Q and A
This Months Questions and Answers
Your problems solved by our technical experts. To get your questions answered just email them to expand@pcwb.com
Q I have lots of users who want to be mobile and pick up email on the move – how do I do that?
A The simplest solution is to use Exchange Server 2003’s Outlook Web Access (OWA) component. With OWA, all a user needs is access to the web and a browser. With this, they can access their email and all attachments. Users need to log in to a URL and insert their normal network usernames and passwords. It’s simple to do and allows users to also access their contacts, calendar and other mailbox contents.
Q How do I reduce my PC’s power consumption?
A Putting your PC into low-power mode when it’s not used, switching off or using Vista’s Sleep function are the easiest ways to save power. However, that doesn’t reduce power when the PC is in use. To reduce power here, you should look for PCs that have an 80 Plus power supply. The 80 Plus performance specification requires power supplies in computers and servers to be 80 percent or greater energy efficient at 20, 50 and 100 percent of rated load. For PCs that do not have this, you can buy 80 Plus devices as components and get them fitted separately.
Q How do I secure the connections to my home workers?
A The best way is to use a router or switch with built-in virtual private network (VPN) functionality. With a VPN, the device creates a secure connection between your office and the home users through the internet. The home users will need to load VPN software at their end or install a router that supports VPN.
This article originally appeared in the December 2007 edition of Expand.