Evaluate
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
Evaluate
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
Floodlight primer: An OpenFlow controller
In software-defined networks, engineers use Floodlight controllers to manage physical and virtual devices -- and each traffic flow running between them. Continue Reading
Pros and cons of mobile optimization and cloud optimization
IT research analyst John Burke discusses the pros and cons of mobile optimization clients and cloud optimization services. Continue Reading
Tools to improve wireless video performance
Seeking to improve wireless video delivery? The answer could be in proprietary network enhancements and WLAN performance measurement tools. Continue Reading
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Cloud monitoring tools: Troubleshooting with Wireshark in the cloud
As traditional network monitoring tools slowly evolve into cloud monitoring tools, Wireshark moves gingerly into network troubleshooting in the cloud. Continue Reading
Calculating mobile application bandwidth requirements
Learn how to calculate the bandwidth of your mobile applications to determine your cost of wide area network operations. Continue Reading
VPN UTM vendor comparison: Evaluating secure remote access features
View this VPN UTM vendor comparison and understand how to manage your virtual private network infrastructure as part of a unified threat management solution.Continue Reading
Deep packet inspection vendors: Quite the diverse crew
Deep packet inspection vendors can vary from traditional network infrastructure vendors to third-party specialists. Here we run down a smattering of providers and their offerings.Continue Reading
Deep packet inspection tools: Proxy vs. stream-based
As more enterprises consider deep packet inspection tools, network managers must choose the technique that works best for them.Continue Reading
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
Myth vs. Reality: Cloud-managed Wireless LAN
New cloud-managed wireless LAN services have many users wondering whether Wi-Fi management as a service is dependable. Wireless expert Lisa Phifer goes on a myth-busting mission.Continue Reading
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Cisco Nexus 5596UP as a core switch: Design considerations
The Cisco Nexus 5596UP switch may be a better replacement for the Catalyst 6500 as a network core switch than the Nexus 7000, but there are design challenges to consider before investing.Continue Reading
Network Innovation Award: Cisco Prime for service-centric management
Cisco Prime is the winner of the SearchNetworking.com Network Innovation Award for management. Cisco Prime integrates network, endpoint and application-level information.Continue Reading
VoIP over WAN: Basic network considerations
With proper configuration and good system management, VoIP over WAN delivers good voice quality.Continue Reading
OpenFlow protocol primer: Looking under the hood
We know the OpenFlow protocol can be used to abstract the network control plane from underlying physical infrastructure, but how exactly does the protocol work?Continue Reading
Hardware vs. software VPNs: Choose the right enterprise solution
Deciding between hardware vs. software VPNs is the first step in narrowing down the best VPN solution for your enterprise.Continue Reading
Private cloud network VLAN problems: Is OpenFlow the answer?
In order to create dynamic private cloud networks, engineers will turn to software-defined networking and control planes that integrate virtual and physical switching.Continue Reading
The application tier of a software-defined networking architecture
In a software-defined networking architecture, controller-based OpenFlow applications could deliver highly scalable, efficient and manageable network services.Continue Reading
Kratos Network Solutions present network management app, DopplerVUE
OpenFlow applications work where network management tools fail
OpenFlow applications beat network management tools, offering a holistic view of the network's configuration and granular control even in a dynamic virtualized environment.Continue Reading
Cisco Integrated Service Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2)
ISR G2 is a second generation Integrated Services Router (ISR) from Cisco Systems, Inc.Continue Reading
Virtual network security: A vendor comparison
In this vendor comparison, we compare the emerging options for virtual network security in your data center.Continue Reading
Mobile broadband/SSL VPN solution keeps police officers in the field
An Alabama police department mobilized its officers by creating a mobile broadband and SSL VPN solution, forgoing a costly private network installation.Continue Reading
T1 circuit or MPLS network: How to choose
The venerable T1 circuit is making way for the high-speed, easy to manage MPLS network. While the carriers are not ripping out T1 connections, they are pressuring WAN managers to abandon them.Continue Reading
Mi-Fi and Android smartphone mobile hotspot comparison
Wireless expert Lisa Phifer responds to a question regarding a Mi-Fi and Android smartphone mobile hotspot comparison. She provides an in depth analysis of both mobile hotspots, and also examples for uses of both.Continue Reading
Free WAN optimization software, NetEx HyperIP, gives incentive to virtualize
Until the end of 2011, NetEx is offering a free one-year subscription of its WAN optimization software, NetEx HyperIP -- giving enterprises even more incentive to virtualize.Continue Reading
Choosing a next-generation firewall: Vendor comparison
Next-generation firewalls are becoming a must. Read our comparison of application-aware firewall options available from the leading firewall vendors.Continue Reading
How to set up WAN simulators to test branch application performance
A wide area network (WAN) simulator is necessary for enterprise IT architects and engineers to ensure acceptable application performance to end users at branch offices. In this tip, learn how to set up any generic WAN simulator to conduct network ...Continue Reading
WLAN testing: Wireless intrusion prevention systems and centralized testing tools
WLAN testing has grown to accommodate the full-time surveillance necessary for super-speed 802.11n technology and mobile applications. Now WLAN testing can be done with AP-based wireless intrusion prevention systems and more.Continue Reading
Ipanema Mobile Agent software WAN optimization deduplicates traffic
Adding to the growing list of software WAN optimization products is a new solution from Ipanema Technologies: Ipanema Mobile Agent (IMA). This product spotlight article highlights why Ipanema Technologies' IMA matters to WAN managers and how it ...Continue Reading
Doing more with spectrum analysis: Cisco CleanAir
Wireless engineers have had spectrum analysis in their toolboxes for a long time, but the CleanAir solution from Cisco integrates the tool directly into the WLAN infrastructure. Network administrators who deploy this enhanced level of spectrum ...Continue Reading
Application monitoring tools: Can they span the SAN to the LAN?
Do end-to-end application monitoring tools that include data center and SAN monitoring exist? Not likely. But networking teams can invest in unified application performance monitoring tools that interoperate with their existing patchwork of network ...Continue Reading
Cisco Borderless Networks: Complete solution or marketing hype?
Cisco's Borderless Networks strategy promises customers a new paradigm for supporting enterprise mobility and ensuring mobile network security. However, network engineers are struggling to understand how a seemingly disparate collection of products ...Continue Reading
Network automation tools: Should you build or buy?
Network automation and network change and configuration management are crucial, but there are many methods to consider. Administrators can create their own scripting skills, rely on open source options, or pay for commercial support from their ...Continue Reading
WAN security and application threats
Security expert Kevin Beaver answers our questions on WAN security, covering the biggest threats to the enterprise wide area network, which might not actually be the hackers themselves but the mindset of those tasked with keeping the enterprise ...Continue Reading
How does cloud computing affect WAN bandwidth?
This podcast interview with IT network expert Zeus Kerravala answers the question: How does cloud computing affect wide area network (WAN) bandwidth? Learn the answer to this question and discover what a WAN manager can do to lessen the negative ...Continue Reading
Myth vs. reality: Network monitoring reporting and what really works
Vendors of network monitoring tools make a lot of claims; especially about network monitoring reporting; but an understanding of product capabilities and your own needs is necessary to cut through the marketing hype.Continue Reading
WAN bandwidth optimization tools and techniques
WAN bandwidth optimization tools and techniques are explained in this primer on getting the most out of your business wide area network links. This introduction to WAN technologies discusses methods and products that accelerate traffic so that your ...Continue Reading
How to choose ITIL monitoring tools
ITIL network monitoring requires ITIL monitoring tools that scan network function as well as application performance and have the ability to continually update information in a series of ITIL v3 databases.Continue Reading
Service delivery management: Integrating IT management tools
Enterprise network management software vendors are retooling their products for service delivery management. Service assurance products from NetScout, CA and others are combining network management with other IT management tools to give enterprises ...Continue Reading
Wireshark network analyzer: The open source network monitoring tool
Wireshark, an open source network monitoring tool, can help networking pros in a variety of ways. This chapter excerpt from Wireshark expert Laura Chappell includes a checklist of what Wireshark can do for your network, as well as a free chapter ...Continue Reading
Top 10 reasons to learn Wireshark, the open source network analyzer
All network analysts should learn Wireshark, the open source network analyzer. This top 10 list of reasons includes what it could mean for your career -- and your network.Continue Reading
How do I...choose a VPN for my small business?
A virtual private network (VPN)is a way to use a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet,to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network.Continue Reading
How to choose and implement automated configuration management tools
Automated network configuration management tools limit manual changes and therefore errors, but human intervention and training are still required. There's a lot to consider in choosing the right network configuration automation tool.Continue Reading
Choosing a provider for WAN managed services for your enterprise
How do you find the right provider for your business's WAN managed services? Ask the right questions. To get a managed service provider (MSP) at the right price with the right offerings and service-level agreements (SLAs), view these tips.Continue Reading
Mobile WAN routers: Comparison and considerations for your enterprise
If you have road warriors in your enterprise wide area network (WAN) workforce, you're probably worrying about exorbitant mobile broadband fees. Mobile WAN routers are a cost-effective alternative. Read this tip to learn when to use them in your ...Continue Reading
Open source network monitoring: SLAs push network pros to new tools
As enterprises find themselves investing in a mixture of private clouds and publicly hosted applications, they find themselves turning to open source network monitoring tools in order to measure performance and prove out SLAs.Continue Reading
What network troubleshooting tools can I use to determine the cause of slow web page access?
Evaluating Citrix Branch Repeater for WAN optimization
Citrix's product for WAN optimization is the Citrix Branch Repeater. This family of products integrates network optimization with application, desktop and server virtualization.Continue Reading
Evaluating Blue Coat Systems' WAN optimization
Blue Coat Systems distinguishes itself as a WAN optimization vendor with strengths in security and application visibility. Learn important facts about Blue Coat's ProxySG and PacketShaper products.Continue Reading
Evaluating Silver Peak Systems for WAN optimization
Silver Peak Systems' WAN optimization product line addresses problems typically seen in the data center, including accelerating data backup, server and storage centralization, and real-time collaboration and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).Continue Reading
Evaluating Ipanema Technologies' WAN optimization
Ipanema Technologies provides WAN optimization to system integrators, VARs, and service providers. It offers extensive performance management in addition to acceleration and optimization technology.Continue Reading
WAN optimization vendors: Comparison methodology and snapshot
We polled the major WAN optimization vendors for product information and compiled it to help you make a vendor comparison. Here we list the main differences between WOC providers, in brief.Continue Reading
Evaluating Expand Networks accelerators for WAN optimization
Expand Networks' accelerators help WAN optimization by supporting branch office server consolidation, server-based computing and virtualization technologies, as well as low-bandwidth, high-latency links.Continue Reading
Evaluating Riverbed Steelhead WAN optimization
Riverbed Steelhead appliances for WAN optimization are focused on specific enterprise applications -- such as rich media, thin clients, Web apps and disaster recovery -- scalability and ease of installation.Continue Reading
Evaluating Cisco WAAS WAN optimization
Cisco WAAS is a family of WAN optimization products that integrate well into the network environment and offers broad application support through Cisco's partnerships.Continue Reading
Wireless or Ethernet LAN? An apples-to-apples cost comparison
Now that 802.11n has made wireless LAN faster and more reliable, network administrators are wondering: Wireless or Ethernet LAN? Until now Ethernet replacement hasn't been feasible, but 802.11n WLAN benefits are much more tangible now.Continue Reading
Integrating NAC with network security tools
Integrating network access control solutions with other network security tools and network inventory applications can produce a more complete user and machine identity to strengthen every policy across the network.Continue Reading
Choosing WAN connectivity and services wisely
This guide explores the evolution of the wide area network and the WAN connectivity services being developed to improve remote connections, including the use of services like MPLS, Ethernet, and the Internet.Continue Reading
Building targeted triple play services
Delivering effective triple play services can mean venturing into uncharted territory because different generations of customers want different types of services. This guide looks at how telecom providers can navigate network and operations systems ...Continue Reading
IT networking certifications and career paths for aspiring professionals
Here you'll find network career training and Cisco certification guidance for the aspiring IT professional. Find a career path for you before and after earning your degree, with these expert responses.Continue Reading
Networking vs. network security: How to choose the right certification
Network professionals have several career paths. Our site Cisco certification expert explains the appropriate certifications for networking and network security pros in this expert response.Continue Reading
Cisco Application Extension Platform v1.1
Cisco AXP is an open network module that facilitates development and hosting of branch applications directly onto the router platform.Continue Reading
How to evaluate and manage UTM for network security
Unified threat management (UTM) is a promising approach to consolidating security controls, including firewalls, intrusion prevention, anti-virus, content filtering, and reporting. There are, however, a number of operational issues that should be ...Continue Reading
Understanding the network application environment
Understanding the network application environment is critical to application performance management. In this tip, learn how application discovery and classification, network analysis, and business drivers affect your network application environment ...Continue Reading
Disabling IPv6 in Windows Vista -- Pros and cons
Windows Vista features a dual stack, running IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously. If your organization is still using only IPv4, there are IPv6 performance and security problems that can be countered by simply turning off IPv6. But there are also reasons ...Continue Reading
Application performance management: Developing a strategy
Application performance management is a critical task because application delivery can play a critical role in both revenue generation and corporate functionality. In this tip, learn how to develop a strategy for managing applications on your ...Continue Reading
What VLAN management software supports multiple vendor platforms?
Our network administration expert shows you which VLAN network management configuration and automation software supports multiple vendors and platforms, in this expert response.Continue Reading
HTTP error code troubleshooting, Part 2: How to use IIS tool WFetch
You can understand what's causing an HTTP error by looking at the error code, but sometimes that's not enough. In this tip, learn how to use network analysis tool WFetch, from Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Resource Kit, to ...Continue Reading
Network design and management for video and multimedia applications
Voice and video application deployments are booming. Organizations reporting the most success with their voice and multimedia deployments possess two key characteristics: They put sufficient resources into up-front network design, and they pay ...Continue Reading
Monitoring your enterprise network with Solarwinds' ipMonitor
In this short screencast and tip, David Davis demonstrates how Solarwinds' ipMonitor can help you monitor your enterprise network.Continue Reading
Measure wireless network performance using testing tool iPerf
In this tip, learn how to measure wireless networking performance with iPerf -- a tool that calculates TCP/UDP, throughput, loss and delay. Eliminate jitter, isolate bottlenecks of traffic, or monitor Wi-Fi or AP performance using this open source ...Continue Reading
Linksys WAP2000 Business Access Point: Review and configuration
Learn how to configure the Linksys WAP2000 Business Access Point, and find out its positive and negative points, in this review and configuration screencast. David Davis describes the features and best and worst points of the new Linksys WAP2000 ...Continue Reading
What are three vital pieces of criteria used to evaluate a network?
Learn what to look for when evaluating a network, including common problems with architecture.Continue Reading
How to interpret test scan results to assess network vulnerability
Once you've run some test scans with a network tool, how do you interpret the results to assess network vulnerability? Find out in this Ask the Expert response with our enterprise network security expert.Continue Reading
Structuring and modularizing the network -- from 'Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN)
Structuring and modularizing the network, Chapter 3 of "Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN), Second Edition" introduces a modular hierarchical approach to network design, the Cisco Enterprise Architecture. Following the discussion of ...Continue Reading
How to choose the best firewall for your enterprise
Learn how to choose the best firewall for your enterprise. This guide gives you purchasing advice, tells you which IT team is responsible for the perimeter security solution and offers a checklist of risks you must assess before making deciding ...Continue Reading
What network monitoring tools monitor all OSI layers?
To understand network monitoring in all Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layers, view this expert response.Continue Reading
Tool suites for identifying the problem -- from 'Network troubleshooting and diagnostics'
A baker can't bake a cake without a good cake pan, and a mechanic won't get very far in fixing your car without a solid wrench set. Though the tools for network administrators are different and more difficult to wrap your hands around than these ...Continue Reading
Network analysis -- Enhancing security assessments
Network security assessment doesn't have to rely on expensive automated tools. In this tip, learn how to use data from freely available tools to produce a comprehensive view of network security.Continue Reading
To evaluate network management, what criteria is there?
What are the criteria for evaluating how efficient your network management is? Find out in this expert response with Lindi Horton.Continue Reading
What are the criteria for evaluating an indoor wireless network?
In this Q&A., learn how to evaluate an indoor wireless network with criteria provided by expert Lisa Phifer.Continue Reading
Frame relay as a networking option
If you need to share data between business locations but wince at the cost of full time dedicated trunk lines, consider frame relay as a viable cost saving alternative.Continue Reading
Choosing a network access control (NAC) solution that is right for your network
This white paper is sponsored by ForeScout.This white paper examines three key functionality criteria a NAC solution must deliver in order to effectively operate in complex and diverse real-world networks. Read this paper and learn more about...Continue Reading
Top 10 learning tools
Explore our most popular in-depth information on topics such on bandwidth optimization, IP network design, network engineering, WLAN security, MPLS and more.Continue Reading
Checklist: Define requirements for new networking applications
In some companies, the in-house software development staff commonly develops and deploys applications outside the knowledge of the IT staff -- which can have dire consequences for the network. In this tip, Brien Posey explains why implementations go...Continue Reading
BackTrack: The gotta-have, free, network security tool you've never heard of
Get the power of Linux-based security tools on Windows with this free suite of open source security tools. Contributor and vulnerability assessment expert Kevin Beaver introduces BackTrack and explains its network security testing features.Continue Reading
network tracking tool (network device management program)
A network tracking tool, also called a network device management program, is a program that helps a network administrator keep track of moves, additions, and changes (known as MACs) to the hardware infrastructure of a network.Continue Reading
Open source network tools
Some of the most commonly used, enterprise-ready open source tools are used for networking applications; likewise, many networking tasks can be accomplished quickly and cheaply using open source tools. In this guide, we present advice and resources ...Continue Reading
SSL or IPsec VPNs: Considerations for comparison
Robbie Harrell discusses some of the questions one must consider when evaluating whether to choose Secure Socket Layer (SSL) instead of the more traditional IPsec.Continue Reading
Choosing the right flavor of 802.1X
Which of the nearly 50 defined EAP Types would work best in your WLAN? In this tip, we compare the most popular EAP Types used with 802.1X, authentication methods that can be supported by each, known vulnerabilities and suitable usage environments.Continue Reading
Wi-Fi vulnerability assessment checklist
Vulnerability assessments can help you find and fix WLAN weaknesses before attackers take advantage of them. But where do you start? What should you look for? Have you covered all the bases? This checklist will help to answer these questions.Continue Reading
What's the difference between a network assessment and an audit?
What are the advantages and disadvantages for pure IP over IP-enabled solutions?
Enterprise application deployment: The personal touch
Enterprise application deployments are not about software, but about people. Learn why it is the people involved at all levels who determine a deployed application's success or failure.Continue Reading
The network administrator's survival guide
This piece from contributor Douglas Chick presents a humorous look at surviving in your role as a network administrator.Continue Reading
Design, install and evaluate
Network administrator tips for designing, installing and evaluating your network.Continue Reading
The Holy Grail of five-nines reliability
Learn what five-nines reliability means and discover just how close to perfect it really is.Continue Reading
I need a very basic VPN solution to connect two offices to allow two servers to talk to one another.
Most popular viruses and hacking tools
Here are 2004's most popular hacker tools, viruses, remote tools, adware, spyware, Trojans and worms.Continue Reading
Choosing a wireless architecture
This article discusses important issues in choosing a wireless architecture and describes products from a small sampling of vendors.Continue Reading