Tips

  • Duplex mismatch: Stop the conflicts, part 2

    Today, the majority of modern cabling supports full-duplex, and there is a significantly diminished need for half-duplex -- or at least, that is what one would like to think. In this column, Loki J...

  • Network engineering overview: Techniques for making cha

    Network engineers are often faced with the task of making changes to the network with minimal downtime. Whether you are upgrading an Ethernet switch or adding a whole new building to your network, ...

  • Cellular data convergence: An introduction to wireless

    The world of wireless data capabilities on the carrier networks is seeing a tremendous amount of growth as it relates to standards and service offerings. In this tip, Robbie Harrell sorts out the a...

  • Network engineering overview: Technology

    Network engineering requires a firm grasp of technology. This overview covers frameworks, standards and products. This tip is the first in a four-part series on things network engineers need to kno...

  • Remote disaster recovery and prevention

    This tip discusses the two most basic ways you can recover from, and fend off, disasters that can overtake a remotely-hosted system: backup and redundancy.

  • Three ways to improve wireless network access for your

    Here are three things an administrator can do to improve your company's wireless strategy on the client side.

  • Planning Network Load Balancing clusters

    Servers that use Windows Network Load Balancing can benefit from optimization. Servers should be optimized for their role, the types of applications they will run, and the anticipated local storage...

  • Network Access Quarantine Control vs. Network Access Pr

    With the number of mobile devices and remote workers growing, network quarantining has been a popular topic lately. Contributor and NAQC expert Jonathan Hassell compares the features of NAQC with t...

  • Troubleshooting wireless networks: A systematic approac

    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...

  • The bot invasion

    Bots are invading a computer near you. Microsoft MVP Tony Bradley explains the evolution of bot code, the rise of botnets and how you can prevent bots from infecting your networks.

  • DNS for a wireless network

    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-authorita...

  • Decentralizing patch management

    Brien Posey explains reasons why centralized patch management is often ineffective in large or geographically dispersed networks and offers some alternative arrangements for these types of organiza...

  • Application logging is critical in detecting hack attac

    Now that networks are fairly well-protected, attackers are targeting application servers. In this tip, security expert Mike Chapple explains how implementing application layer logging is becoming a...

  • NetDirector, an introduction: Free, simple server manag

    NetDirector provides a free, customizable, easy way for network and systems administrators to configure network services and manage groups of Linux, Solaris, or BSD servers. The open source tool is...

  • Understanding VPN technologies and capabilities

    Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are the mainstay of the mobile environment. Enterprises across the world are looking for and finding a multitude of ways to provide the remote, mobile end user with ...

  • Duplex mismatch: Why duplex conflicts plague the networ

    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, dupl...

  • WAN acceleration: Enabling successful disaster recovery

    Data replication and backup can be difficult to accomplish reliably because a large amount of information is sent across low bandwidth/high latency links. WAN acceleration can be an essential tool ...

  • Program helps admins control user privileges in Windows

    Winternals Protection Manager allows administrators to define precisely how users can (or can't) do things with applications.

  • Breaking out of the data center

    This article examines the trend among enterprises to have greater volumes of data residing outside their traditional data centers and in frontline environments. It discusses how enterprises are acc...

  • Anonymity programs and services for network engineers

    Anonymity is very rarely discussed in the business world because in some respects, it is at odds with the ideas of non-repudiation and authentication. But in the interest of network security, admin...