Features

Features

• Encrypted network tunnel boosts bandwidth securely for U.S. Army

  Faced with little time and strict security needs, U.S. Army network engineers came up with an inventive way to use a network tunnel to improve communications amid the Ebola crisis.  Continue Reading

• Container networking offers opportunity to simplify networks

  Linux containers are back in a big way, but it's not just developers who should be paying attention. Container networking will likely bring big changes to data centers.  Continue Reading

• Latest types of firewalls merge NGFW and threat analysis features

  The next-generation firewall has become the focal point of an enterprise security strategy that integrates with cloud-based threat analysis and endpoint management.  Continue Reading

• Tempered Networks' HIPswitch tackles IoT management

  Tempered Networks wins this month's Network Innovation Award for its HIPswitch IoT management and security platform, which its director of product management discusses in this Q&A.  Continue Reading

• Dell C9010: Data center-class switch overview

  The Dell C9010 data center-class switch supports a large number of deployment scenarios, including campus networks, midsize businesses and large enterprises.  Continue Reading

• Compensation flat for network pros in IT salary survey for 2015

  TechTarget's annual IT Salary and Careers Survey reveals network IT pros are satisfied with their jobs, even without big increases.  Continue Reading

• Essential network monitoring system features for the enterprise

  Which network monitoring system features should you look for before buying an availability monitoring system?  Continue Reading

• Comparing the best data center-class switch features

  Before you buy, check out this comparison of leading data center-class switches to understand the different features and capabilities.  Continue Reading

• DNS co-founder discusses need for a more secure DNS

  Thirty years after creating the Internet's domain name system, co-creator Paul Mockapetris talks about addressing Internet challenges with a more secure DNS.  Continue Reading

• How to buy content delivery networks

  This Buyer's Guide informs IT professionals about the latest in content delivery networks (CDNs). It reviews how CDNs work, their key features and offers a bottom line on how to choose the best CDN for their enterprise.  Continue Reading

• NIA awards: A look back at innovative technology products

  As 2015 draws to a close, we look at the innovative technology products that garnered a SearchNetworking Network Innovation Award.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Identity Services Engine: Security product overview

  The Cisco Identity Services Engine network access control system can be deployed as an appliance or virtual machine in a private cloud and offers compatibility for BYOD devices.  Continue Reading

• ForeScout NAC: Network security product overview

  ForeScout NAC products can be deployed as hardware appliances or virtual machines. Designed for both small and large enterprises, they can support up to 10,000 end devices.  Continue Reading

• Bradford NAC: Network security product overview

  Bradford Network Sentry products can be deployed as on-premises hardware appliances, virtual machines or cloud-based services, and they support connection of BYOD devices.  Continue Reading

• A wireless network design can't be static

  In this Q&A, one network engineer describes how he's adapting his wireless network design to overcome challenges from the old world as well as the digital age.  Continue Reading

• In Wave 2, 802.11ac tackles density with multi-user MIMO

  Mobile devices continue to flood wireless LANs, but 802.11ac Wave 2 is leveling the playing field. Deploying it, however, requires some forethought.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud application delivery: Challenges and success stories

  Networking in hybrid clouds has been a complex task, and that includes optimizing application delivery and performance. Find out how some IT pros are overcoming those challenges.  Continue Reading

• Zscaler gateway product overview

  Equipped with advanced security features such as cloud intelligence, botnet detection, sandboxing and more, the Zscaler Web gateway is deployed solely through the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Cisco ASA firewall: Network security product overview

  Cisco ASA firewall products are Cisco's offering in the growing NGFW market. With FirePower intrusion prevention, they support deployments in small, medium and large businesses.  Continue Reading

• Palo Alto firewall: Network security product overview

  Equipped with mobile security and endpoint protection solutions, Palo Alto firewall products are suitable for a range of deployments, including large and small enterprises.  Continue Reading

• Next-gen firewalls: Check Point NGFW product overview

  The Check Point NGFW comes with firewall throughput of up to 70 Gbps and support for up to 3 million connections per second. It can be deployed in SMBs and large enterprises.  Continue Reading

• Blue Coat ProxySG: Secure Web gateway overview

  With features like authentication and Web filtering, the Blue Coat ProxySG secure Web gateway can be deployed as a physical appliance, a virtual machine or a cloud-based service.  Continue Reading

• Websense Triton: Secure Web gateway overview

  Available as an appliance, a VM and a cloud service, the Websense Triton Web gateway offers a number of features, including integration with other Websense security products.  Continue Reading

• Triton AP: Websense sandbox product overview

  Websense sandbox products come as physical appliances, software virtual machines, and cloud services. They also integrate with Websense's Web gateways and email security tools.  Continue Reading

• Palo Alto WildFire: Malware sandbox product overview

  Tightly integrated with existing Palo Alto next-generation firewalls, the Palo Alto WildFire cloud-based malware sandbox service supports both public and private cloud deployments.  Continue Reading

• FireEye AX series: Sandbox product overview

  The FireEye AX series sandbox products are capable of up to 16,000 analyses per day, are available for multiple OSes and come with 24/7 support for mission-critical deployments.  Continue Reading

• Man vs. machine: In a network outage, who's to blame?

  Downtime is often chalked up to human error. But several high-profile outages this year were blamed on faulty technology. Which is more dangerous to your network?  Continue Reading

• Why SDN is gaining traction in the enterprise

  Software-defined networking isn't just for carriers, cloud providers and hyper-scale Web companies. Instead of asking "Why SDN?", some mainstream enterprises are asking "Why not?"  Continue Reading

• Combatting network threats: Look, Ma, no firewall!

  In this Q&A, a network engineer at the Rochester Institute of Technology explains his favorite weapons against network threats: user education and vulnerability scanning.  Continue Reading

• Amid ongoing threats, network security training gains appeal

  Network engineers who have focused primarily on honing their routing and switching skills say having limited network security training is no longer adequate.  Continue Reading

• Don't overlook need for partnerships with a network vendor

  Understanding the technology is simple enough, says one engineer. Building partnerships with a network vendor takes work but reaps big rewards.  Continue Reading

• Rethinking network monitoring software for the user experience

  Just because the dashboard in your network monitoring software shows that everything is functional doesn't guarantee it's functioning well for users.  Continue Reading

• Switch software plays bigger role in data center networks

  Hardware still matters, but it isn't just about speeds and feeds anymore. Switch software is an increasingly important factor in data center networks.  Continue Reading

• Ruckus SmartZone wireless access points: Product overview

  Ruckus SmartZone wireless access points and controllers are designed for a wide range of environments, including indoor and outdoor AP deployments.  Continue Reading

• Meraki wireless access points: Product overview

  Meraki wireless access points support management from the cloud and are suitable for indoor and outdoor deployments, including environments with physical obstructions.  Continue Reading

• Aruba wireless access points: Product overview

  Aruba wireless access points consist of three product lines designed for small, midsize and large businesses.  Continue Reading

• Aruba wireless controller: Product overview

  The Aruba wireless controller product line is designed for small, midsize and large enterprise deployments.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Aironet wireless access point: Product overview

  Cisco wireless access points target a wide range of deployments, including small and midsized businesses, large enterprises, and warehouse or manufacturing environments.  Continue Reading

• Cisco wireless controllers: Product overview

  Cisco wireless LAN controllers are designed for a wide range of environments, including small and midsize businesses and large enterprises.  Continue Reading

• Aerohive HiveManager: Access point product overview

  To support cloud-controlled wireless LAN architectures, Aerohive access points can be managed both from the cloud and from an on-location controller.  Continue Reading

• Supporting wireless infrastructure as devices proliferate

  In this Q&A, one IT pro shares the challenges of supporting wireless infrastructure in student housing, where residents have more devices than ever.  Continue Reading

• SD-What? Understanding SD-WAN

  More than just a buzzword, software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is already delivering benefits to early adopters. Skeptics warn, however, it's no magical elixir.  Continue Reading

• Choose your own network operating systems? IT pros weigh bare metal

  Enterprise networking pros tend to favor uptime over innovation. Many see bare-metal switches with third-party network operating systems as risky. Can they be swayed?  Continue Reading

• WAN optimization techniques pace IT investment

  TechTarget's most recent Networking Purchasing Intentions survey reveals IT's priority to invest in WAN optimization techniques in the next 12 months.  Continue Reading

• NIA: Saisei's FlowCommand SDN appliance secures network flows

  Saisei, our latest Network Innovation Award winner, uses its FlowCommand virtual SDN appliance to control network flows and prevent individual users from hogging bandwidth.  Continue Reading

• Facing network breach threats, visibility is key

  In this Q&A, an IT pro at Penn Mutual shares how his dual strategy of user education and Layer 7 visibility helps prevent network breaches.  Continue Reading

• Why SD-WAN is the next breed of WAN optimization

  Enterprises want to drop costly MPLS links but hesitate to lose the control they provide. SD-WAN offers a solution, and WAN optimization brings it to life.  Continue Reading

• Brocade VDX 8770: Data center switch overview

  The Brocade VDX 8770 is a data center switch tailored for complex enterprise IT environments, such as data centers with extensive virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Nexus 9500 series: Data center switch overview

  In this overview, learn more about the Cisco Nexus 9500 series, a family of data center switches designed for enterprises and highly virtualized data centers.  Continue Reading

• Dell E1200i and E600i series: Data center-class switch overview

  Find out more about the Dell E-series family of data center-class switches, which is tailored for complex enterprise IT environments like highly virtualized data centers.  Continue Reading

• HP FlexFabric 12500 series: Data center-class switch overview

  The HP FlexFabric 12500 series is designed for enterprise IT environments, including highly virtualized data centers. Learn more about the series' features and capabilities in this overview.  Continue Reading

• HP FlexFabric 12900 series: Data center-class switch fabric overview

  In this data center-class switch product overview, learn more about the HP FlexFabric 12900 series, including its capabilities, features, and pricing and support information.  Continue Reading

• Juniper EX9200 series: Data center-class switch overview

  The Juniper EX9200 series is a family of data center-class switches for enterprises and service providers with large data centers and campuses with highly virtualized and cloud environments.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Nexus 7700 series: Data center switch overview

  The Cisco Nexus 7700 series is a family of data center-class switches designed for enterprises and highly virtualized environments. Learn about the features of this series in this product overview.  Continue Reading

• Arista EOS+ brings the programmable switch down to earth

  A programmable switch sounds appealing to many enterprises, but few have the in-house expertise to take advantage of one. Arista's EOS+ software aims to make it far more accessible.  Continue Reading

• Buying data center-class switches: What you need to know

  Choosing the right switches for your data center can be difficult in an increasingly virtual environment. In this article, we explore the purchasing criteria for data center-class switches.  Continue Reading

• Making the business case for data center-class switches

  Choosing the right data center-class switch depends on your needs. This article breaks down the benefits and uses for data center-class switches in emerging data center architectures.  Continue Reading

• What are data center-class switches?

  Choosing the right switch for your data center can be a difficult task. This article looks at how data center-class switches are evolving in the enterprise to offer flexibility and speed for new traffic flows.  Continue Reading

• Will IT generalists replace network engineering jobs?

  Network engineering jobs have moved from crimping cable to managing traffic between VMs. Software-everything means another seismic shift. Is the network engineer still relevant?  Continue Reading

• Network analytics 2.0: Say hello to advanced operations analytics

  Network analytics tools may improve visibility and performance, but advanced operations analytics can turn the network into something that brings value to the business.  Continue Reading

• When users say the network is slow, APM tools can prove them wrong

  Not a week goes by when many network managers don't hear this complaint: "The network is slow." In this Q&A, one IT pro describes how he's often able to prove otherwise.  Continue Reading

• What to consider when choosing the best Ethernet switch

  IT pros need to consider new developments in technology like software-defined networking and the Internet of Things when choosing the best Ethernet switch for their current and future network.  Continue Reading

• 'Troubleshooting Cisco IP Networks' offers Cisco TSHOOT exam advice

  In this book chapter excerpt, author Amir Ranjbar gives advice on the new CCNP TSHOOT 300-135.  Continue Reading

• Adios, legacy network architectures: Making the jump to NSX

  Frustrated by the limits of hardware-centric network architectures, cloud provider FireHost has been testing VMware's NSX platform to improve its security.  Continue Reading

• Shattering the 'single pane of glass' myth of network management

  Vendors claim that their network management systems can do it all, but in a world of virtualization and cloud, is that still true?  Continue Reading

• Layer 4-7 network orchestration: Are we there yet?

  Software-defined data centers and cloud are driving a need for Layer 4-7 network orchestration tools that can automate provisioning and lifecycle management.  Continue Reading

• 802.11ac speed gains may drive WLAN architecture changes in Wave 2

  How much your network needs to adapt to the jump in 802.11ac speed from Wave 1 -- or even from 802.11n -- to the standard's next phase, Wave 2, depends on where you are in the upgrade cycle.  Continue Reading

• Why one IT pro’s network upgrade led him from Cisco to Dell

  In this Q&A, one network admin explains how rapid growth at his company prompted a massive network upgrade that included migrating from Cisco to Dell.  Continue Reading

• Identify the right WAN optimization products for your company

  Leading WAN optimization product vendors use a variety of techniques to get the job done. Find out who does what and if it's right for you.  Continue Reading

• Choosing WAN optimization techniques, more is better

  When it comes to choosing WAN optimization techniques, more is definitely better. Part two of this three-part series offers up a catalog of optimization options.  Continue Reading

• Before you buy: Finding the right WAN optimization appliance

  Picking the right WAN optimization appliance for your environment involves comparing different data reduction methods. Learn how to pinpoint the best option.  Continue Reading

• Gaps remain in wireless networking education, but need for skills grows

  The WLAN is the new LAN, but many networking education programs don’t reflect that. There’s a wireless skills gap, and it needs to be addressed.  Continue Reading

• The WAN connection waiting game: Engineers long for faster provisioning

  It can take one to three months to install a private WAN connection at a new branch office. For many enterprises, that’s just not acceptable anymore.  Continue Reading

• 'Network Know-How' offers network troubleshooting techniques

  Download this free chapter excerpt from "Network Know-How" to gain insight into basic network troubleshooting techniques. Identify and solve most networking errors in your environment.  Continue Reading

• What is the network’s role in a cloud computing service?

  Download this free chapter excerpt from “Designing Networks and Services for the Cloud” to learn how networks can make a cloud computing service more reliable and secure.  Continue Reading

• Aruba mobile engagement platform wins Network Innovation Award

  Aruba is pushing Wi-Fi indoor positioning to new levels with a platform geared towards venues that connect with visitors via their smartphones.  Continue Reading

• SDN starter kits remove some do-it-yourself aspects of an SDN deployment

  Not many network engineers can confidently design and launch an SDN deployment from scratch. But with SDN starter kits, there's less need to do that on their own.  Continue Reading

• Cloud networks need careful planning, not just more bandwidth

  Cloud computing has fundamentally changed the way enterprises deploy and use IT resources. So what does it mean to build a cloud network?  Continue Reading

• Network automation tools bring 'set it and forget it' to life

  In this Q&A, one engineer describes how she honed her programming skills to work on network automation tools that make it easier to configure switches.  Continue Reading

• Network management projects top list of 2015 IT initiatives

  According to TechTarget’s 2015 IT Priorities Survey, 44% of enterprises are planning network management projects this year.  Continue Reading

• Intuit solves taxing problem with system availability tools

  Intuit uses application monitoring to ensure glitch-free performance during tax time.  Continue Reading

• Why you might not need an expensive wireless site survey kit

  In this Q&A, one wireless engineer shares how she built a wireless site survey rig for less than $40 using supplies from a hardware store.  Continue Reading

• Named Data Networking project wants to retire TCP/IP

  TCP/IP is buckling under the demands of today's Internet, according to researchers who want to replace it with a new Internet protocol stack. Their solution: Named Data Networking.  Continue Reading

• Latest network security threats prompt one question: ‘Are we next?'

  After the latest wave of attacks, including the most recent on Sony, network security pros are losing sleep. Can new platforms stop today's network security threats?  Continue Reading

• Could vendor divide on new Ethernet speeds hurt enterprise networks?

  Vendor alliances are bypassing the IEEE again, this time with specs for two new Ethernet speeds, 2.5 and 5 GbE. Without common standards, could enterprise networks suffer?  Continue Reading

• Network Innovation Award: Dell breaks mold with Dell/Cumulus partnership

  Dell wins this month's Network Innovation Award from SearchNetworking for its partnership with Cumulus Networks, in which Dell became the first mainstream switch vendor to permit third-party OSes to run on its switches.  Continue Reading

• As WLANs grow, so does need for secure wireless networks

  Wireless LANs are growing in size and importance, making it imperative for every networking pro to ensure they have a secure wireless network.  Continue Reading

• White-box switching: Three paths to network programmability

  White-box switching is often pitched as a way to cut costs, but the greater value lies in its ability to make networks more programmable and automated.  Continue Reading

• Cloud-managed wireless: Why network engineers love it

  Cloud-managed wireless is growing three times faster than the wireless LAN market as a whole. Network engineers rave about its benefits, but it's not for everyone.  Continue Reading

• On Reddit, network pros say 'hell, no!' to SDN investment

  Let's face it: It'll be a while until we see widespread SDN investment. On this Reddit thread, network engineers demand an end to crappy marketing jargon, and tell vendors what they really need from SDN.  Continue Reading

• Five reasons IT pros are not ready for SDN investment

  Vendors will tell you all the reasons you should buy SDN, but we talked to a group of IT leaders who explain why they can't yet recommend SDN investment. (Think: security!)  Continue Reading

• 25 Gigabit Ethernet: Why that, why now and what's next

  If you blinked, you may have missed it: A consortium formed this summer to develop a 25 Gigabit Ethernet specification, with plans to have 25 Gbps switches shipping in two years. Here's why the industry is in such a hurry.  Continue Reading

• Aggregation in IPv6 routing curbs effects of Internet growth

  IPv6 addresses are four times larger than those based on IPv4, but experts say that doesn't mean IPv6 will slow down routers. In fact, IPv6 routing makes route aggregation simpler, which leads to smaller routing tables.  Continue Reading

• The bare-metal switch moves closer to mainstream

  Bare-metal switching has been considered niche, but Dell's foray into the market suggests other big vendors may soon follow. And while you might worry a bare-metal switch requires a Ph.D. to set up, early adopters say it's not that scary to use.  Continue Reading

• Open Network Install Environment gives end users network OS choices

  The Open Network Install Environment's community of vendors offers an open install environment for bare-metal switches using its Linux-based OS installer.  Continue Reading

• Umpqua Bank employs NSX, micro-segmentation for enterprise security

  Umpqua Bank's Sam Guidice tells how the organization deployed VMware's NSX as part of its effort to utilize micro-segmentation for enterprise security.  Continue Reading

• Upgrading the core when network downtime isn't an option

  Network downtime is often a necessary evil for network upgrades, but in the world of 24/7 broadcast media, maintenance windows are hard to come by.  Continue Reading

• Network programming skills from scripting to DevOps: What to learn

  Networking pros don't need to become code monkeys, but a little network programming can go a long way toward advancing their careers.  Continue Reading

• Context-aware security: Big benefits for networks, but no shortcuts

  Context-aware security has the potential to make network security a lot smarter. But it also requires legwork many IT shops aren't equipped to handle.  Continue Reading

• Transit companies seek to upgrade communications capabilities

  Amtrak's announcement to upgrade its on-board Wi-Fi emphasizes the pressure on the transportation industry to provide faster service at a low cost.  Continue Reading