So you have undertaken the logical decision to use a dedicated server platform to service your every online requirement. This could range from a single Entry-Level system right up to a full rack of Ultimate machines. Yet even with system type and size considered – no matter what remote solution you have opted for – control is key.

Naturally, the very nature of the ‘dedicated server’ means that tangible contact with the machine is highly limited. Of course, certain service providers (Netwise Hosting included) will allow some flexibility in visiting privately owned machines within the data centre (meaning colocation customers are able to book appointments to personally visit their own hardware). However, standard dedicated server platforms taken out with the provider are generally off limits when it comes to personal access, as the machines are the property of the organisation.

With a remote system, your not going to be sat in front of your server(s) with a monitor. This begs the question – how do I control my server? Well this opens a rather large can of worms. There are a wealth of possibilities, ranging from command-line access through to full graphical VPS connections. This is all very well, provided you have enough time and expertise to invest in these manual forms of control. Connecting to your system through basic command-line will of course give you all the control you need, but it is far from easy to use; and incredibly unrewarding.

Whats the best way to control your server? A control panel. Now before continuing, it should be noted that control panels can be used alongside other more advanced methods of controlling your system, for the ultimate in usability and overall management flexibility.
Now why use a control panel? Well for starters, there is no need for any specialist software or applications. You can access your control panel online from anywhere in the world, whenever you want.

Control panels also specialise in the exact areas of interest to you and your business. Direct access to every aspect of your online service can be controlled through an intuitive graphical user interface, making on-the-fly changes instant and incredibly easy to deploy.

Netwise Hosting offer a selection of control panels for both Windows and Linux dedicated server solutions, giving users the freedom to chose their desired method of control. We also aim to expand our choice whenever possible, and take care of our customers requests in providing panels not expressly listed in our material. Control panels are installed from the very first point of setup, ensuring maintenance of your server is quick and efficient from the start. Make sure you are ready for whatever eventualities you may encounter during your contract, with Netwise Hosting’s fantastic selection of industry-leading control panels.

Visit our Control Panel page for more information, and choose how you want to take charge of your server today.

It is easy to make the assumption that a large number of internet users today make use of social networking sites; most notably, Facebook. Click here to visit our profile page.

If you happened to be using Facebook yesterday evening (05/05/2010) you may have noticed that Facebook Chat was temporarily disabled for around 2 hours. Now it is routine for Facebook to temporarily disable certain areas of their site whilst performing system maintenance, or whilst rolling out new features and updates. However they tend to do this when system usage is at its lowest, normally when the majority of US and European users are offline. Yet this period of inactivity occurred some time roughly between the hours of 6pm and 9pm GMT.

What Facebook will not jump at the chance to tell you is that this was in fact due to a widespread security breach of its privacy settings across the entire system. For a period of time prior to the temporary removal of Facebook Chat, users were able to spy on the conversations of friends through the chat module. A video better explaining the process behind the breach has been posted to Digg.com, originally found on TechCrunch, which can be seen below.

Naturally, this post is not a simple run down of this Facebook security hole. This is, however, a useful tool in highlighting the importance of security online, particularly when dealing with end-user information. In this case, Facebook responded quickly and efficiently to the issue, which is an important factor to remember when dealing with sensitive user information. The quote below is a response from Facebook regarding the security flaw.

“For a limited period of time, a bug permitted some users’ chat messages and pending friend requests to be made visible to their friends by manipulating the “preview my profile” feature of Facebook privacy settings. When we received reports of the problem, our engineers promptly diagnosed it and temporarily disabled the chat function. We also pushed out a fix to take care of the visible friend requests which is now complete. Chat will be turned back on across the site shortly. We worked quickly to resolve this matter, ensuring that once the bug was reported to us, a solution was quickly found and implemented.”

So what does this mean when looking at security as a whole? Well it certainly illustrates the fact that even the biggest online service providers can make critical mistakes. Of course, this isn’t actually a security breach as such, with no external intrusion playing a part in this particular security issue. This was a strictly internal affair. Yet it still brings to light the importance of solid security when dealing with online information.

Netwise Hosting hold security as one of the single most important factors when considering any online service solution, whether that be a dedicated server platform, online backup solution or a tailored colocation package. With speed, security and stability being our standing three-point mantra, any solution hosted on our private network is subject to industry-leading security measures to ensure external breaches are drastically minimised (or even removed entirely).

Of course, how data is handled inside the network by site users is a different issue entirely, and relies on the efficiency of site operations and users own security measures. But with this still in consideration, surrounding your system with world class top-level security is hugely important in maintaining peace of mind, both for you as a system owner and as end-users of the system.

Avoid the drama of a security breach in every way you can. As mentioned, the Facebook fiasco was down to internal faults of their own, but maintaining a solid barrier against external intruders is still of severe importance. Visit Netwise Hosting today for an online service you can trust.

It’s all very well investing in the latest technologies, and having an impressive new IT system to enjoy in the workplace; but what happens when you hit a bump in the road and see no viable path around it?

Even tech-savvy users of advanced IT systems will inevitably find themselves in too deep when it comes to particularly stubborn problems. Of course, the likelihood of a new system failing is minimal to say the least; but there is still a slim possibility that an unforeseen and entirely unpredictable chain of events could lead to a system failure – be that partial or full. It is this slim possibility that must protected against.

This is where IT Support comes in. There are many different types of IT Support package out there, but the method receiving most attention in the modern realm of fast-paced business is ‘Pay-As-You-Go Support’. In the past, third party IT Support vendors would sign organisations up to contractual support packages, with set billing periods allowing the business in question to call upon the agreed services whenever the requirement arises. This works well, provided your system is encountering major faults on a frequent basis. Otherwise, your business is simply haemorrhaging money on a service that is far too elaborate and expensive to justify the cost. After all, any respected system manufacturer today will be producing technology with incredibly low failure rates.

Modern business needs a modern solution, and that solution is Pay-As-You-Go IT Support. Your business only pays for the support it requires, when it is required. A support team will be on hand to help whenever needed, at an agreed hourly rate to ensure all costs are well understood before work even begins.

Netwise Hosting – as leaders in the field of online IT services (dedicated servers, online backup and colocation) – are able to offer businesses a highly cost-effective Pay-As-You-Go IT Support service in the South London area, from professionals with a long serving history in all aspects of IT and IT Support. Remote Support is also available to those in need of quality long-distance IT Support.

This is not a service we are prepared to roll out on a large scale at this time, so we ask any businesses interested in such a service to please contact us directly and begin discussions.