Stay Safe and Supportive!

We normally kick off the newsletter with an uplifting message that is relevant to the time of year. Obviously, these are not normal times and our thoughts are with everyone that is going through the COVID-19 crisis. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and practicing social distancing and other appropriate precautions in these trying times.

Of course, we still need to try to remain positive in difficult times. Easter is upon us and we would normally get together to share food, laughter and stories. We encourage everyone to still reach out to friends, family, neighbors and loved ones, even if can only be online. Self-isolation can be an ideal time to connect with people to catch up or lend moral support. Consider hosting a virtual dinner party. A little contact can go a long way to brightening some ones day.

Updated BSTL COVID-19 Processes!

We apologize in advance for the requirement of needing our existing and potential customers to follow and respond to these temporary processes.  We are a small local company that takes pride in its friendly interactions and customer service.  However, unprecedented times require unprecedented actions.
 
In these extraordinary times, we are struggling to find a balance between meeting the demands expected of us an essential service, and the safety of our employees and customers. COVID-19 continues to spread and, per national health agencies regulations and recommendations, we are forced to implement measures that will limit the chances of catching or spreading the virus.
 
Accordingly, please be advised that effective April 1^st, Bruce Street Technologies Limited will no longer perform onsite installations or repairs if it requires entering customers’ homes.
 
Any orders that had been placed previously for future truck rolls that required internal work will be held until further notice, and moving forward, only orders that require outside onsite work will be considered.
 
Please note that, in accordance with the Health and Safety Act, employees have the right to refuse unsafe work conditions and Bruce Street supports this right.
 
While our offices are currently closed to the public, Bruce Street remains open for business as usual. We will continue to conduct the necessary repairs and maintenance required to ensure our network is functioning properly. All orders that do not require a technician such as service package changes, service transfers, etc. will be processed as usual as they can be administered internally. All appointments will be booked between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Equipment delivery and pick-ups can be arranged by appointment.
 
We appreciate your patience and understanding during these difficult times. We value your business as well as your, and our employees’ safety. Please contact us at 519-599-3689 or info@brucestreet.com, or visit our website at www.brucestreet.com  for more information.

How To Boost Your Internet Speed When Everyone Is Working From Home!

There is an excellent article authored by James Jin Kang, Lecturer at Edith Cowan University and Paul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean (Computing and Security at Edith Cowan University regarding home internet sharing that has been republished a great deal lately and we felt it is worth sharing:

With #StayAtHome and social distancing now becoming a way of life, an increasing number of people are relying on the internet for work, education and entertainment. This has placed greater demand on our network infrastructure, reducing the bandwidth available for each user, and is leaving people frustrated at seemingly slow internet speeds.

While internet service providers may not be able to instantly respond to these changes, there are a few tricks you can use to boost your home internet’s speed.

Why is your internet slow?

There may be many reasons why your internet speed is slow. Internet use requires a reliable connection between your device and the destination, which may be a server that is physically located on the other side of the world.

Your connection to that server could pass through hundreds of devices on its journey. Each one of these is a potential failure, or weak point. If one point along this path isn’t functioning optimally, this can significantly affect your internet experience.

Web servers in particular are often affected by external factors, including Denial of Service (DOS) attacks, wherein an overload of traffic causes congestion in the server, and impedes proper functioning.

While you may not have control over these things from your home network, that doesn’t mean you don’t have options to improve your internet speed.

Wifi signal boost

The access point (wireless router) in your home network is used to connect your devices to your internet service provider. Most access points provide a wireless signal with limited channels, which can suffer interference from nearby signals, like your neighbour’s. A “channel” is a kind of virtual “pipe” through which data is transferred.

Although your devices are designed to avoid interference by switching channels automatically (there are usually 14 available), it may help to check your router settings, as some are set to a single channel by default. When trying different options to reduce interference, it’s advisable to select channels 1, 6 or 11 as they can help to minimize problems (for 2.4GHz wireless).

What else can you do?

There are further things you can try to improve your wifi signal. If your router supports 5GHz wifi signals, switching to this can provide a faster data rate, but over shorter distances. Re-position your router for best coverage (usually a central position).

The difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi signals is they have different data transmission speeds. While 5GHz can transfer data faster (with 23 available channels), 2.4GHz provides a wider range. If you want speed, go for 5GHz. For better coverage, choose 2.4GHz.

Some domestic appliances can cause interference with your router. It’s worth checking if using your microwave oven, cordless phone or baby monitor affects your connection, as they may be using the same frequency as your router.

Using a wifi extender or second bridged router can help with coverage by boosting or extending the signal.

Viruses and malware

To avoid computer viruses, make sure you regularly check for updates on your devices and use antivirus software. It’s also worth rebooting your router to clear specific malware (malicious software designed to damage your device or server), such as VPNFilter - a malware that infects more than half a million routers in more than 50 countries!

You should also check the following:

• does your router need to be replaced with a newer model? This may be the case if it has been used for many years. Newer models support enhanced functions and faster internet speeds

• is the firmware of your wireless router updated? You can do this by visiting the device manufacturer’s website. This will help fix problems and allow additional functionality. It’s unlikely this update is done automatically.

Planning your internet usage

If multiple people are streaming video at your home, which often requires ten times the daytime demand, a limited internet connection will soon be fully used.

Try to plan your and family members’ online activities around peak times. Before the pandemic hit, most internet usage was likely oriented around the early evenings, after close of business. With the shift to remote working and schooling, more internet access is likely during the day, with a 10% usage increase overall, and a 30% increase at peak times.

Outside your home, connectivity is likely to be on a “best effort” plan, which shares a fixed bandwidth with other users. In other words, your mobile internet bandwidth is shared with others in your area when they access the internet at the same time. A shared bandwidth results in slower individual speeds.

You can’t control how many people access the internet, but you can manage your own internet activity by downloading large files or content overnight, or outside of peak hours (when there is less traffic).

How to improve your ISP’s network issues

While you can try to fix issues and optimize the setup inside your home, unfortunately you can’t really influence network performance outside of it. Thus, contacting your internet service provider’s call centre and seeking support is your best option.

All of the above considered, it’s important to remember that when using the internet, we’re sharing a limited resource. Just like buying pasta or toilet paper, there are many who need it just as much as you, so use it wisely.

Remote Access Service Now Available!

In the past, we have always preferred to visit customer locations to perform necessary computer support. In part this was due to the number of scams and malware options designed to trick users. The other reason is that we are local and could usually get onsite faster than it would take everyone to get a remote session set up. This personal touch is the benefit of dealing with a small, local company. However, the last month is causing ALL of us to adapt.
 

 











Bruce Street is now set up for secure, remote diagnostics and support for any internal computer or device issues. Of course this service is reliant on your internet connection working properly but we’re pretty confident we’ve got that area handled. We will be adding a section to our website shortly detailing the process should you need our remote computer issue support.  Standard fees will still apply.

VoIP Solutions
Consulting

Tired of paying exorbitant home phone prices?

Ask about our 'Voice Over Internet Protocol' phone solutions.

Pay a fraction of regular phone services and call worldwide for pennies. Purchase a VOIP phone or an adapter to convert your existing phone and port your existing number.

Ask us how you can use the internet to connect to the world for less.

Webcasting
Solutions

Have a special occasion that you would like to share with people that are unable to attend in person? Consider broadcasting your event live on social media.

Bruce Street can set up and live stream your event for you. We are able to broadcast your meeting, concert, party, wedding, funeral, etc. so people can share in the experience from their device, wherever they are.

Just a reminder that the Bruce Street Technologies newsletter is a monthly publication that will include important information such as package introductions or changes, new access point announcements, and other topics of interest regarding our services. If you do not wish to receive this information, you can opt out by clicking on the "unsubscribe from this list" link at the bottom of the newsletter.