Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
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How can IT asset management tools aid in virtualization era?
IT asset management tools allow businesses to track resources effectively. Platform organization is increasingly necessary in a virtualized enterprise. Continue Reading
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What's automation's role in network provisioning resources?
IT is embracing network automation, but complications with integration disrupt the process. Using automation for provisioning resources can improve efficiency, but reduce the need for IT personnel. Continue Reading
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How can cloud management apps organize data across clouds?
If you need to pull together different data sets, cloud management apps can track information workloads across multiple clouds and present the data in a simplified way. Continue Reading
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How can you use perfect forward secrecy for mobile security?
How can companies increase data protection in mobile communications environments and enhance perfect forward secrecy to safeguard user activity? Continue Reading
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IBN: Enablement for a configuration management process?
How realistic are claims about intent-based networking helping organizations to enhance the network configuration management process? Continue Reading
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How does SD-WAN manage real-time network traffic performance?
Most people have experienced poor quality when it comes to real-time network traffic, like VoIP and video. But SD-WAN can help prioritize traffic and improve reliability. Continue Reading
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How can network management systems boost troubleshooting?
What can IT teams do to combine network management systems and application performance management tools to boost troubleshooting in enterprise infrastructure? Continue Reading
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How should IT manage connected devices?
As IT teams become tasked to manage connected devices more often, what steps need to be taken to avoid performance and security-related problems? Continue Reading
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Why some Wi-Fi jobs are best for WLAN professionals to avoid
Some Wi-Fi jobs can become nearly impossible to complete. When engineers contend with inflated expectations or bad designs, it may be best to walk away. Continue Reading
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How to cut false security, malware alerts in hybrid cloud
The bad news: IT teams are deluged by false security and malware alerts with their hybrid clouds. The good news: New tools are here to help. Continue Reading
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How will virtual router software benefit the networking industry?
Although virtual router software has been around for more than a decade, 2017 could be the year vRouting experiences greater adoption due to its available use cases. Continue Reading
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Will NFV standards address orchestration in the near future?
NFV standards for orchestration are affected by the number of standards groups and service providers' individual approaches, says SDN expert Lee Doyle. Continue Reading
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What do I need to do to create successful hybrid WANs?
The market for hybrid network services is growing, and with it comes the challenge of successfully creating hybrid WANs. Continue Reading
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What is the difference between bit rate and baud rate?
Learn how to understand the difference between bit rate and baud rate in this expert answer. Continue Reading
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How can my company reap the advantages of SDN if its culture is risk-averse?
SDN expert Will Murrell discusses how the advantages of SDN will speak to cautious companies only when network engineers can make a case for SDN's lower cost and high functionality. Continue Reading
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My MPLS service contract expires soon -- should I renew?
The rise of SD-WAN has many asking: Do we really need MPLS connectivity? Expert John Burke explains what factors to consider before renewing your existing contract. Continue Reading
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How can enterprises manage the cybersecurity skills gap?
Due to the demand for professionals with backgrounds in both computer science and networking, filling cybersecurity jobs is difficult. Technology will have to play a bigger role. Continue Reading
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What's the best way to handle end-of-sale devices on your network?
A majority of organizations have end-of-sale and end-of-life devices on their networks. What's the best way to ensure your equipment is up to date? Continue Reading
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How will software-defined WANs impact the enterprise?
SD-WAN has a lot of potential for enterprises, especially as developers cobble together custom services and capabilities. Continue Reading
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Will MPLS traffic engineering technology help you?
MPLS traffic engineering can improve VPN performance to ensure data travels the most efficient path. Continue Reading
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Subnet basics: Must you set up Wi-Fi subnets in a single building?
Expert Mike Jude discusses the rationale of creating distinct Wi-Fi subnets in a single building. Continue Reading
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Are there alternatives to the OpenFlow protocol?
Jason Edelman explains OpenFlow protocol alternatives and what's important in determining which southbound protocol will work for you. Continue Reading
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How do I disable VPN passthrough? What are the pros and cons to disabling it?
In this Ask the Expert response, Rainer Enders explains how to disable VPN passthrough and what the benefits and drawbacks are. Continue Reading
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Multiple access point configuration: Distinguish transmitted signals
Lisa Phifer explains multiple access point configuration when a device tries to differentiate transmitted signals from each point and explains potential issues. Continue Reading
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Difference between circuit-switching and packet-switching in examples
What is the difference between a circuit switching and packet switching? Our networking fundamentals expert gives examples of packet switching and circuit switching in this response. Continue Reading
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VLANs versus IP subnets: Why use a VLAN over IP subnetting?
A virtual local area network (VLAN) is better than IP subnetting because its advantage is security. Learn what a VLAN is and how it differs from creating IP subnets, in this expert response from our networking fundamentals expert. Continue Reading
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Calculating subnets for IP addresses in IPv6
Understand how subnetting in IPv6 differs from that of IPv4 and what you need to do in order to calculate the subnet of an IP address in IP version 6. Continue Reading
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What equipment do I use to connect two LANs in different cities? What are the steps?
How do you connect two LANS from different cities? VPN expert Sampath Ramaswami notes the steps to be taken, in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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What is the relationship between network cable frequency and its bandwidth?
Learn about the relationship between the network cable's frequency and its bandwidth capacity, the frequency formula and its physics in this expert response by Carrie Higbie. Continue Reading
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Slow response times from client/server PC's running IFS applications
How do you find out the culprit of a network delays when you see little bandwidth being used? Read this Q&A to see what our network administrating expert, Lindi Horton, has to say. Continue Reading
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Intrusion detection vs. intrusion prevention
Our expert, Puneet Mehta, tells us what the key difference is between intrusion detection and intrusion prevention, in this expert response. Continue Reading
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What are the fundamental principles of CDMA?
In this Q&A, our expert, Lindi Horton gives us an explanation of what CDMA is and what some of its fundamental principles are. Continue Reading
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Half duplex vs. full duplex Ethernet 10BASE-T topologies
Ever wonder why half duplex Ethernet 10BASE-T topologies have a slower data transmission rate than full duplex Ethernet 10BASE-Ttopologies? Find out in this expert response by Lindi Horton. Continue Reading
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What download speed will I get with a bandwidth of 1 MBPS?
Wondering what kind of download speed you can get with a bandwidth of 1 MBPS? Our expert, Lindi Horton can give you the lowdown on the download. Continue Reading
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System engineer vs. network administrator
Our Cisco certifications expert, David Minutella, answers what the responsibilities of a system engineer and network administrator are and what makes the two jobs different. Continue Reading
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The most commonly used network operating system
In this Q&A, Lindi Horton answers the question "What network operating system is more currently and commonly used?" Continue Reading
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Wireless LAN setup for hotels
Phifer discusses the requirements for WLAN setups in hotels. Continue Reading
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SMB wireless LAN setup
Advice for setting up a WLAN for a SMB. Continue Reading
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Why is the cable supporting my LAN experiencing abnormal attenuation?
Why is the cable supporting my LAN experiencing abnormal attenuation? Continue Reading
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Why do we need the MAC address if all Ethernet connections are done via IP address?
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What is difference between a WINS server and a DNS server?
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How do I open port 177 on my router so that other clients can get a GUI display of my server remotel
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How do I set up two or more wireless adapters on the same computer to work together?
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What certification better compliments the MCSE: CCNA or RHCE?
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Placement of the firewall
In this expert response, Puneet Mehta tells us where the placement of the firewall should be architecturally. Continue Reading
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Which transmission media are the most secure and the least secure?
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How to protect your network from broadcast and multicast storms
What methods are available to protect a network from broadcast and multicast storms? Continue Reading
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Security of each level of the OSI model
What kind of security is associated with each level of the OSI model? Continue Reading
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Can you please explain the following, common Ethernet errors?
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In a LAN environment, which is better: Token Ring or Ethernet and why?
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What is a collision domain? How does replacing a hub with a switch affect collision?
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Since DNS uses UDP instead of TCP, if a packet is lost, there is no automatic recovery?
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Can I connect two networks, one wired, one wireless, so that I can access the Internet through the s
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I need help adding a central MAC address authentication server to our current WLAN.
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What does the term "stackable switches" means?
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How can we improve the performance of our LAN?
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What is the difference between a managed and an unmanaged switch?
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How do I block my users from accessing all but a few authorized Web sites?
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How do I connect to my LAN from the Internet?
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What are the basic features of CIDR and what are its advantages and disadvantages compared to IPv6?
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Can I connect two computers through Ethernet on a WAN?
Can I connect two computers through Ethernet on a WAN? Continue Reading
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What costs I can expect when designing A LAN? How can I keep costs to a minimum?
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How do you interpret a bandwidth utilization graph?
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What is a LAN and how does it work?
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Why can't I access my folders on the server through the VPN?
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I need a very basic VPN solution to connect two offices to allow two servers to talk to one another.
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What are the differences between PVC, riser and plenum rated cables?
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What is the differences between a router, a switch and hub?
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Can you explain the ICMP ping test?
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How can we say TCP is a reliable protocol?
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How can I find a good job if I have my CCNA but now experience with Cisco routers?
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What are the advantages of 10 Gigabit Ethernet?
Learn about the advantages of using 10 Gigabit Ethernet for your corporate network, in this Ask the Expert response. Continue Reading
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Can you assign an IP address ending in .0 or .255?
Learn how to assign an IP address ending in .0 or .255 from networking fundamentals expert Chris Partsenidis in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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How do I connect my managed switch to a patch panel?
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Should I try for the CCNA certification or the CCDA certification?
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How do I connect to the console and AUX port of my router?
How do I connect to the console and AUX port of my router? Continue Reading
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What is a network segment? Is a network segment the same as an Ethernet segment?
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Can you help me put together a WLAN proposal?
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Can you explain MER Mac encapsulation routing?
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How do intrusion detection systems work?
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What is the difference between TCP/IP and IP protocol?
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Can CAT 6 be used to connect two switches at a distance of 550 meters?
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What type of security is associated with each level of the OSI model?
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Connecting two hosts with the same IP address but different subnet masks
Is it possible to communicate two hosts with the same IP address but different subnet mask without adding a router? Continue Reading
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Settings for RTS Threshold and Fragmentation Threshold
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OSI model: List of some attacks
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What are the elements of creating a wireless connection between two buildings?
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How do I connect two wired LAN networks with a wireless link?
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What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric bandwidth?
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How can I reduce the number of broadcasts on my network?
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Are there any inherent security problems with UDP?
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What are the main challenges facing DNS management today?
What are the main challenges facing DNS management today? Continue Reading
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Can you please explain how a DHCP server allocates IP addresses dynamically?
Learn how DHCP works in this Ask the Expert response from our networking fundamentals expert, Chris Partsenidis. Continue Reading
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How do I connect our seven offices to a VPN using DSL lines?
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Where to connect a switch -- Patch panel versus ports around the office
Is it possible to connect my switch directly to my patch panel rather than connecting the switch to the various ports around my office? Continue Reading
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The difference between an access point and a bridge
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When I use the Microsoft Windows VPN Client, what kind of VPN tunnel is created?
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Which networking courses, such as MCSE, CCNA, etc., are best to learn the basics?
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How can I connect to my VPN to access Outlook and stay away from Webmail?
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OSI layers are layers of server software or server hardware?