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Green Mountain Access

May E-Newsletter

We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. As always, we appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Please send your thoughts, comments or questions to newsletter@gmavt.net.

The Green Mountain Access Team
Adam, Amanda, Eric, Kris, Phil, Richard, Seth and Scott


Company News

Get Faster Internet and Make the Whole House Happy - Try Our Faster Speeds Free for 60-Days

How many family members are typically online at your house and what are they doing? Streaming movies and TV shows? Downloading music? Playing games? Connecting on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter? Times have changed and many households now need more Internet speed to handle more users and more devices.

If your speed is no longer adequate, you may be experiencing annoying slowdowns such as video buffering. Fortunately, you can get a lot more Mbps for a just a little more money!

To find out if higher speeds are available at your location, click here. Give us a call at (888)-321-0815 or email us to learn more.

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Mad River Garden Center

Each month, we raffle off a prize from a local business, so be sure to enter your name every month for your chance to win. Congratulations to last month's winner, Rick Detwiler who won a gift certificate to Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg. This month we have another great local prize, a $50 gift certificate to the Mad River Garden Center in Waitsfield. To be entered into the raffle, simply click the link below and leave your name and contact information. The drawing will take place on May 20th.

Click here to enter for your chance to win

Red Wagon Plants

Looking For Better Wi-Fi For Your Business?

polycom-phoneWi-Fi is a critical part of your businesses network that you rely on each and every day. Often we don’t think about the number of devices that we are connecting to our network using a wireless connection. Historically, we relied on wired connections to do the heavy lifting, but in today’s business environment, we need a reliable, secure Wi-Fi network that is an extension of our business network.

Green Mountain Access has a solution for you. We will conduct a free site survey of your business to determine your Wi-Fi coverage needs and make recommendations for the number of access points required. With so many wireless devices used by employees and visitors, it’s virtually a given that your business needs to have a Wi-Fi network.

For more information on our Managed Business Class Wi-Fi, visit www.wcvt.com or contact Kris Merchant at 802-496-8554.

Come See Us At The Vermont Business Expo

Vermont Business ExpoThe Vermont Business Expo is scheduled for May 26, with an opening reception at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont. WCVT staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions. Stop by to say hello and ask about our Cloud Voice and Business Wi-Fi solutions. EXPO is northern New England's largest business-to-business trade show attracting over 3,000 business leaders and hosting nearly 200 exhibitors. As in previous years, EXPO promises the same great networking events and a fantastic line up of seminars, meal events and award presentations. Entrance into the tradeshow and reception is free as long as you pre-register on or before May 20. Register online at www.vtexpo.com.


Community Events

Robert Frost In The World | May 4 | Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury

Middlebury professor and Frost biographer Jay Parini explores how Robert Frost became America's favorite poet by writing accessible poems, creating a uniquely appealing persona, and pioneering the public reading of poems. Part of the First Wednesday's series. A Vermont Humanities Council event. For more information, call 802-388-4095.

Email & Messaging Etiquette | May 5 | Waitsfield

Email is often our first point of contact with a prospective client, love interest, new hire, or professional contact. Learn how to make the best impression by avoiding the common pitfalls of online communication. Topics include introductions and signatures, content appropriateness, response times, sending attachments, when to use auto responses, and more. This workshop will be co-instructed by Samantha Sheehan and Rachel Grigorian. For more information or to register go to www.valleyworksvt.org.

Hinesburg Community Yard Sale Day | May 14 | Hinesburg

The Hinesburg Business & Professional Association (HBPA) is once again sponsoring the 20th annual Hinesburg Community Yard Sale on Saturday, May 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The community sale site takes place at the Hinesburg Fire Station. ere will be tables available for rent for those of you who prefer to use this venue. Cost is $10.00 for per table. To reserve your space contact Walter Hausermann at walterh@gmavt.net, or David Palmer at Palmer Insurance, 802 482 5678 or davepalmer@palmerinsurancevt.com. For further information visit, www.hinesburgbusiness.com.

Baked Beads Fashion Accessory Sale | May 27 - 29 | Waitsfield

Annual Memorial Day Sale with lots of new merchandise - 75% off retail. $5 - $10 jewelry, 3 scarves/pashminas for $25, key chains, coin purses, hair accessories, beads and other great finds! Friday, May 27 - Sunday, May 29, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. each day, Sale under the big white tent (same location as in past), 46 Carroll Rd (Route 100), Waitsfield. Free admission and parking. For more info, visit: www.bakedbeads.com.


Tutorial / FAQ

Security Alert - The Next-Generation In Ransomware

The newest ransomware (malicious software that interferes with your computer's functioning and requires a ransom to restore it) is even more problematic than previous types, because it not only prevents access to your documents, it locks you out of your computer entirely. This file, called Petya, is typically transmitted via email. If you open the attachment, or follow the link, it begins running on your computer.

Once this happens, you'll see a series of things happening, including the Blue Screen of Death, the Windows Check Disk running, and a screen showing a skull and informing you of the ransom you have to pay to get your computer to function again. If you choose to pay the ransom, you'll have to use another computer to do it.

Fortunately, you have a couple of other options to try. Take your computer to an IT technician, who may be able to recover your system. Or, if possible, shut down your computer immediately when you see the Blue Screen of Death. At this point, you may still be able to salvage your files.

Of course, the best strategy is to prevent the file from infecting your computer in the first place. To do this, use standard malware prevention
techniques:

  • Be wary of all email you receive, especially from people you don't know. Don't open any attachments from an unknown source and don't follow any links unless you know where they go.
  • Use complex, varied passwords and keep them private.
  • Only download software from known, trusted websites.
  • Keep your operating system, browser, and all applications up to date. Regularly install security patches and other updates.
  • Use an anti-virus and anti-malware application, and run it regularly to ensure continuous protection.
  • Perhaps most importantly, back up all your files regularly. Use a reliable offsite backup and recovery service.

While there is a lot of potential danger in computer and online use, there are also many steps you can take to protect yourself.

How Can I Tell If My Computer Is Dying?

Question: My computer has been giving me problems lately, but I don't want to spend the money on a new one if I don't have to. How do I know when it's time to give up?

Answer: Generally, a computer should last from three to five years, but could last much longer. To be sure it's really time to say goodbye to your trusted technology, look for the following signs:

  • Frequent program glitches are a classic sign of a dying computer. You may notice that your computer slows down, freezes, crashes, or sends error messages. This is particularly worrisome if several programs are acting up and the problems persist even after rebooting.
  • Problems with your mouse, monitor, or flash drive can also be warning signs. If you've checked to make sure the cables are firmly connected to your computer and the devices still don't act properly, your computer could be starting to go.
  • A noisy hard drive or system fan is likely caused by malfunctioning parts, which could be due to wear and tear on your computer. Depending on the age of your computer, you may want to replace the parts or buy a new one.
  • Error messages like "disk boot failure" could indicate hard drive failure or a corrupt operating system.
  • Sluggish performance could be symptomatic of a nearly full hard drive, a computer virus, or an underlying hardware problem.
  • Frozen pixels or weird lines on your laptop's screen could be a sign of imminent screen failure.

Just as you'd take your car to a mechanic when it's acting up, take action when your computer is not performing normally. Have it checked out by a computer technician and ask if repair or replacement makes the most sense.


Sites of the Month

Support Team USA

http://teamusa.org - With the summer Olympics coming up, check out this site to meet the athletes, get a refresher on the sports, stay updated on the team, and get Rio de Janeiro travel updates. You'll find exciting stories, photos, and videos. Get even more goodies when you sign up for Team USA updates.

Springtime Salads

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/96/salad - As the weather warms up, you don't want to be inside for hours preparing food. This site offers recipes for easy, delicious salads. Try one of the Main Dish options for a quick dinner, or search by different criteria to find a super salad to accompany your next meal.

Avoid Bug Bites

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites - You may know that you can catch certain diseases including Lyme disease, West Nile disease, and Zika from bug bites, but you may not know how to prevent it from happening. This helpful site describes how to avoid bug bites, as well as what to do if you get bit.

Ultimate Road Trips

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips - If you love road trips, you won't want to miss this site. From iconic Route 66 destinations to the best motorcycle rides, you'll find beautiful National Geographic pictures and great information here. Be sure to explore the Top 10 lists (like the top 10 food road trips) and Road Trip Tips.


More...

Two to View - A Couple Amazing Videos You Don't Want to Miss

Kitten Versus Turtle - Watch the hilarious antics of a kitten who doesn't know quite what to make of a turtle taking a slooooow walk across the floor.

New Mountain Coaster - This Canadian mountain coaster is like a roller coaster in the woods. Enjoy all the ups and downs from a user's point of view.

Parking

Go Pinterest-ing! - Cool Stuff to Pin on Your Pinterest Boards

Egg Carton Ladybug Is Easy Kids' Craft

Use Mason Jars To Plant Herb Garden

Yummy Candy Eggs In Fun Brownie Nest

You haven't started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started? To sign up, go to www.pinterest.com.

Free Featured Apps - These Three are Well Worth the Look

BrightNest - This app gives targeted suggestions for household projects based on info you provide. You get instructions and can love, complete, or schedule tasks.

Blocky Raider - Get ready for your newest game addiction. Make your way through the blocky temple while avoiding spikes, traps, lava, and other exciting obstacles.

Magic Piano - Not a trained pianist, but still want to play your own music? This "noteworthy" app allows you to do just that. Simply follow the notes with your fingers.


Bigger Isn't Always Better

Green Mountain Access

Mechanicsville Rd, Hinesburg, VT 05461

888-321-0815 (Toll-free)

802-496-8598 (Local)

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We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.

©2016 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.