Highwood Telecom Services

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High River, AB
Highwood Telecom Services

We sell and install business phone systems, security systems and cell boosters.

02/23/2026

Wired or wireless: which is the better connection?

It’s a question we ask ourselves at every job site, because it varies, even from cubicle to cubicle. Here are some things we need to consider:

Connecting to a network by plugging in directly is:
1. Secure
Requiring a physical connection to the network makes it significantly harder to gain unauthorized access.
2. Reliable
Connecting to WiFi deals with a lot of moving parts compared to running everything over cable, providing more opportunities for things to go wrong. Even disregarding that, wireless is inherently less reliable than a wired connection.
3. Predictable
The other thing about less moving parts is that if something goes wrong, there are less things you need to test in order to identify the issue. This leads to shorter downtime.

Connecting to a network by using WiFi is:
1. Convenient
While you do see public ethernet jacks from time to time, wireless connections are much easier for visitors and guests to deal with.
2. Mobile
Not all devices are intended to stay in one place. For example, most restaurants will bring the payment terminal right to your table, which they can do by connecting it to WiFi.
3. Scalable
Most WiFi access points can support 100+ connections each. While we always advise running extra connections in a wired network, WiFi will always have the edge when it comes to efficiently incorporating new end devices.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t apply these concepts to the network as a singular entity. Different areas will have different requirements, so you need to look at each piece individually.

It’s not just about what’s best for “the network”. You need to consider what’s best for the people using it.

02/20/2026

Here’s one way communication technology has improved over the years that nobody really talks about.

A trend over the last 25 years with communication systems has seen them become much easier to program.
It's gotten to the point that the onboarding process for many of our systems involves teaching clients how to make changes on their own!

What’s more, telephony is rapidly transforming into a cloud-based industry, allowing us to easily help customers without even leaving the office.

This makes our lives easier, but more importantly, it vastly reduces the time required for a configuration change to be implemented.

No longer do you need to program your holiday hours months in advance, or anxiously wait while calls are forwarded to an employee that isn’t there anymore.

Now, all that’s required is a quick phone call or a little bit of training, as per your preference!

02/16/2026

One of the best ways to create a robust system, even outside the realm of technology, is avoiding multiple points of failure. If there’s more than one way for something to break, it’s more likely to end up broken.

That’s why PoE (Power over Ethernet) is awesome. It allows compatible devices (phones, WiFi APs, etc.) to receive power from the same cable that they send and receive data on.

By only needing one cable, PoE devices make installs easier and end results look cleaner.

More importantly, PoE also lets you go absolutely hog wild with a UPS system, because the power is all coming from a single centralized point. That’s the main way PoE eliminates points of failure.

Not only does PoE remove the potential for damaged electrical outlets to disrupt individual devices, it also makes it easier to implement protective measures against power outages by centering everything around a single room.

If you want a network that stays reliable when other systems are going down, start on the path to PoE!

P.S; if you’re worried about how the extra voltage provided by PoE might affect a non-PoE device, just know that the inventors of this tech shared your concerns. That’s why PoE devices all have specific mechanisms that tell the output device to provide more power. In other words, you don’t need to worry about frying your PC by plugging into PoE!

02/13/2026

It’s Friday the 13th, which means you’re in danger of getting annihilated by a big guy in a hockey mask. That’s especially true if you’re Swiss!

You know what’s even scarier than a killer with convoluted intellectual property rights though? A poorly encrypted surveillance system.

The truth is, many camera manufacturers see protecting customer privacy as an unnecessary expense. Data security isn’t something that’s immediately obvious when you’re shopping around, and by the time you realize the hardware you installed to protect your home is doing the exact opposite, it’s too late to get your money back.

Unfortunately, this realization typically comes in the form of a bad actor exploiting this vulnerability to take over your security cameras. Some especially bad examples will even lock you out of your own hardware, giving the hacker exclusive access to your surveillance system.

If you’re looking at putting in a new surveillance system, always make sure to consult with trusted professionals like us.

Otherwise, the security vulnerability will be coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!😱

02/03/2026

Have you ever wanted to lock everyone out of your network except for a select few?

This feature is called whitelisting, which a lot of companies charge an arm and a leg for, as implementing it across an entire network is extremely time-consuming and requires constant maintenance.

That’s why we use Grandstream access points. With these devices, you can create a unique whitelist for every WiFi signal. This allows network admins to group connected devices into individual areas instead of dealing with a massive list that changes constantly.

It also makes the network safer by providing the option to control exactly where and how a device can access it.

If you’d like to know more about the security features of our WiFi options, visit our website here: https://www.highwoodtelecom.ca/

12/08/2025

Paranoid about public WiFi? Here's an easy way to know if the network you're connected to is properly secured.

Now, what should you do with this info? While client isolation guards against most common cyberthreats you'll need to worry about in a public space, a dedicated, experienced hacker can get around it.

You're still probably fine for most things, but if anything involves sensitive info like credit card details or important account credentials, it might be best to wait until you're on a private network.

On the other hand, if that ping to device #2 succeeds, disconnect from the network, and don't reconnect without a good VPN. AI has made it so much easier for people to spy on your internet usage, and they don't even need to be there in person to do it!

Looking for help elsewhere? Visit our website at https://www.highwoodtelecom.ca/ to schedule an appointment with us!

Address

419 Centre Street SE
High River, AB
T1V2C2

Website

https://www.highwoodtelecom.ca/

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