Tips
Tips
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Comparison of popular technical SD-WAN service models
Two main SD-WAN service model options exist for users to choose from, but more could be on the way due to regulatory and industry development efforts. Find out what works for you in this comparison. Continue Reading
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How to use traceroute to troubleshoot network problems
Traceroute is a tool that can provide more insight than you might think. Learn how to use traceroute to troubleshoot network issues. Continue Reading
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Visions of software-defined branch begin to take hold
Software-based technologies can apply to the vision of a software-defined branch that converges network elements and centralizes management. But getting there will take time. Continue Reading
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The story of SDN: Control planes, OpenFlow protocol and disaggregation
When discussing SDN, control planes and programmability are often lumped into the conversation -- along with a dose of OpenFlow protocol and disaggregation. Continue Reading
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Open source network tools compete with shrinking vendor equipment
Vendor equipment consolidation could limit network operator service automation efforts, but new open source network tools offer options and prevent lock-in. Continue Reading
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New options for managed network service providers benefit enterprises
SDN, NFV and SD-WAN are creating a new set of software-based offerings that managed network service providers can roll out to enterprises faster and at lower cost. Continue Reading
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How to move to a network hybrid cloud architecture
Learn how to avoid network hybrid cloud architecture problems before a migration, and why uniformity and consistent performance are essential for success. Continue Reading
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Telecom vendors feel the pressure of operator transformation plans
Changes in network operators' buying trends have rocked the status quo for telecom vendors, with pricing pressure, software and chants of 'no more lock-in' driving it home. Continue Reading
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Open source network software matures, but needs incentives for use
Open source network software is maturing, but the networking industry needs to create compelling economic incentives for large suppliers and buyers to contribute, as well. Continue Reading
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Why SDN, DevOps don't share automated network missions
SDN and DevOps may both have a role in automated network device management, but compared to SDN, DevOps has a completely different mission, our expert explains. Continue Reading
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Layer 3 switches explained
Layer 3 switches are important in enterprise networks -- particularly in designs with many subnets and virtual LANs. What is a Layer 3 switch, what can it do for you, and how does it differ from a regular switch or router? Continue Reading
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Managing apps essential in realizing their business value
Apps have taken center stage, but in order to exploit their value, enterprises have to find a way of managing apps that works best for them. Continue Reading
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Status report 2017: NFV deployments grow; standards issues remain
Large service providers are continuing their NFV deployments, which will enable 5G wireless and IoT. But management, orchestration and standards questions remain. Continue Reading
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How types of noise in data communication systems affect the network
Learn about the different types of noise in data communication -- including thermal, intermodulation, cross-talk, impulse and shot noise -- and how they can affect your network. Continue Reading
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Software networking supports wide range of deployment use cases
Software networking includes elements of SDN, NFV and network virtualization, which have taken the industry by storm; it also supports advances like 5G wireless and hybrid cloud. Continue Reading
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Cloud security tips to consider when mulling external data centers
The old security rules don't apply when moving workloads to the cloud. These cloud security tips will help you make the right decision. Continue Reading
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New telecom transformation goals require service automation
Restarting a telecom transformation means putting business goals first and technology choices second, and making the service process more efficient through automation. Continue Reading
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API growth forcing vendors to take notice or risk losing out
The API is fast becoming a must-have in modern networking. But API growth is forcing vendors to rethink how they want their devices to be configured and managed. Continue Reading
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Mobile edge computing promises wide variety of uses
Mobile edge computing can bring applications and data closer to the end user, resulting in lower latency and better data analytics for network virtualization and IoT. Continue Reading
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Network engineering tools changing as cloud shift pressures profession
As more companies examine the cloud, network engineering tools are changing, requiring engineers to rethink and recraft their job descriptions. Continue Reading
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Four top products leading the way in multicloud management
In this multicloud review, see the top multicloud management products. How do they approach different cloud environments, and what separates them from each other? Continue Reading
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Three advances making NFV deployments better for the business
NFV deployments made progress this year, thanks to three significant developments, but will they be enough to make NFV's business case more compelling among other industry changes? Continue Reading
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Intent-driven networking reshaping network service delivery
When configuring a network, engineers often focus on individual tasks to enable network service delivery. Intent-driven networking transfers the focus to the overall network. Continue Reading
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WAN access options multiply when buying network services
A new menu of WAN access options means companies have a wide variety of means to reach cloud and network services. But more choice also means more potential pitfalls. Continue Reading
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The white box switching market gets a closer look
Following years of development, is the potential of the white box switching market finally being realized? Continue Reading
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IP subnetting: How to calculate subnet masks
Check out IP subnetting shortcuts on how to do subnet mask calculations and break down IP address classes to route traffic within your network. Continue Reading
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Comparing cable types: Fiber vs. copper twisted pair
What's the difference in fiber vs. copper cables? Key differences include cost, speed and more when it comes to fiber optic and copper twisted-pair cabling options. Continue Reading
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WAN-cloud eXchange extends the private WAN to the cloud
Enterprises can reap cloud benefits while relieving concerns about security and reliability with a WAN-cloud eXchange, or WAN-CX. Continue Reading
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When will SD-WANs 'cross the chasm'?
It can be difficult to separate hype from reality, especially when it comes to SDN technology. Here, analyst Jim Metzler explores when software-defined WANs might go mainstream. Continue Reading
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Business is 'destroying' the application delivery process
Business has changed, and so must the application delivery process. It's time for IT to go from being provider of services to a broker between clouds and end users. Here's how. Continue Reading
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Discover three ways to get your WAN software defined
There are three ways to get your WAN software defined: overlay, replace and as a service. Learn what these entail and how they can reduce costs and improve WAN performance. Continue Reading
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How to troubleshoot iPhone and iPad connection problems
As iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi clients proliferate in the enterprise, IT must troubleshoot Wi-Fi connection problems. Here's how to solve basic iPhone and iPad connection problems. Continue Reading
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IPv6 connectivity: Ignore at your own peril
Gathering knowledge on IPv6 connectivity and implementation is critical to success in modern IP networking. Continue Reading
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Predictions for SDN development in 2016
This promises to be an exciting year for software-defined networking enthusiasts, with SDN development poised for explosive growth. Analyst John Burke shares his predictions. Continue Reading
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Common network errors and their causes
Network not behaving? Learn how to identify the most common network errors -- like discards and collisions -- and how to implement solutions to get your network humming again. Continue Reading
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Are you ready for an SDN deployment?
The principal motivation behind SDN deployments is the need for a responsive and nimble IT organization. While the network architecture is definitely in the future, not all are ready for it. Continue Reading
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How to troubleshoot Android Wi-Fi connection problems
Android smartphone and tablet users now abound in the enterprise, making Android Wi-Fi connection troubleshooting a key element of enterprise wireless network connection management. Continue Reading
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Persuading management to support the IT buying process
What steps should you take to get your network buying needs approved by top management? One piece of advice: Learn what your manager needs. Continue Reading
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Time to get your cloud network architecture ready
Enterprises need to ensure their cloud network architecture is ready for the future. Here are some concepts network managers should think about. Continue Reading
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Is a hybrid WAN architecture right for you?
Hybrid WANs have a lot of benefits, but make sure you understand how they can work in your organization. Continue Reading
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Do managed software-defined WAN services make sense?
By offering managed software-defined WAN services -- and potentially hastening MPLS' demise -- are providers sabotaging themselves? Our expert says no. Continue Reading
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OPM hack two months later: What was learned?
Network security expert Michele Chubirka shares her thoughts about June's OPM hack and what steps IT should take to fend off future attacks. Continue Reading
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Three ways to measure wireless network performance
Trying to find ways to assess your wireless network performance? Here are some tools that can help. Continue Reading
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With MPLS-TP and SDN, a simpler dynamic control plane
MPLS-TP transforms carrier networks for packet switching, but SDN could take it a step further. Combining the technologies, engineers could reduce complexity in the dynamic control plane and gain flexible service creation. Continue Reading
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Network timing: Everything you need to know about NTP
As more applications use IP networks, reliable distribution of authoritative timing information is becoming critical. Continue Reading
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GENEVE primer: The answer to network virtualization interoperability?
The GENEVE network encapsulation protocol is more flexible than VXLAN and NVGRE. Will it bring interoperability to network virtualization overlays? Continue Reading
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How to buy: Assessing next-gen firewalls
Is there a next-gen firewall in your future? Our How to Buy guide offers advice you need to ensure you purchase the best platform to meet your needs. Continue Reading
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Don't ignore this great wireless training resource
Online wireless support communities are a great resource for IT professionals who need their questions answered quickly. Continue Reading
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Hyper-V networking: The three virtual switches that fuel connectivity
In this Hyper-V networking primer, learn about the three virtual switches behind Microsoft virtualization connectivity. Continue Reading
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Centralized vs. decentralized SDN architecture: Which works for you?
Two SDN architecture models -- centralized and decentralized -- have much in common, but key differences center on the use of the OpenFlow protocol. Continue Reading
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Using virtual appliances and desktop virtualization
IT organizations are implementing desktop virtualization and virtual appliances for virtual WAN optimization and virtual application delivery, but there are challenges to overcome along the way. Continue Reading
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Troubleshooting remote scripting using Network Monitor 3.0 -- Managing Windows networks using script
Learn how to use Network Monitor 3.0 for troubleshooting a remote scripting error in this tip originally published on WindowsNetworking.com. Continue Reading
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Optical networks: Core network design best practices
Core optical network design must take into consideration network requirements specific to the core, including a high degree of aggregation, low reconfigurability, and large geographic scope, while confronting such challenges as router adjacency, ... Continue Reading
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Cisco wireless access point configuration from scratch
Learn what the Cisco 1242 wireless access point can do for you and how to configure one from scratch. This tip covers basic security settings, enabling the wireless radios, and how to make a successful connection. The 1242AG is a powerful ... Continue Reading
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Cisco WLAN design best practices
Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has built-in security features, but a one-size-fits-all approach won't ensure adequate security for your organization. This tip provides best practices for designing your security architecture, including user community... Continue Reading
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MPLS load sharing and high availability, Part 2: IP routing
MPLS has become a trusted transport option for convergent networks that require guaranteed levels of service, but successful implementation can require increased levels of redundancy to support failover. Robbie Harrell discusses how to enable high ... Continue Reading
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LAN administration guide
LAN administration is an arduous task and your responsibilities often involve many different aspects and may include many tasks. This guide will help you with each step and task. Continue Reading
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IP addressing and subnetting: Calculate a subnet mask using the subnet's formula
IP addressing and subnetting are an important part of networks. Learn how the subnet's formula works and why it's important to know how to calculate the subnet mask "longhand." Continue Reading
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How IPsec provides secure communications
IPsec provides secure site-to-site VPNs, remote access and host-to-host communication. In this tip, we peek inside the tunnel and examine how IPsec works. Continue Reading
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VPN client alternatives: Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) over IPsec
This month, Lisa Phifer discusses a robust VPN client alternative: Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) over IPsec. Continue Reading
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Network test plan: Checklist for architecture changes
For every change you make to your network architecture, you should have a test plan and a backout plan. In this tip, learn how to build a test plan and review a sample checklist of things to include. Continue Reading
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How SSL and TLS secure network transactions
SSL and TLS are protocols that were developed primarily to protect Web transactions, but they can be used to protect any type of network traffic that utilizes TCP at the transport layer, including the popular SSL VPN. In this tip, learn how SSL and ... Continue Reading
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Router Expert: Building a WLAN proxy server, DHCP services: Part 1
Router expert Michael Martin discusses DHCP implementation options and provides sample configurations to support various SSID network models in this continuation of his series on building a WLAN proxy server. Continue Reading
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OSI: Securing the stack, Layer 2 -- Understanding the role of ARP
Security expert Michael Gregg continues his layer-by-layer discussion of OSI model network security with this tip on the vulnerabilities present in Layer 2, the Data Link Layer, and specifically addresses the Address Resolution Protocol. Continue Reading
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How round-trip time and limiting data rate impact network performance
This tip reviews how network parameters such as round-trip time and limiting data rate affect network performance. Continue Reading
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OSI: Securing the stack, Layer 1 -- Physical security threats
Security expert Michael Gregg kicks off his layer-by-layer discussion of OSI model network security with this tip on securing Layer 1 against physical security threats. Continue Reading
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Duplex mismatch
What is duplex, and what is the difference between half and full duplex? What is a duplex mismatch? How can autonegotiation help or hurt your network? How can you resolve duplex conflicts? In this tip, David Davis helps networking engineers and ... Continue Reading
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IPSec and NAT incompatibility
Learn why Authentication Header (AH) doesn't work with Network Address Translation (NAT) or Port Address Translation (PAT) and that Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) is also incompatible with PAT. Continue Reading
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VPNs for disaster recovery: IPsec vs. SSL
Using a VPN as a failover mechanism when a primary communications link may be unavailable due to a disaster can be a smart move -- as well as an easy one to implement. In this tip, learn about the pros and cons of IPsec and SSL VPN options for ... Continue Reading
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Troubleshooting wireless networks: A systematic approach
Troubleshooting wireless networks can take up a lot of time for network operations staff with a wireless LAN (WLAN) environment. Wireless guru Lisa Phifer discusses the tools and processes involved and breaks down how to approach and resolve ... Continue Reading
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DNS for a wireless network: Router Expert
DNS services are essential for building a secure wireless LAN. Our Router Expert provides complete instructions for setting up a DNS server, including implementing BIND, configuring a non-authoritative server and creating zone files. Continue Reading
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T1 vs. VoIP for branch office connectivity
Learn how to decide between a T1, fractional T1 and VoIP for connecting branch offices. Continue Reading
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WAN optimization and bottlenecks: Is the WAN really the weakest link?
"How much traffic" is no longer a good enough measure of WAN bandwidth. In this tip, Carrie Higbie looks at how today's ever-increasing expectations for data transfer rates require increased attention to WAN optimization, and suggests how ... Continue Reading
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Duplex mismatch: Why duplex conflicts plague the network, part 1
Duplex mismatch problems -- caused by two ends of the Ethernet attempting a full-duplex connection, resulting in packet loss -- simply will not go away. After a decade of plaguing IP networks, duplex conflicts still seem to be the single worst ... Continue Reading
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Security and the TCP/IP stack
Each layer of TCP/IP has security mechanisms, protocols, and applications. This tip describes the more popular ones that are associated with each layer of TCP/IP. Continue Reading
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How to move an SSL certificate between Exchange servers
SearchExchange.com contributor Serdar Yegulalp provides step-by-step instructions on how to move an SSL certificate from one Exchange server to another, and explains a couple of gotchas to watch out for during the process. Continue Reading
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Five steps to stamp out unsafe Wi-Fi use
Lisa Phifer helps dispel the top myths of wireless security and explains five steps that network administrators can take to lead their users toward safer Wi-Fi usage. Continue Reading
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Reducing false positives in network monitoring
Network managers need to be aware of the importance of choosing the right tool to monitor their system's internal counters. In this tip, Brien Posey narrows in on alert mechanisms for Windows servers and helps you understand how to reduce false ... Continue Reading
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OpenNMS, an introduction: Affordable network management
Open source expert Maria Winslow brings network managers up to speed about the free open source enterprise-grade network-management system OpenNMS. Continue Reading
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IEEE 802.3at: Power over Ethernet plus
802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) has been widely adopted for powering VoIP phones, wireless access points and a number of other network-connected products. But it provides a limited amount of power. In this tip, David Jacobs investigates the latest... Continue Reading
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VPNs: Fundamentals and basics
VPNs are discussed in this introductory tip on the fundamentals of virtual private networks. Continue Reading
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Content Delivery Networking: an introduction
Doug Downer gives an overview of Content Delivery Network (CDN) technology and its components, which bring together the functionality of file access, caching, multimedia delivery and application processing. Continue Reading
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Configuring and troubleshooting wireless LAN clients
An understanding of wireless LAN (WLAN) client and WLAN access point communication mechanisms is critical to anyone attempting to initially connect or troubleshoot a WLAN connection. In this tip, Robbie Harrell discusses some of the issues that can ... Continue Reading
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Securing your Layer 2 network: Don't overlook the basics
Before dropping substantial cash on a fancy surveillance system, most sensible home owners would ensure that their doors and windows were locked. Similarly, there are simple security measures you can take to configure your systems for Layer 2 ... Continue Reading
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Understanding network traffic flow analysis
Network traffic flow is often compared to highway traffic flow. In this tip, Lindi Horton shows parallels between those two worlds and explains why traffic flow analysis is such an essential piece of knowledge for engineering a network. Continue Reading
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Using Snort, Nessus and Tripwire for network security
Why pay a proprietary vendor a ton of money for a security application you can get for little or no money? In this tip, learn the pros and cons of open source network security tools Snort, Nessus and Tripwire. Continue Reading
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Certifications that will earn you the most money
Ed Tittel takes a look at the five network certifications that earned the most money in 2005. Continue Reading
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IP network design, part 4: LAN design
This final section of the IP network design series relates to the issues encountered with campus LAN design. The benefits of Ethernet switching over a traditional hub environment are first explained. The motivation behind the deployment of virtual ... Continue Reading
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IP network design, part 3: Designing the WAN
The wide area network (WAN) is the single biggest contributor to a corporate network's cost of ownership. Therefore, this is the area where the cost-versus-performance tradeoff is most pronounced and most critical. This article explores the various ... Continue Reading
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Implementing software restriction policies
This tip explains how you can use software restriction policies to keep your workstations in pristine shape and cut down on help desk calls at the same time. Continue Reading
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LAN connectivity problem: Blame DNS, NIC or firewall?
ITKnowledge Exchange member "BinooDas1234" had connectivity issues with a troublesome LAN, and fellow techies jumped in to help out. But does the answer lie in the DNS configuration, the NIC drivers or elsewhere? Here is a portion of the ... Continue Reading
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Router Expert: Initial configuration of a Cisco 1200 802.11g WLAN access point
Our router expert continues his series on building a secure wireless LAN with a Linux base. This article explains how to utilize a single Cisco 1200 series access point to provide access to three different IP network segments using VLANs and ... Continue Reading
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IP network design, part 2: The IP addressing plan
The IP addressing plan is the foundation upon which a successful logical design is built. Part two of this tip explains how to formulate a scalable IP addressing plan that can support the network as it grows. Continue Reading
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IP network design, part 1: Fundamental principles
A competent network design is the foundation upon which all successful network implementations are built. This is the first of four articles that focus on the design of IP-based networks, due to the prevalence of IP as the de-facto standard desktop ... Continue Reading
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OSI: Securing the Stack, Layer 5 -- session hijacking
To help secure your systems against session hijacking, this tip walks you through the steps hackers use to hijack active sessions and take over your network. You'll also learn how to detect and prevent session hijacking attacks, a major security ... Continue Reading
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Making sense of Windows routing tables
When routing packets across a network, things do occasionally go wrong. In these situations, it is helpful to be familiar with the Windows routing tables. Routing tables dictate the flow of packets from the machine in question. This tip will show ... Continue Reading
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Network security checklist
While 100% security is hardly a possibility, there are several things that you can do to make your network more secure. Learn about them with this network security checklist. Continue Reading
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VRFs and routing
Doug Downer continues his series about VPN routing and forwarding instances focused on the task of configuring and verifying a VRF scenario with a requirement for separate customers on a shared device. In this tip, he shows how to configure a method... Continue Reading
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Router numbers
Many of the routing protocols implemented in Cisco's IOS require a number to follow the command that enables the routing protocol in question. If you're new to routing, these numbers can be a little confusing, as they mean something different to ... Continue Reading
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Wireless LAN security: 802.11i
What is 802.11i, and is it really practical for you to implement in your organization? Robbie Harrell explores how the new wireless standard can improve security -- and reasons why you may want to switch to 802.11i or stick with WPA. Continue Reading