through networks.

Network interface card is an expansion card which allows computers to connect each other using a RJ 45 connector. A network card (NIC, Ethernet card, Network adapter) can communicate with each other over the same network using a network switch or if only two computers a direct connection. If computers on your network need to connect to a different network (e.g. the Internet) they must be eventually connected to a router that allows networks to communicate with each other. There are also wireless network cards.

Data is represented by computers and other telecommunication devices using signals. Signals are transmitted in the form of electromagnetic energy from one device to another. Electromagnetic signals travel through vacuum, air or other transmission mediums to move from one point to another (from sender to receiver).

Electromagnetic energy (includes electrical and magnetic fields) consists of power, voice, visible light, radio waves, ultraviolet light, gamma rays etc. Transmission medium is the means through which we send our data from one place to another. The first layer (physical layer) of Communication Networks OSI Seven layer model is dedicated to the transmission media.

Protocols can be defined at any layer in the OSI model. Network protocol is a set of rules that define how a message is structured for transmission. The receiver can decode the message by following the same rules. A network protocol connects one layer on one device to the same layer on another device. Each layer adds control information to the message. Physical layer ultimately carries a stream of bits containing the message. Protocols can be in any layer.

For Further Knowledge;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

Systematic Problem Solving Strategies For You

2020-11-21T20:26:00.000+05:30

Problem Solving

A systematic process which defines a problematic situation (where there is a gap between actual and expected or the situation is vague, or there is something that is unsatisfactory) and identifies the problem as an opportunity for which a resolution or solution is needed to be implemented by an individual or group and which finally, and crucially should be worthwhile solving.

It is very important to identify and use the most suitable strategy and tools to solve a problem. For that, we need to identify different problem-solving strategies and tools.

Different Problem Solving Strategies

Road Mapping
Brainstorming
Divide and Conquer
Lateral thinking
Trial and Error
Method of focal objects
Means-ends analysis
Morphological analysis
Hypothesis testing
Cause analysis

Problem Solving Tools Used in These Strategies

Kepner Tregoe Problem solving
Six Sigma Tools
5 Whys
Fishbone diagram
Consensus Decision making
TQM Tools
Lean Manufacturing Principles
5 Step Approach
Failure Mode effects Analysis (FMEA)
8D Problem Solving
Cause and Effect Model
TRIZ

Picking the Right Issue

We have to identify the right issue with the biggest impact, arise again and again and effect for financial side. After that, we need to focus on solving it. The Pareto Chart is useful to do this. It helps to identify and visualize the biggest issue and to focus on it. We have to prioritize and solve the issues one by one.

Problem Solving Strategies Road Map

01. Identify the Problem

It can be easy to get lost in the sea of issues and problem in an organization. But we need to keep it simple, and it is the aim. Keep it simple as, Measure the problem, understand the process, understand the actual issue, how many times it happens and generic factors, etc. Tools like QCPC Charts, Pareto Diagrams can be used for a simple and quick understanding of the problem, its occurrences, and generic reasons.

02. Identify the Causes

The objective is to identify the causes and symptoms separately. Process flow charts, scatter Diagrams, Histograms, Fishbone Diagrams will help to find the origin place of the issue.

03. Brainstorm Alternative Solutions

To get more ideas we can use a group. Discuss the issue and get all the ideas. We need to use one or more sessions to do this process. Discussing time depends on the size of the issue.

04. Select the Most Appropriate Solution

We need to have a good idea about top possible causes and most suitable solutions with the help of the previous step.

05. Implement and check solution

In here the implementation of those solutions, analyzing the impact and measuring will be done. Through that, we can ensure that the cause is eliminated and the problem is solved. If we identify that the problem is still there, we need to do the brainstorming again and repeat the process again.

Impact To The Business

The development and implementation of a road map are mainly carried out with the intention of anticipating market and technological changes.
It will bring out a strategy that will reinforce the survival of the organization or achievement of a laid-out vision.
It can also be applied on a regular basis to check whether the organization is on track to fulfill the vision as it can be suggested to update the road maps frequently.
It is a powerful tool for communicating main strategic information to both internal and external stakeholders.
It will help to identify the needs, strengths, weaknesses and even opportunities.

For Further Knowledge;

https://www.educational-business-articles.com/problem-solving-strategies/

Guide For Proper Decision Making Process

2020-11-21T13:38:00.000+05:30

Who Makes Decisions and Why?

A decision is a choice between a variety of alternatives, and a decision maker is whoever makes such choice. It can be any leader, manager, employer, employee, student or any person who need to take decisions. We can't talk about any specific reason for why we have to make decisions; it is day today occurrence in our life. However, we have to make decisions rightfully and also need to have a good idea about the future results or about the future consequences of that decision.

Categorizing Decisions

01. Routine

Firstly there should be an introduction and identification for these decisions. Then they become regular basis decisions. These decisions are regularly taken, answers are obvious and sometimes a little consideration or sometimes no even a little consideration when taking. These decisions are usually sufficient, but they do occasionally fail. The failures provide an opportunity to improve decision making.

E.g.: - Which button needed to push to start the production machine.

02. Strategic

They are the decisions which are considering about entire processing environment of the organization, all the recourses and the formers of the organization and the interface between those two.

Long term decisions
Taken by upper management
Future oriented
Non-repetitive
Centralized
Affect for long term success
Complex decisions
Affect for company direction
Related to counter planning of all organization
Accordance with organizational vision and mission
Deals with organizational growth

03. Operational

These are the decisions which are taken to manage the day to day business. Lower or the manager for operations will take these decisions. They can be repeated and have a short term horizon.

E.g.: - pricing, discounting, promotions, collecting information, maintaining inventory, logistics decisions, sales and outreach, customer management, employee management, etc.

04. Emergency

Emergency decisions are made especially in an emergency if a decision is substantial to take right now. The management usually made such decisions in a time of crisis. An important factor to effective decision making in a crisis is to be systematic. These are non-programmed decisions that are related to a difficult situation where there is no easy solution.

Difference Between Problem Solving And Decision Making

Problem Solving and Decision Making are completely different concepts from each other. The major difference is, problem-solving is a method, and decision making is a process. Decision making is needed during problem-solving to conclude.

Decision Making Process

“Decision-making involves the selection of a course of action from among two or more possible alternatives to solve a given problem."

-Trewatha & Newport-

It is an essential and continuous component for managing organizational activities. It is helpful to achieve organizational goals. So it is more important for the functioning of an organization. Decision making is a central responsibility of managers and leaders. We can breakdown the Decision Making Process into five (5) steps. They are as follows;

01. Identify Issues

In the first step, we have to identify and define the issues or problems. The difference between expected situation and the actual situation can be identified as an issue. So we have to have a clear idea about expected situation and the actual situation.

02. Undertake Analysis

Do an analysis by gathering all the information and identify all the effects happen due to these issues.

03. Evaluate Options

Find or brainstorm possible options and solutions. Consider and compare all the pros and cons of each option. Consult others if necessary or useful. Create a template which enables measurements according to the different strategic factors. Tools like SWOT Analysis can be used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in each option.

04. Identify Choices

Select best options. Choose most effective options which help to determine the team's final goal. Avoid vagueness and weak compromises in trying please everyone.

05. Implement Plan

Before implementation team should be prepared to understand and utilize the decision. Convert the selected decision to a plan. Explain your plan to others and follow up to ensure proper and effective implementation.

Therefore the following steps can be used to detect the reasons for the communication issues in the organization by recognizing them with the cause and can find out solutions to overcome them.

Identify Issues

There are some problems in communication such as misuse of the informal communication network and not using communication network properly by subordinates and superiors.

Undertake Analysis

Gathering information from subordinates and superiors and how they use communication network interact with each other and engage in transactions. I question the employees about problems and get some idea about their opinions. Then I have identified the root cause; some people try to use organizational comities and employees for their political expectations.

Evaluate Options

Identifying and gathering a collection of strategies and alternatives to minimize or eliminate these communication issues in the organization. I can remove these people from my organization or advise them. I can make strong rules and regulations to deal with this kind of situations. I can take legal actions on them.

Identify Choices

Selecting the proper and most suitable alternative to overcome the communicate issues effectively by following a methodology to derive it. I can perform all the above solutions as they do not perform any harmful impact on my organization and all of them help to solve and eliminate this issue completely.

Implement Plan

Change over the choice made into a plan and classification of exercises with the help of subordinates and superiors. Assess the results of the given decision. Look at whether it is presently beneficial to the both subordinates and superiors. Analyze the implementation of communicational and informal networks and identify whether decisions are working and other issues.

For Further Knowledge;

https://hbr.org/2006/01/a-brief-history-of-decision-making

How To Work As A Team - All The Skills You Need To Know

2020-11-20T23:00:00.001+05:30

What Are Team Dynamics?

Team dynamics are the forces which can affect the direction of team behavior and performance. Those forces are insentient and mental. Out of different directions, team dynamics can carry the team towards the expected and required direction. These dynamics are creating due to the nature of team's work, team personalities, working relationships, working environment, etc. These can be good or bad.

They Can Impact On;

Productivity or profitability
Staff retention rates
Performance (both team and private)
Whether people enjoy work
Goodwill of the company

A group is a social community which consists of two or more people, and a team is a special instance of a group with a shared goal. In this situation, there will create a dynamic as the team depends on the success of individual team members. E.g.: - Cricket team wins or loses as a team.

Everyone on the team both talks and listen. No one dominates the conversation. The interactions are energetic within a lot of faces to face communication. Team members not always talk through the team leader. They connect with one to another directly. Side conversations are also happening. Time to time people go outside and collect beneficial information for the team. There should be a good idea about successful communication patterns because they are more important than individually contributes.

Strategies to Improve Team Dynamics

Doing a diagnosis to identify factors which cause problems or lack of team performance.
Doing team mental health check-ups by interviews in private, safe, and confidential environment.
Changing organizational structure, removing people, moving people, reassigning and changing office layout.
Conducting team development workshops to discuss team performance issues.
Conducting personality workshops.
Change workshops, aimed at addressing latent fears and resistance to the work of the team.
Stakeholder workshops.
New processors, tools or technology.
Cultural change programs etc

The Skills Required to Work within a Team

Organizing and planning skills.

These skills are essential to complete tasks before the deadline.

Decision-making skills

There should be a common agreement when making decisions. Sometimes you have to keep aside personal previews.

Problem-solving skills

There should be skills to solve problems efficiently and in time without causing difficulties.

Communication skills

Verbal communication, listening and questioning skills should be very good. Make sure that no one misunderstands what you are trying to say.

Ability to build rapport

Should be good at developing a sense of having within the team.

Persuasion and influencing skills

Build up your persuading and influencing skills. Some people do it effortlessly, without anyone noticing.

Facilitation skills

Should have Wide range of skills including supporting processes, team building, project management, etc.

Feedback skills

Giving and receiving clear and efficient feedback is essential to work within a team. It helps to maintain the understanding within team members. It helps to keep the process running efficiently and to the plan.

Skills in chairing meetings

There should be skills for chairing meetings. Some of those skills are controlling the meeting, addressing, reminding, pace making, ensuring runs at the time, outlining the purpose of the meeting and remind team members why they are in the meeting.

Conflict resolution

There should be abilities to control and solve disagreements within the team, difficulties in communication and other conflicts.

Belbin’s Team Roles

We need to understand clearly about the roles people play as members of a team.

Shaper

They try to add a shape to the team. He continues the work forward. He has a good idea about the direction of the work. He focuses on taking positive actions.

Plant

He provides new ideas and also gives new solutions to solve questions.

Co-Ordinator

He always tries to get others ideas when making decisions and encourage to work together. He manages team dynamics. Often in a leadership role.

Monitor evaluator

He tries to identify all the pros and cons of a decision. He likes to ensure that all the information are known before making the decision.

Resource investigator

They are experts in finding information which is useful to make decisions. They keep networking between other teams and organizations. They collect external recourses and information to help the team.

Implementer

He always focuses on practical solutions. He is willing to do anything which has to do to get the expected result.

Team worker

He helps to keep good personal relationships within the team and helps for team’s efficiency.

Specialist

They are technically minded persons. They provide expert knowledge about a product or a service.

Complete-finisher

They ensure that tasks are completed correctly. They are very good at organizing meetings, keeping the team on the schedule. They tied up all the loose ends.

What is a Team Plan?

It is a framework which consists of goals, tasks, processes, timelines, and milestones. A team plan helps to achieve goals. First, we need to establish clear and common goals. They should be clear, accurate, relevant, reflect organizational culture and performance standards.

Establishing a Team Plan Involves

Breaking goals into tasks
Establishing timelines, milestones, and deadlines
Allocation of tasks
Determining processors

01. Breaking Goals into Tasks

In here we have to analyze goals and need to identify tasks which are needed to complete to achieve goals. This can be done by a team leader, manager or some combination of team members.

To complete tasks on time and perfectly the needed qualifications should be determined. It involves,

Determining communication channels

Training team members

Identifying reporting and supporting relationships.

02. Establishing Timelines, Milestones, and Deadlines

Team members will need to be aware of the timelines to plan the workload effectively. Sometimes tasks depend on the completion of other tasks. So the establishing of Timelines, Milestones, and Deadlines are essential.

03. Allocation of Tasks

Through this, we can achieve an effective team operation and also can efficiently use the human resources. Tasks can be allocated according to the member roles. Sometimes it can be allocated according to the person's skills, by the manager or supervisor and also by team members.

04. Determining Process

Establishing process for common tasks will streamline their completion. It should encourage and recognize input from all the team members. Feedback between team members and between the team and the team leader should be courage acted upon.

Negotiation

If the deadline conflicts with other important tasks you have already been allocated, you may need to negotiate alternative strategies for ensuring all the tasks are completed. Negotiation should be done firmly not aggressively.

Negotiating deadline for the new task
Renegotiating deadline for the new task
Seeking help from others
Obtaining approval for working overtime

Monitoring Progress

It is to ensure the goals and tasks can be achieved within the given period or to identify the need for alternative strategies.

Performing Regular team meetings to discuss the progress
Setting milestones or mini-deadlines
Monitoring daily or long term work schedule
Alternative strategies
Allocating more people to work on that task
Allocating different person to work on that task
Assist (advice, support, etc.)
Modifying team memberships

Effective Time Management Techniques For You

2020-11-20T15:41:00.001+05:30

"Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you don't let other people spend it for you."

- John Dryden -

According to the above statement, you can understand that time is the most precious thing in our life and you should be the person who decides how to spend that time.

Time management is an imprecise term. You cannot handle time; you can only handle events of your life about time. There are only 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds for a day. How to use that time depends on you. It depends on the skills acquired through self-analysis, planning, evaluation, and self-control. Money and time are precious and limited. Therefore, it should be protected, used wisely and budgeted. Time management has become important to everyone. Because the modern day becomes a hectic world of technology and the fast pace of life. Everyone uses time management techniques and tools to better manage their time and perform their tasks and everyday activities efficiently and relax.

People Who Practice Good Time Management Techniques Are;

More productive,

Improve your reputation

Have more energy for the things they need to accomplish,

Feel less stressed,

Able to do more things,

Interact more positively with others, and

They feel better about themselves

Things mentioned above are some of the benefits of effective time management. Finding a time management strategy that works best for you depends on your personality, self-discipline self-motivation level and ability.

There are several elements that need to be considered and managed for effective time management. We must learn to be aware and use the time management elements diligently.

Elements of Time Management;

Have a clear vision

You need to have a clear view of the things you are trying to accomplish. This means if you do not know what is your final goal properly, there is no reason to use effective time management.

Know Your Priorities

There should be clear priorities of tasks. When you are clear about your priorities, you know which tasks add more value so that you can make decisions easily.

Focusing on value

You do not have to consider the workload; you just need to identify the most important tasks, activities that add real value and focus on them. Then you can add value to your life.

Lose urgency

Due to urgency sometimes you make wrong priorities of tasks. When you are completing these tasks your limited time will be lost and clog the chance to complete real value added tasks. When it takes the time to put urgent tasks into perspective, it will no longer be affected by the urgency and focus to importance and value.

Stop struggling

You have to stop struggling to complete the important activities in your life. These struggles occur due to lack of training or lack of enjoyment. To beat it, you must have sufficient training. If it is not to enjoyable the task, see if you can automate, delegate or outsource it.

Purge the waste

Review work practices. This can be done monthly. Take time and review the work completed in the previous month. Identify tasks that have been a waste of time or have added value. For each of these tasks, ask following questions from yourself:

Can you delete this task?

Can I automate this task?

Can I delegate or outsource this task?

Can I reduce the frequency with which to do this?

Plan your escape

It is necessary to restore your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional energies. Include some actions like meditation or favorite activities to your tight schedule. Find the activities that work best for you and include them in your program.

Effective time management strategies are essential if you want to make lasting and valuable changes. Focus on the most important tasks, tasks that add real value. The value and importance of these tasks are determined by your vision for your life. These activities allow you to make real progress towards your goals.

For Further Knowledge ;

https://hbr.org/2020/01/time-management-is-about-more-than-life-hacks

Effective Communication with 7C's

2020-11-19T23:49:00.001+05:30

What is Effective Communication

The communication can be described as a process of sharing information and feelings. It can be done by verbally or non-verbally. Effective communication is a broader concept than normal communication. It defines that the information should be acknowledged by the receiver and the receiver should get the right conviction about that information. The purposes of effective communication are establishing a common understanding, changing behavioral patterns and achieving information.

Features of Effective Communication

According to the Effective Public Relations (1953) book written by Professor Scott M. Cutlip, there are seven characteristics in effective communication. Today these characteristics are known as 7 C’s of communication.

Completeness

For effective communication, it should be complete. It means the communication should contain all the information to evaluate the content, to solve questions or to take decisions. Through this, we can avoid the problems popup during the communication process and also it will increse the quality of overall communication process.

Conciseness

This is not about keeping the message short, but it is about keeping the message to a point. It means the message should not contain repeating contents and non-related contents. So the reader can focus on most important items, and it helps to understand the message quickly.

Consideration

During the communication, the sender should consider and value the receiver's needs, moods, and his views. The important items in the content will become strong by changing the style and contents of the message according to the receiver because sender can make arguments and give examples according to the receiver's experiences. This will be very helpful for the receiver to understand correctly the message.

Concreteness

To perform effective communication, the message should be fulfilled with facts and figures and also should be answered to the questions regularly. Argumentations should be based on real life examples. This helps to understand the complete idea and the relationships in the message.

Courtesy

This means respect to the receiver's culture, values, and beliefs. This leads to a beneficial and more positive conversation.

Clearness

It should be clear and specific. To achieve this clearness in communication, the message should be a focus on the single objective. This helps to highlight the importance of the objective and to understand message easily. To achieve clearness, there should be a good vocabulary.

Correctness

We need to use proper and correct grammar and syntax to achieve effectiveness and reliability. Without using proper grammar and syntax, the receivers can't read and understand the message correctly. It gives a negative impact on the overall communication process.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is the way of sharing information with people or groups by orally or with written words.

Examples of oral communication: - Face-to-face discussion, speeches, television, radio, telephone conversations, videos, business meetings, etc.

Examples of written forms of communication: - Memos, reports, letters, emails, faxes, etc.

Non-Verbal communication is the way of communicating without using words. In here, we use body languages, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, gestures, signs, and appearance.

Openness and Responsiveness in Communication

Openness in communication means, listening to others with an open mind and reacting honestly. This is more important because this helps to maintain trust between employer and employee.

Responsiveness in communication means, responding correctly and directly to the things saying by another person. Then the other person gets the idea that you are listing well and have a clear idea about the things that he said.

Formal and Informal Feedback

Formal feedback is the feedback given to an employee with intentionally and former planning. Job evaluation is an example of the formal feedback process. It ensures that the feedback process is completed and that the goals for employee development are realized.

Informal feedback is the feedback given to an employee without a former planning. When employees are working more effectively or when there are mistakes the managers should communicate with employees. It helps to boost employee’s morale, confidence, satisfaction and also results.

Ways to Communicate Effectively in Workplace

Open meetings
E-mails
One on one communication
Use presentations
Display confidence and seriousness
Use body languages
By Act out message
Use appropriate tone of voice
Avoid unnecessary repetition
Create receptive atmosphere
Be humorous
Be articulate
Avoid mumbling
Encourage feedback
Use gesticulates
Communication via training
Use simple words
Using visuals
By listening to team members
Be appreciative

Appropriate Manner at Various Levels

By using meetings and formal sessions, higher authorities can communicate with the board of members. This helps to keep up the professionalism and the discussion properly.

Middle-level managers can be communicated through conferences and seminars. Also, Verbal and written forms of communication like e-mails can be used to communicate with them.

To communicate with lower level staff, we can use notice boards, seminars, etc.

According to the working environment, knowledge, skills, and authority, we can decide which communication style is good for each level.

Advantages of Effective Communication

Steady work flow
Can make strong business relations
Better professional image
Quicker problem solving
Can make better decisions

Visit;

https://www.amazon.com/Effective-public-relations-Scott-Cutlip/dp/0132450356

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_Public_Relations

Evaluate Your Skills with Skills Audit

2020-11-18T23:48:00.013+05:30

What Is Skills Audit?

It can be described as a process of identifying skills and skill gaps among the persons in an organization. Through this, we can analyze the training needs and detect where should need training. It defines how to achieve goals of an organization. Without this information, we can't identify exact places where need improvement within an organization.

There Are Two Types of Skill Audits;

01. Individual skills audit

This evaluates whether individual employees have the skills and knowledge required for a particular job that they are completing or could complete. It is often a common feature of an induction program.

02. Group skills audit

It uses when a business decides to carry out a skill audit across a team, department or whole organization.

Advantages of Skill Audit

Better focusing on the places where need training and improvement

Helps to identify a list of employees who need training

Helps for internal selections

Helps to describe expected recruit properly and to identify that person correctly

Provides information for dynamic succession planning

Different Types of Skills

01. Analytical Skills: - These skills are referred to the ability to collect and analyze information, problem solves, and make decisions.

Communication

This means you should be able to explain information orally, in a meeting or presentation, and need to have the ability to write reports. You should have strong oral and written communication skills.

Creativity

You should take a creative eye to spot trends in data. During problem-solving situations you should have a creative eye and ability think outside the box to solve problems.

Critical Thinking

You should be able to evaluate information and make decisions according to your findings. It helps for problem-solving.

Data Analysis

You should be good at examine a large volume of data and find new trends in those data. Other than just reading and understanding you have to make sense of it and need to find patterns of the data.

Research

You should have to collect data or information before the analyzing it. It means before solving a problem you need to understand everything about the problem.

02. Language Skills: - There are four language skills we need for complete communication.

Listening

You should give good attention to what you are listening, as well as you should have a good reflection for it. You should have the ability to understand what other people are really trying to say.

Speaking

You should have the ability to speak clearly, and a way of others get the idea easily without misunderstanding. You should be able to convey the message in a passionate, thoughtful and convincing manner.

Reading

You should be able to read and understand the things in various documents including diagrams, directories, manuals, records, correspondence, charts, graphs, tables, and specifications.

Writing

You should have effective writing skills to write memos, letters, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, e mails, instant messages, etc. You should have a good style, wide business vocabulary and also good grammar knowledge.

03. Technical Skills: - Those are special abilities and knowledge needed to perform specific tasks. They are practical. They require training and experience.

Big Data Analysis

You should be good at collecting data, organizing them, and interpret that data.

Coding & Programming

You need to have abilities for coding, and to understand multiple programming languages. It differs according to the Job.

Project Management

You should be good at managing projects. It means you should be a good at being a leader, delegating tasks, measuring the success of each project.

Social Media Experience

You need to have experience with certain media platforms. So you can face the competition coming from others.

Technical Writing

You should be able to explain complex things in a clear way to understand easily.

04. Professional Skills: - These are skills need to succeed in professional practice. These skills are related to the employee’s field. You can obtain professional skills through formal and informal education, job training and life experiences.

Communication Skills

You should have the ability to communicate effectively. It means you should have good assertive communication skills, listening skills, non-verbal communication skills, written and oral communication skills, etc.

Decision Making Skills

You should have good decision-making skills. It means you should be able to make simple decisions as well as difficult or complicated decisions. You have to learn and improve them.

Leadership Skills

They are a combination of many skills or abilities that allow you to lead, to motivate, to inspire, to create. E.g.: -Analytical skills, conflict resolution abilities, creativity and creative thinking, organization skills, etc.

Organizational Skills

It means you should be good at general planning, coordinating resources, and meeting deadlines.

Time Management Skills

It means you should be good at managing limited time effectively. E.g.: - setting goals, prioritizing goals, scheduling, making lists, using optimization tools.

Flexibility

You should be able to adopt effectively for changing situations and environments.

Stress Management Skills

You have to control and manage your stress. Do not let stress to reflect your job and tasks.

You can use these tools and evaluate your Skills, I will include a Practical Skill Audit on another Blog Post.

Visit;

https://www.cognology.com.au/learning_center/sawhatis/

https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/guide/how-complete-skills-audit

Understanding About Operating Systems

2020-11-17T18:05:00.008+05:30

We already know about the importance of computer software. There are number of software which built to perform the same thing. By considering user needs carefully you have to decide which software is suitable for tasks. First of all, you have to decide which operating system that you familiar with. Then choose which applications or application packages need to perform your tasks. E.g.:- Operating systems, office packages, accounting or Invoice software etc.

What is an Operating System

The operating system is the most important software in a computer system. Each and every application that you need to run is depending on your computer’s operating system and also it manages all the hardware components in your computer. It is the interface between hardware and software components of a computer. Operating system allocate resources for the multiple tasks which user perform. It provides security facilities to confirm that only the authorized persons can access the data and resources. Modern operating systems have Graphical User Interfaces. So we can communicate with the computer without knowing computer’s language. Most people are familiar with single user multi-tasking operating systems. E.g.:- Windows, Linux, Mac OS X etc. There are 4 major types of operating systems.

Real-Time Operating Systems

These Operating systems support real time applications. A Realtime application is an application that responds to certain inputs very quickly. It accepts inputs, processes the inputs and gives the appropriate response in milliseconds or microseconds. Realtime applications are used in medical diagnostic equipment, life-support systems, machinery, scientific equipment and industrial machines. Real-time operating systems are very fast and relatively small.

Single-User/Single-Tasking Operating Systems

This type of operating system allows a single user to perform just one task at a time. A user may at any given time be able to do only one function such as printing a document, editing a text file, saving a file or downloading some content from a network server. The operating system considers a process as a task and simple OSs can handle only a single task at a time. MS-DOS, Palm OS, used on the Palm handheld computers are examples.

Single-User/Multitasking Operating Systems

These operating systems allow a user to perform two or more functions at any given time. For example, an office user may print a very large document in his computer and while it is being printed, he may edit another document in his computer, this results in increasing of his productivity. These operating systems are complex and large as they have to support multi-tasking, support a GUI (graphical user interface), have two or more programs running at the same time and sharing data too. Windows 95,Windows 3.1, Windows 10 are some examples.

Multi-User/Multitasking Operating Systems

These are powerful operating systems that support more than one user at a time, performing more than one task at a time. Multiple users use programs that are simultaneously running on a single network server called the terminal server. A multi-user OS gives each user a complete environment called a user session, on the server. Each user’s application runs within their user session on the server separated from all other user sessions. The software that makes this possible is called the terminal client.

For the networking purposes we can divide operating systems mainly in to two categories. They are Server Operating Systems and Client Operating Systems.

Client Operating Systems

There may be multiple user accounts in a client OS, but only a single user can work at a time. Client operating systems are normally installing to normal workstation computers. With the help of this kind of operating systems, client computers can communicate with server computers and request different services from server computers.

Server Operating Systems

A server operating system is an operating system specifically designed to run on servers, which are specialized computers that operate within client/server architecture to serve the requests of client computers on the network. The Server OS, is the software layer on top of which other software programs, or applications, can run on the server hardware. Server operating systems help enable and facilitate typical server roles such as Web server, mail server, file server, database server, application server and print server.

Some of the key features of a server operating system include;

•         Ability to access the server both in GUI and command-level interface
•         Execute all or most processes from OS commands
•         Advanced-level hardware, software and network configuration services
•         Install/deploy business applications and/or web applications
• Provides central interface to manage users, implement security and other administrative processes

• Manages and monitors client computers and/or operating systems

Some common examples of server operating systems include Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Windows Server, Mac OS X Server.

Comparison of Operating Systems;

Feature

Windows

Linux

macOS

Ability to customize

You can customize colours scheme, taskbar position, themes, other background appearance and other basic things according to the OS version that you are using.

You can do all the things that windows OS can do, other than that you can change the code and change most of the things in the OS as you wish.

Same as in windows you can do only some given customizations. But they have been used open source codes and software (e.g.:- Darwin) to develop.

The OS Kernel and the majority of the libraries are open source and you can download and change them.

Security

Security options are quite good. Windows have a build in firewall system, antivirus program (Windows defender) and also you can change group policies according to your needs. Also you can manage multiple user accounts and passwords simply.

It can do everything that windows OS can do but also you can change the OS and include other security features as you wish.

Security options are quite good. FileVault feature can be used to encrypt data in your drives. It has a good run time protection and a privacy protection. iCloud feature can store user names and passwords securely.

Stability and Reliability

Stable, but sometimes crashes.

Stable. You can also change the OS to be more stable and reliable.

Excellent Stability. Can run and work long hours without causing problems.

Ease of management

Windows is the most popular OS in the world. Most of the people familiar with it, so it can be easily managed. E.g.:- better looking and advanced interface, better multitasking ability, sharing and social integration

Modern Linux versions have better ease of management side. But you have to learn the programming in order to develop it.

Web browsing, phone integration, apps and app store are some great features of macOS rather than windows. But still windows beats the macOS from ease of management side.

Associated utilities

Because windows is the most popular OS, it has the biggest range of associated utilities.

Linux also have a big range of associated utilities.

macOS also has wide range of associated utilities.

Support for the user

There are community, forums, websites, books and a help section to support users.

There online community, forums, books for the support.

There are online tutorials, website, community and forums to support users.

Support for removable media

Windows support almost all the media types such as USB drives, optical media and also the connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, syncing etc.

Linux doesn’t support wide range of connectivity. You can download and use software development kit to develop and enhance it.

Support most media types, but if your smartphone is using android or windows or any other OS, it is very hard to work together with mac computer (macOS).

Cost

High

Free

OS is free but the compatible hardware price is Very High.

Familiarity

Familiar

Not much

Not much

Comparison Chart Between Windows 8.1 Pro and Win 10 Pro;

Feature	Windows 8.1 Pro	Windows 10 Pro
Voice, pen, touch, and gesture	ü	ü
Microsoft Edge (+ reading view PDF reader)		ü
Start Menu and Live Tiles	ü	ü
Windows Information Protection		ü
Device Encryption	ü	ü
BitLocker	ü	ü
Trusted Boot	ü	ü
Windows Device Health Attestation service		ü
Group Policy	ü	ü
Mobile Device Management	ü	ü
Enterprise State Roaming with Azure Active Directory		ü
Windows Store for Business		ü
Assigned Access	ü	ü
Dynamic Provisioning		ü
Windows Update for Business		ü
Shared PC configuration		ü
Domain Join	ü	ü
Azure Active Directory Domain Join, with single sign-on to cloud-hosted apps		ü
Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer (EMIE)	ü	ü
Remote Desktop	ü	ü
Client Hyper-V	ü	ü
Latest O/S		ü

System requirements for Windows 10;

Processor: - 1GHz or faster

RAM: - 1GB (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)

Free Hard Disk Space: - 32 GB

Graphics Card: - Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver.

Display :- 800 x 600

A Microsoft account and Internet Access

Visit ;

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-specifications

System Requirements for Latest MAC OS;

For macOS Big Sur; (need unique hardware)

MacBook: Early 2015 or newer
MacBook Air: Mid 2013 or newer
MacBook Pro: Late 2013 or newer
Mac Mini: Late 2014 or newer
iMac: Mid 2014 or newer
iMac Pro
Pro Display XDR
Mac Pro: Late 2013 or newer
Developer Transition Kit (2020)

Visit ;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_Big_Sur

https://www.apple.com/macos/how-to-upgrade/

Important Things To Know Before Buy a Computer

2020-11-16T10:13:00.009+05:30

Budget

All of us need to buy best products at minimum cost. So, first of all, you have to consider about the maximum amount of money that you can afford for a computer and you have to build or buy a computer within that budget.

Consider what are your requirements

Now consider why do you need a computer? For what purposes? Consider and analyze your minimum requirements. E.g.:- A Compny may need a system which has networking ability to share data and resources and for communication, they may need to run special software to prepare bills, and to collect payments, planning, researching and carry out feasibility studies etc. Then decide what type of a computer mostly suitable for your requirements and also simply decide its hardware and software components and peripheral devices that you need. E.g.:- Desktop computer or a laptop computer, brand of the computer and warranty, Using Open source or Paid version software, Application packages like MS office, Libre office, hardware parts like NIC, Graphic cards, peripherals like Printers, scanners etc.

The Processor

It defines how many instructions can be performed within a second. Most modern processor’s speed is measured by GHz (Gigahertz). If that number is bigger, then it is much better. There are cores inside a processor and they act as a multiplier of speed. (E.g.:- a single-core 2GHz processor is a lot slower than a four-core 2GHz processor). If there are multiple cores it will help for multi-tasking. Before buying a processor you should consider the number of cores, threads, Speed and the Cache memory and compare them to identify the most suitable one. E.g.:- Intel Processors or AMD processors.

RAM

Random Access Memory is also an important part of a computer. Multitasking ability of a computer also depends with RAM size. Nowadays RAMs are measured by Gigabytes. E.g.:- 4GB, 8GB. And Modern motherboards are created for DDR 4 RAMs. They are much faster than older ones. Other than that you have to consider about RAM speed. E.g.:- 2400 MHz, 3600 MHz and so on. But you have to match it to the motherboard & the processor allowed RAM speed. Otherwise, you are wasting your money without no reason.

Hard Drive

To store information on permanent basis computer should have a Hard disk. Nowadays hard disks can be found in sizes of Gigabytes and Terabytes. E.g.:- 500GB, 1TB. If the size is high you can store more data. The operating system, different applications, games, music and other things can be stored on a hard drive. When you are working those data will lode to RAM. Nowadays you can find a new kind of Hard disks called SSD (Solid State Drive) & M.2. Unlike traditional old hard drives, you can’t find platters and head inside SSD. They use flash memories to store data. So SSDs are extremely fast. But the price is also very high. In Sri Lanka 120GB size SSD is about LKR 5500.00. Also, you can buy 2TB size normal hard disk at the same price. I have seen some manufacturers use a small size SSD only to install the operating system and connect another bigger size normal hard disk to store other data. The reason for that is working speed of O/S is very high in SSD as they use flash memories and higher cost is another reason to use the small size of SSD. In order to store more data, they use the normal hard disk.

Graphics

You should be able to decide what kind of graphics suitable for your requirement. We can find computers with integrated graphics and also dedicated graphics. So you should have a good idea about these integrated and dedicated graphics. Integrated graphics processing unit doesn’t use its own RAM. It uses System’s RAM. E.g.:- If you have a RAM card about 4GB, normally the integrated graphics processing unit uses about 5% of that ram or lower amount for graphics processing. That percentage depends on the size of your task. When you are playing games or multitasking that percentage will rises. Integrated unit is much cheaper than a separated one, consume less power, generate low heat and if you are using a laptop it improves the battery life. This type graphic unit is suitable for general purpose use (to do normal daily activities).

Dedicated graphics processing units use its own RAM (video RAM).it means they don’t touch system’s memory to perform graphics. These type of video cards are much suitable for works like designing graphics, gaming etc. (works that need best visual experience). When you are buying dedicated video card you should have a good cooling system on your computer. As they are warm highly when processing graphics. They use high power. If your laptop has a dedicated GPU then it will lower your battery lifetime.

Software

There two types of system software and application software. You can find both paid versions and open source software for both types. Systems software Consist with Operating systems and utility software. E.g.:- Windows 8, Windows 10, Ubuntu, CentOS and tools like disk defragmentation, Encryption etc. paid operating systems are high costs. Anyway now you can download and install Windows 10 OS freely from this web site - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and buy a key from ebay, amazon and other online marketing businesses at a very low price. Instead of paying a money for Operating systems or keys you can freely try, open source operating systems like Ubuntu, Fedora, Solus etc. Remember to get an OS which is recommended for your computer system specifications. And also for Application software you have to consider about which applications you need, how you are going to get them (paid or open source), is it recommended for your system etc. E.g.:- in Sri Lanka MS office 365 professional plus costs about Rs.12, 000. Also I need to remind you to buy a better Antivirus program to protect your system from viruses, worms, adware etc. you can use a website like - https://www.av-test.org/en/?r=1 to choose a better antivirus program that suitable for your system.

Brand name and Warranty

Always try to buy products with popular brand names. However, you have to compare the products of those companies. Then the warranty, try to buy parts which have a long warranty period. I think long warranty period is a sign of a quality product.

Important

You can assemble a computer by checking and connecting each and every component carefully by yourself. It is suitable when you are trying to build 1 or 2 computers. But when it comes to the corporate environment it differs. if there are lots of users so you can’t practically assemble computers one by one for each user. Actually, you can do it but takes more money, effort and time etc. so the best way is to buy a full set desktop computers from a branded company. It will include all hardware components and sometimes it includes operating systems, Antivirus software, and some other applications. However, you should compare different desktop computers with their features before buying a one.

Before buy a computer, It is important that you do a comparison like below,;

Different components in a computer system

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Issues of Using Computers

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Health Risks

Most people have disorders or injuries of Elbow, Wrist, Neck, Back and Eyes due to improper using of computers. It means it is not impossible to control these issues. Users should keep correct posture and take work breaks. Computers must build with ergonomic hardware devices in order to reduce risks for life. Computer addictions are also a major behavioral health risk e.g.:- addiction to games, applications.

Data Corruption

All data that we store in computer actually stored to a hard disk. If something happens to that hard disk all data will be lost. It is a huge risk. Also, there is software corruption problem which causes huge problems with data. These corruption problems also can happen due to malware activities. So a company needs to take frequent backups of data and keep an updated antivirus in order to avoid or minimize the corruption of data.

Initial Setup Cost is High

A user need to purchase monitor, mouse, keyboard, motherboard, CPU, speakers and other hardware parts to build a computer by himself and also need to purchase software like Windows 10, office packages, etc. so he has to spend a lot of money on that. If a company decides to initiate a computerized system, the organization needs to spend a lot of money to do it.

Lack of Privacy and Security

When you are using the internet there is a high risk of leaking personal information E.g.:- password, phone numbers etc. There is some attacker uses phishing emails to distribute malicious links or attachments that can perform a variety of functions, including the extraction of login credentials or account information from victims. Some hackers use ransomware attacks to encrypt the data in computers and request payments to decrypt those data. There are also different kind of virus and Malware threats. An organization needs to well prepare to face these kinds of security and privacy challenges.

Advantages of Computer Systems

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Increase the Efficiency and Save time

A computer can process trillions of instructions within seconds. So a computerized system allows you to perform tasks more accurately and rapidly than traditional ways. Unlike in papers based traditional ways, if there are any errors or mistakes in your documents you can easily undo them or add necessary things to it. You can do most of your jobs by staying in front of a computer without roaming around. There may be works which take few days to complete, with the help of computer systems now you can complete those tasks easily within few hours. If there is a computerized system then anyone can perform their works efficiently without wasting any time.

Networking ability

Now you can access the internet anywhere at any time. It allows you to update about new trending, information and to communicate easily. So the Researcher can get the latest information which is helpful for their research activities. Computer systems allow to create different network types such as LAN, MAN, WAN etc. through that you can share data and resources. E.g.:- Word files, Printers etc. it is very helpful to cut off unwanted expenditure that they willing to spend on extra printers and other peripheral devices.

Storage Ability

Random Access Memory can store temporary data which needs right now (when working). Read Only Memory Stores permanent data like BIOS and there are also secondary storage devices such as hard disks, portable hard disks, CDs and DVDs etc, which can store huge volume of data. In these storages, you can store anything that you want. No need for physical files or cabinets. These secondary storages can be measured in megabytes, gigabytes and in Terabytes. You can easily create your document, save it and read it or print it as you wish. Any organization can store their important things inside computer system and they can edit it as they need. By forming backups, restore points and other things they can make sure of the safety of the stored data.

Allow Communication

Computer systems have enabled the ability to email, online chatting, conducting webinars, video conferencing etc. it means you can communicate with staff and also with customers easily and effectively. Now you don’t need to spend money on making phone calls or sending letters. Also, users can work together on a single shared document from distance apart. E.g.:-Shared Excel document. If there are problems in the organization you can easily contact higher management and solve those problems within few minutes.

Feature	Windows	Linux	macOS
Ability to customize	You can customize colours scheme, taskbar position, themes, other background appearance and other basic things according to the OS version that you are using.	You can do all the things that windows OS can do, other than that you can change the code and change most of the things in the OS as you wish.	Same as in windows you can do only some given customizations. But they have been used open source codes and software (e.g.:- Darwin) to develop. The OS Kernel and the majority of the libraries are open source and you can download and change them.
Security	Security options are quite good. Windows have a build in firewall system, antivirus program (Windows defender) and also you can change group policies according to your needs. Also you can manage multiple user accounts and passwords simply.	It can do everything that windows OS can do but also you can change the OS and include other security features as you wish.	Security options are quite good. FileVault feature can be used to encrypt data in your drives. It has a good run time protection and a privacy protection. iCloud feature can store user names and passwords securely.
Stability and Reliability	Stable, but sometimes crashes.	Stable. You can also change the OS to be more stable and reliable.	Excellent Stability. Can run and work long hours without causing problems.
Ease of management	Windows is the most popular OS in the world. Most of the people familiar with it, so it can be easily managed. E.g.:- better looking and advanced interface, better multitasking ability, sharing and social integration	Modern Linux versions have better ease of management side. But you have to learn the programming in order to develop it.	Web browsing, phone integration, apps and app store are some great features of macOS rather than windows. But still windows beats the macOS from ease of management side.
Associated utilities	Because windows is the most popular OS, it has the biggest range of associated utilities.	Linux also have a big range of associated utilities.	macOS also has wide range of associated utilities.
Support for the user	There are community, forums, websites, books and a help section to support users.	There online community, forums, books for the support.	There are online tutorials, website, community and forums to support users.
Support for removable media	Windows support almost all the media types such as USB drives, optical media and also the connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, syncing etc.	Linux doesn’t support wide range of connectivity. You can download and use software development kit to develop and enhance it.	Support most media types, but if your smartphone is using android or windows or any other OS, it is very hard to work together with mac computer (macOS).
Cost	High	Free	OS is free but the compatible hardware price is Very High.
Familiarity	Familiar	Not much	Not much