Downtown Tampa is the central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. Companies with a major presence downtown include Bank of America, Suntrust Bank and Verizon. The downtown area contains important cultural landmarks as the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa Theatre, Tampa Museum of Art, Jobsite Theater and the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus

DTI Networks services offered in the New Tampa, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the New Tampa, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced:

Some of the information in the post were gotten from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Tampa

New Tampa is bounded by Lutz to the west, Wesley Chapel to the north, Morris Bridge Road to the east, the University of South Florida to the south.

DTI Networks services offered in the New Tampa, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the New Tampa, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33544, 33646 and 33647

Temple Terrace is an incorporated city in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, adjacent to Tampa, Florida. Home of Florida College and many beautiful golf courses. It is named for the Temple hybrid citrus. 

DTI Networks services offered in the Temple Terrace, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the Temple Terrace, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33617, 33637, 33687

Tampa has a number of sports teams, such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League, the Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball, and the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies in North American Soccer League (2010). The Ybor City District is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Notable structures include El Centro Español and other social clubs built in the early 1900s.

DTI Networks services offered in the Tampa, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the Tampa, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33601-33626, 33629-33631, 33633-33635, 33637, 33647, 33650-33651, 33655, 33660-33664, 33672-33675, 33677, 33679-33682, 33684-33690, 33694, 33697

Indian Rocks Beach is a thriving community that has maintained most of its original character, and supports a lively mixture of recreational activities.

Indian Rocks Beach Public Parks:

12th Avenue Park

Brown Park

Chief Chic-A-Si Park

Keegan Clair Park

Kolb Park

DTI Networks services offered in the Indian Rocks Beach, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the Indian Rocks Beach, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33785, 33786

Choosing the Right IT Company

Right now you may be asking yourself “What can I do to ensure I get the service I am entitled to?” Fear not! I will explain how you can protect yourself from all of the “Pseudo-techs” and “Paper-certified” wannabes out there.

• Demand certified technicians at all times – make sure the company you choose has market certified technicians for the task needed, and that the technician that comes out is certified.
  • Some companies claim to be certified, and may have certified people on staff, but then send out uncertified, unqualified technicians to perform the work at a cheaper rate to them.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask them to furnish proof of certifications, or to look them up at the certifying authority’s web site to verify.
• Ask for customer references – just having a certification is not always enough. There are boot camps and fast tracks to certification, but technicians certified in these ways are almost always under par when it counts. Ask if you can directly speak with the customers rather than be shown customer testimonials on marketing materials or a web site.
• See if they can bid on a per-job basis rather than an hourly rate. Make sure the job is clearly defined with all expectations being met before payment is delivered.
• Ask about their warranty policy. If they come out and fix a problem, and then the EXACT same problem arises a day later, will they expect to charge you again?

Hopefully this helps you avoid the many issues that can arise from having unqualified people work on your IT infrastructure. I work for a data recovery company that specializes in retrieving data from situations that were CAUSED by a so-called “Computer Guru”. Don’t let the same situation happen to you!

Microsoft Website to verify Certification

Cisco Certification Verify

VM Ware Certification Verify

To Quote Wikipedia:

Clearwater Beach is home of “Pier 60, named for Florida State Road 60 which terminates here, is a central spot for beachgoers and has a playground, a snack bar with attached souvenir shop, and a long fishing pier. It’s the site of a daily event called Sunsets At Pier 60, which includes street performers and musical acts. On the pier itself is a nightly display of goods sold by local artisans such as jewelry, candles, and other gift items.”

DTI Networks services offered in the South Pasadena, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the Pasadena, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33767

St. Pete Beach was formed from the Towns of Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pinellas County. St. Pete Beach is the home of the Don CeSar beach resort.

DTI Networks services offered in the South Pasadena, Florida:

• Remote Maintenance
• Online/Offsite Backups
• Disaster Recovery Solutions
• Document Management
• Citrix / Terminal Service Administration
• Application Hosting
• Storage Area Network configuration and troubleshooting
• Clustering Servers and Services
• Website Design
• Voice over IP
• Server Virtualization
• Exchange Migration Services
• Active Directory Migration
• Network Architecture
• Network & Desktop Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Security Audit, IDS, Vulnerabilities
• Remote and Phone Support
• PBX Phone Systems
• Computer Repair
• Computer Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony

We offer both Microsoft and Cisco certified technicians. This allows you the customer to rest assured we have the right technician for any job you may have. Give us a call today to set up a time for an Engineer to come out and do a network evaluation. We offer a wide variety of services in the Pasadena, Florida area. We can setup or manage your server virtualization with multiple different platforms including VMWare. Onsite network diagnostic is a major part of the initial visit to your company. At DTI Networks we take the health of your network very serious.

Zip Codes Serviced: 33706

Office Workstation Setup

• Each workstation should have a Static IP address assigned to it to make it easier to connect remotely through the VPN
• For Windows XP click on Start-Control Panel and then open Network Connections
• Right-click on Local Area Connection and choose Properties
• Click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and then on Properties
• Select the button labeled “Use the following IP address” and enter:
  • A unique IP in the 192.168.123.x subnet – the router already is assigned 192.168.123.1 and will try to dynamically assign IPs starting at 192.168.123.100 – so let’s assign our static entries starting at 192.168.123.10 – for example the first workstation we configure will be 192.168.123.10, the second 192.168.123.11, the third 192.168.123.12 and so on
  • The Subnet mask – set this at 255.255.255.0
  • The Default gateway – 192.168.123.1
• Click the button labeled “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the Primary and Secondary DNS servers we recorded earlier
• Then click on OK and then OK again
• After we have assigned a static IP address to the workstation, we will want to test to make sure it can still connect to the Internet before moving forward
• Enable Remote Desktop
  • Click Start-Control Panel and launch the System Properties
  • Click on the “Remote” tab
  • Under the Remote Desktop heading, click the button “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer”
  • Click the “Select Remote Users” button and add the user accounts that will be connecting

Remote User Setup

• On the remote PC, download the QuickVPN client from Cisco’s web site: http://tools.cisco.com/support/downloads/pub/DownloadCart.x?imageGuId=DEF0EB085AC08D95515B7D166D41507194EDC291&action=d&LR=Y&anon=Y
• Run the QuickVPN installation, accepting the defaults
• After the installation, run the client by going to Start-Programs-Cisco Small Business-QuickVPN Client
• Enter whatever you wish for the Profile Name
• Enter a remote username and password that was entered during the router setup
• Enter the Static IP address of your router for the Server Address box
• Click Connect
• If the program generates an error about a certificate and asks if you want to quit select No
• You should see Connecting … Activating Policy … and then Verifying Network messages
• At this point you should be connected to the VPN and can launch the Remote Desktop Connection client:
  • Click Start-Programs-Accessories-Communications-Remote Desktop Connection
  • For Computer: enter the IP address assigned to the workstation you would like to connect to (e.g. 192.168.123.10) and then click Connect
• If all went well, you should see a Log on to Windows prompt from the office PC

Setting up the Router

The router I have chosen to use is the Cisco RVS4000 VPN Router (currently $135 from office depot). Any VPN router will work; you will just need to follow the setup instructions that came with your device.

• Unplug one of your current workstations from the network and plug it directly into the VPN router. It will be assigned an IP address in the 192.168.1.x subnet.
• Open Internet Explorer and navigate to http://192.168.1.1
• It will prompt you for the username and password (by default both are set to admin – you should later change this from the Administration tab.)
• For the Internet Connection Type: set to Static IP
• Enter the Internet IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and Primary and Secondary DNS from the Static IP information provided by your ISP and then click the Save button
• Click on the LAN setup tab – by default the Local IP Address is set to 192.168.1.1 – remember as I explained earlier this means the Network Subnet is 192.168.1 and the Host is 1. Here is the problem – most routers are setup this way. What this means is when a remote user connects to the VPN, the chance that their home router is also setup with the 192.168.1.x subnet is very high. A VPN connection needs a different subnet on each side to understand how to route information between them.
• Change the Local IP Address so it belongs to a subnet that will most likely NOT be in use at the remote side – e.g. 192.168.123.1
• Click on Save at the bottom of the page
• Now that we have changed the IP address of the router, the computer we are currently using will be unable to communicate to it because we are still on the 192.168.1.x subnet. To fix this, unplug the network cable going from the computer to the router for about 10 seconds and then plug it in again. This will force the computer to request a new IP address which should belong to the 192.168.123.x subnet.
• Navigate to http://192.168.123.1 using Internet Explorer and log back in with the username and password
• Click on the VPN tab – and then on VPN Client Accounts
• Enter a Username and Password for each remote user and then click the Add/Save button to generate your user accounts. This will be the username and password the user will enter into the VPN client program to connect

Connect the Router

• At this point the router should be setup, we should be able to unplug the old router, and plug in the new router in its place. Test to make sure internet connectivity is working with the new router. (With some access devices – Cable/DSL modems, they may need to be power cycled to recognize the new router). If the internet is working through the new VPN router proceed to the next step, if it is not we need to figure out what went wrong and resolve it before moving forward.

Part 3