System Requirements
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      What are the System Requirements for Pro Pack?

      This article is for the system and internet requirements to utilize the Pro Pack system.

      Supported Windows Operating Systems

      Below is a list of compatible MS Windows Operating Systems.
      While the list below represents individual operating systems that we are compatible with, ALL computers on your network should be running the same version of Operating Systems with all of the most recent Windows Updates applied. Each of the below Operating Systems handles Windows Networking Permissions in a slightly different manner. When your network consists of mixed operating systems and/or do not have the latest Windows Updates applied, network permissions and services that the Bolt On Technology software depend on may not be available or may not have the permissions necessary to fully function.
      Additionally, your Shop Management System may require specific sub versions (Home, Professional, Server) of the operating systems below. We recommend that all computers use the Professional version of Windows, after all, it is for business use.

      • Windows 11

      • Windows 10

        • Home and Pro are supported; however, we recommend Pro for a business environment.

      • Windows 8.1

      Not Supported Windows Operating Systems

      The Bolt On Technology Suite of Software depends on a secure and stable MS Windows Operating System that receives updates from MS. When Microsoft stops updating their operating system, Bolt On Technology will no longer be able to support our software that is installed on it.

      Switches

      • Network switches should all be Gigabit switches. The easiest way to identify if you have gigabit switches it to look for a label near the port that indicates 10/100/1000. Sometimes the label is split with one side of the port labeled 1000M and the other side labeled 10/100.
        Having gigabit switches increases the speed at which your wired network can transfer data from computer to computer, and computer to wireless router. A network will only perform as fast as the slowest point in its route back to the host device, therefore, all switches transferring data should be gigabit switches.

      • We recommend having a Fully Managed Switch. Managed switches allow for managing and controlling ports individually on the network.

      Shop Internet Configuration

      Internet

      • Minimum requirements

        • Ping: Less than 20ms
          Ping represents the reaction time of your connection. The higher the number, the more likely you will have latency (delays) in data transfer to and from the web.

        • Download: 1mbs per device

        • Upload: 1mbs per device
          Example: If your shop has 5 computers, 5 VoIP phones, 10 employee cell phones and 10 tablets, that equals 30 devices so your minimum Download/Upload speed should be 30mbs/30mbs

      Wireless

      • Minimum requirements

        • High Performance GB Wireless Router

        • Router should be centrally located in the building

           

      • Shops are built mostly of cinder block and metal framing. This architecture can limit the range of your Wi-Fi connection and create weak signal strength in the middle of an open space. When outfitting your shop with Wi-Fi, the primary high-performance wireless router should be centrally located in the building.

      • Once the Wi-Fi is available, the signal strength should be tested in all areas in which Mobile Manager Pro will be utilized. If necessary, add wired wireless access points (AP’s) to strategic areas of your shop that will provide strong signal strength where needed.

      • The SSID and Security Key for each access point should match that of your primary wireless device. This allows for the devices to transition seamlessly while moving around your shop (Mesh Network). Your Local Area Network (LAN) must be on the same network. This is achieved by having only one device on your network serve DHCP and all devices that need to communicate with each other must receive their DHCP from that device and have permission to communicate with each other across the network. If you are enticed by the idea that Internet Service Providers now provide a 4G Internet Backup to keep you connected to the web in the event a wired connection drops out, make sure that your Internet Service Provider will configure your internal network (LAN) correctly. We have experienced that the default installation from the ISPs of the 4G backup devices does not provide a MESH network for your LAN. This means that your wired devices are on a different network than your wireless devices, which will prevent Mobile Manager from connecting with your database.

      • We recommend one of the following devices:

        • Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000) - $

        • Netgear Nighthawk X6s AC4000 (R8000) - $$

        • Netgear Nighthawk XR500 - $$$

      • If you decide to seek other types of routers using the minimum specifications, we cannot guarantee the device will perform sufficiently. Selecting a non-recommended device can cause poor performance and lower results.

      Over The Road Specifications

      • Requirements

        • Tablet with 4G or 5G Network Service or a Mobile Internet device, such as a MiFi device.

        • VPN client connection to your shops network. This allows the tablet to have a secure connection to your Shop Management Systems database host computer on your Local Area Network (LAN).

      Data Host Computer

      • The data host computer should always use a wired internet connection. Using a wireless connection for the data host computer reduces the ability of the computer to serve the data by 50% when using a high-performance wireless router. This especially holds true when the database is a MS Access database as corruption can occur if there is even a brief interruption to the Wi-Fi connection.

      When Used as A Workstation

      • Recommended Requirements

        • Core I7-6700K or equivalent processor

        • If custom building your unit, be sure to select a motherboard that will support the processors capability.

        • High Performance gaming quality video card

        • 16 GB RAM

      When Used Only as a Server

      • While a Xeon processor is listed in this section, please consider whether your requirements for the server require this higher cost processor. In most small and medium sized automotive shop implementations, the Core I7 processor listed above will do just fine at a fraction of the cost.

      • Recommended Requirements

        • Xeon Processor E7-4809 v3

        • 16 GB RAM with room for expansion

      Workstation Computer

      Although minimum specifications from the Shop Management System companies may indicate lower specifications for a workstations computer, we recommend the following computer specifications due to the computers being used for more than just the shop management system itself for things like running reports, add-on programs such as Bolt On Technology, web browsing and research for parts and how-to video tutorials.

      • Recommended Requirements

        • Core I7-6700K or equivalent processor

        • If custom building your unit, be sure to select a motherboard that will support the processors capability.

        • High Performance gaming quality video card

        • 8 GB RAM with room for expansion