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Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

• Straight-through cable: Learn about UTP wiring and color coding

  Straight-through UTP cables and CAT5 networks are discussed in this tip. Continue Reading

• Overview of the Gigabit Ethernet standard

  This lesson from our network cabling series reviews the Gigabit Ethernet standard, also known as 1000BASE, as well as variations of 10BASE Ethernet. Continue Reading

• Undersea cable sends Ethernet to observatory on ocean floor

  Thanks to donated undersea cabling from AT&T, the ALOHA Cabled Observatory provides real-time data from the ocean floor. It took a longtime networking pro to get it up to speed. Continue Reading

• In virtualized environments, importance of hardware remains

  It's tempting to get swept up in the hype around software-defined everything and cloud mania, but even in virtualized environments, networking hardware is still critical. Continue Reading

• Physical network gear isn't going anywhere

  For decades, hardware has reigned as king in the network, but the deluge of hype surrounding cloud, virtualization and software-defined networking has some asking how long physical network gear can hold on to its crown.

  As we see in this edition... Continue Reading

• Network fault management in today's complex data centers

  Network designs and technologies may change, but identifying -- and remediating -- faults is a fundamental task for today's system managers. Here's what you need to know.Continue Reading

• Wireless management in the cloud heralds transformation

  Placing wireless management in the cloud is gaining traction among enterprises as companies examine more efficient ways to oversee their networks. It's part of a shift that's affecting network infrastructure.Continue Reading

• What duties are in the network manager job description?

  Get the inside scoop on a network manager's job description, workload and responsibilities which keep an organization's network infrastructure running smoothly.Continue Reading

• Hardware vs. Software: The role of hardware in a software age

  In this software age, is there any role left for hardware? In our three-part guide, our experts' response is a resounding, "yes." It may feel like this is the era of Continue Reading

• Data center convergence enabled by SDN, SD storage

  As applications drive the need for massive storage capacity, data center convergence will be aided by software-defined storage and networking to enable private cloud architecture.Continue Reading

• Network designs for dynamic route pacing

  The new generation of network devices means network designs based on dynamic routing. But there are pitfalls to keep in mind.Continue Reading

• Visibility key to loving your WAN carrier

  Taking a few simple steps can help strengthen the relationship between your WAN carrier and IT management.Continue Reading

• IT's hardware evolution in this software-defined age

  There may be a software-defined revolution going on, but the hardware evolution continues. Learn why hardware retains its importance in networking today, even in this SDN age.Continue Reading

• How to build a VMware lab setup for testing

  Understanding what makes virtualization tick comes down to successful testing; find out how to build a VMware lab setup for testing at home.Continue Reading

• Purchasing the right network performance monitor for you

  Selecting the right enterprise network performance monitor system means understanding the tool's capabilities and how they can support your organization's specific needs.Continue Reading

• Dynamic virtual network services usher in connectivity revolution

  Dynamic virtual network services are using NFV to provide new enterprise services faster and cheaper by removing the need for expensive hardware deployments from the equation.Continue Reading

• Best video conferencing strategy: One size doesn't fit all

  For a long time, room-based video conferencing systems were the de facto choice for many enterprises in terms of quality and affordability. Early telepresence suites were rigid and expensive, and desktop video didn't have the best reputation for ...Continue Reading

• What does the Intent Framework do in the ONOS SDN platform?

  Our SDN expert looks at how the ONOS SDN platform uses an Intent Framework to let apps make their networking needs known to the controller using policy-based management.Continue Reading

• Proactive risk management: Managing the deluge of alerts

  In today's threat landscape, proactive risk management is needed to stay on top of a surge of network and security alerts.Continue Reading

• How many software-defined networking controllers are needed?

  SDN expert Will Murrell addresses how many software-defined networking controllers organizations need for policy control and network management and the value of investing in backup controllers.Continue Reading

• Binghamton University takes advantage of load balancing system

  Binghamton University implemented a new load balancing system from Array Networks to better deliver educational and other online services.Continue Reading

• Network management and monitoring: The evolution of network control

  The degree of network control IT pros possess is expanding with new features in network monitoring systems. Learn how these evolving tools can help you gain control of your network.Continue Reading

• Software-defined networking products to enable scalable container deployment

  Container deployments enable the rapid introduction of new applications, but they can also cause networking problems at scale. Analyst Lee Doyle says software-defined networking products will change that.Continue Reading

• Getting the most out of a managed WAN implementation

  Marketing materials paint a rosy picture, but a managed WAN implementation can be a challenge for enterprise network engineers.Continue Reading

• Managing apps requires holistic, reactive approach

  Managing apps' performance must be planned holistically with an eye to reactive management and proactive management.Continue Reading

• Network automation scripts: Separating myth from reality

  Network automation can make work easier, but be careful which processes you automate. Done wrong, automation can break more things than it fixes.Continue Reading

• Without robust networks, innovative IoT use cases go nowhere

  Behind every great application is a great network, and this is especially true for the Internet of Things. Its futuristic use cases often sound like something out of a science-fiction movie, and it takes a fast, reliable and Continue Reading

• Automated BSS and OSS models needed for new network operations

  Modernizing BSSes and OSSes to transform networks operations would be faster than changing the network itself and would save money before SDN and NFV savings start kicking in.Continue Reading

• Time to get 'Wi-Fi aware': How new tech affects the network

  The number of devices connecting to the network isn't going to slow down, which means the enterprise network has to keep up, and developments in Wi-Fi are central to this effort.

  Is your network infrastructure ready for the next stage of ...Continue Reading

• How a network security overview pays dividends

  In an age of heightened cybersecurity risks, companies still aren't spending enough to create a network security overview.Continue Reading

• Building enterprise network platforms for tomorrow

  As more and more devices become connected -- ushering in new management, security and big data challenges -- network platform requirements will continue to evolve.Continue Reading

• Planning for enterprise network testing

  Enterprise network testing provides network engineers with a deeper insight and understanding of a network's operations, enabling better service to users.Continue Reading

• Should I invest in formal SDN training, certification?

  Network engineer and software-defined networking pro Will Murrell considers whether formal SDN certification and training is worth the time, expense and effort.Continue Reading

• How Cisco's fog computing approach may fuel IoT

  The Internet of Things is led by Amazon, Azure and HTTP-tuned networks. But where does fog computing fit into the picture? Learn how Cisco's fog computing approach may fuel IoT.Continue Reading

• Cloud exchanges designed for WAN connections to public clouds

  Emerging cloud exchanges offer access to multiple cloud services via WAN links with the benefits of better security and network performance than the public Internet.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN makes secure networks possible in hybrid WANs

  As enterprises became more distributed over the years, a curious trend emerged: MPLS was no longer the golden child of the wide area ...Continue Reading

• A Wi-Fi design that can handle high density? Hallelujah!

  A contemporary church in Indiana celebrates its growing congregation, but an expansion creates networking challenges with its Wi-Fi design and wide area network.Continue Reading

• Virtual wires on the radar for future network infrastructure

  Due to changes in network infrastructure, running traffic over virtual wires could emerge from a combination of technologies, including SDN, NFV, virtualization and cloud.Continue Reading

• Get hands-on with the Open Network Operating System

  It's time to dive in with ONOS. Network pro Patrick Hubbard shares his recent experiences testing the open SDN operating system, and how you can try it, too.Continue Reading

• SDN training priorities for enterprises

  SDN promises to change how networking pros work. Analyst Shamus McGillicuddy shares the top priorities of enterprises tackling SDN retraining.Continue Reading

• Apply network analytics to more quickly solve service issues

  With little tolerance for unplanned downtime, IT is under pressure. Applying network analytics can help troubleshoot problems faster and more accurately, and prevent service issues down the line.Continue Reading

• The virtualized network alters data center plans

  The virtualized network is outstripping hardware and fundamentally altering data center plans, though in the long run, it has the chance to revolutionize them.Continue Reading

• SDN network security: Building a safer architecture

  Software-defined networking may hold the key to better security. Networking expert Lee Doyle explains how to strengthen SDN network security to prevent breaches.Continue Reading

• When network reliability matters more than performance

  In the world of motorsport, there's no question that speed is everything. But for the IT team that supports this Formula 1 team, network reliability is the top priority.Continue Reading

• Unusual network locations: How engineers make it work

  Almost anyone who has installed a network knows that much of it cannot be done from the relative comfort of an office chair. Whether you have to mount wireless access points on ceilings or pull Ethernet cables behind the walls, challenging ...Continue Reading

• Good networking principles prevent SD-WAN glitches

  SD-WANs can create new risks and challenges, but they also offer new rewards if users follow good networking principles.Continue Reading

• How can I get started with SDN technologies?

  Networking expert Lee Doyle explains how network architects can get started using software-defined networking technologies -- whether in the campus network, WAN or data center.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure forcing new thinking for networks

  Hyper-converged infrastructure not only drives new thinking about networks, it fundamentally changes some trusted networking techniques.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

• Is fabric necessary for network virtualization overlay?

  A fabric topology may become necessary at some point, but for now, you can get away without one for your SDN overlay.Continue Reading

• Using a WAN optimizer sounds great, until it doesn't work

  When a new WAN optimizer feature was added to the network, it appeared it would improve performance -- but it didn't.Continue Reading

• IPv6 connectivity: Ignore at your own peril

  Gathering knowledge on IPv6 connectivity and implementation is critical to success in modern IP networking.Continue Reading

• 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

• What is the role of the security operations center in SDN?

  As SDN continues to gain traction, it's important that security keeps pace. Expert John Burke explains the role of the security operations center in a software-defined network.Continue Reading

• Starbucks is increasingly a free wireless ISP

  Brands are increasingly defined by their networks. Starbucks leads the way in becoming a retail -- and free -- wireless ISP.Continue Reading

• The new WAN: How SDN changes wide area network operations

  SDN promises to transform the wide area network. Network pros should consider how SD-WAN will also change operational and organizational needs.Continue Reading

• How to manage Wireshark display filters

  Wireshark display tools such as capture and packet filtering offer critical insights into network functioning, but only if properly understood and managed.Continue Reading

• Exploring OpenDaylight Project internals

  Diving into ODL Project internals as an engineer can be daunting, but doing so can lead to a richer understanding of the SDN platform. First, you'll need some new tools.Continue Reading

• Network configuration management tools could pave the way to SDN

  Could network configuration management tools be IT administrators' best way to prepare for SDN? One observer says "yes."Continue Reading

• How new technologies are reshaping MiTM attacks

  MiTM attacks are including wireless networks among their targets, targeting vulnerabilities in applications, browsers, mobile, IoT and the cloud.Continue Reading

• 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

• Here comes Wave 2: 802.11ac reaches new heights

  There are two things every network engineer can expect to perpetually increase: the need for more bandwidth and the number of mobile devices on a wireless network.

  The first generation of wireless access points (APs) based on the 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

• How to build the NFV business case

  Building a compelling business case for NFV is challenging, but essential. Telecom expert Tom Nolle explains how to convince CFOs that the time is right for implementation.Continue Reading

• Developing consistent information security policy management

  Never-ending network challenges mean IT and business leaders need to adopt a unified information security policy management platform.Continue Reading

• Why application delivery platforms remain a vital technology

  Cloud-based or on-premises application delivery platforms are growing in importance to enterprises. Once called 'load balancers,' the more common terms are 'application delivery controllers,' or 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

• What are the WLAN benefits of 802.11ac vs. 802.11n?

  In analyzing wireless 802.11ac versus 802.11n, our expert says the advantages of 802.11ac are many, but the engineering has to be spot on.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

• Are enterprises ready to use SDN yet?

  Software-defined networking (SDN) gained early traction with the companies that had the resources to deploy it and a clear, immediate need for its benefits: cloud providers, carriers and hyper-scale data center operators. They were 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

• What is the status of OPNFV?

  Implementing NFV remains a daunting task, but Open Platform for NFV offers a path forward. Our expert explains where the open source platform stands today and where it's headed.Continue Reading

• How to use network orchestration for video and voice QoS

  Walk through how to use tools like Ansible, Jinja2 and YAML to orchestrate real-time video and voice QoS across traditional network devices without full SDN.Continue Reading

• Wi-Fi Aware and its impact on the enterprise

  Wi-Fi Aware offers application-driven, personalized, proximity-based services that detect local capabilities. What does the new face of Wi-Fi innovation look like?Continue Reading

• SDN will play key role in mobile network security

  SDN will serve as a critical tool in the fight to secure the mobile network, thanks to its adaptability, which will allow it to address new threats as they emerge and evolve.Continue Reading

• 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

• Data center switch software: Beyond speeds and feeds

  There is so much more to networking software than software-defined networking. In the data center, 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

• Network engineer skills for an SDN world

  To compete in a software-defined industry, networking professionals need to learn and adapt. Expert Terry Slattery explains which network engineer skills are most important in SDN.Continue Reading

• 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

• How to select the best network monitoring tool

  Enterprise employees now rely heavily on network connections to run critical applications and otherwise conduct daily business. That makes the networking professional's ability to monitor and manage the network mission-critical. Network pros require...Continue Reading

• Time to erase IT friction between InfoSec, NetOps

  IT friction between your security and network operations personnel sap productivity. Maybe it's time for everyone to work together.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

• 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

• Infrastructure convergence offers high availability, improved ops

  When Patrick Hubbard's iPhone falls into a pool, he is reminded about the value of converged infrastructure.Continue Reading

• SDN monitoring means new transitions for engineers

  SDN network management means tools are transforming from listening mode to active mode.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

• The future of WAN optimization: SD-WAN

  Network managers today are less likely to be sweating over how traffic from traditional applications like SharePoint performs over the wide area network (WAN) compared to cloud apps that users access via the Internet.

  This shift, along with ...Continue Reading

• Software containers can create problems in the network

  Software containers offer attractive alternatives to hypervisors, but in large-scale deployments, they can cause problems for network engineers.Continue Reading

• Mobile, video content delivery key to next-gen metro networks

  SDN and NFV applications could be the answer to make mobile and video content delivery in the metro network more agile for delivering enterprise services.Continue Reading

• Overcoming the challenges of wiring farm networks

  The sound of mooing and the smell of diesel fuel are just part of what makes wiring a farm for networking a special experience.Continue Reading

• Tools you need to become your own network cloud manager

  An ever-increasing percentage of enterprise workloads is moving to the cloud. Now is the time for IT pros to acquire the cloud-monitoring tools a next-gen network requires.Continue Reading

• The tools that network cloud managers need now

  If the trend continues, enterprises could have more than half of their applications in the cloud by 2020. Increased cloud adoption introduces the issue of how to manage the network for high-quality performance across a variety of access links. This ...Continue Reading

• How do you anchor mobile network optimization?

  A successful mobility strategy hinges on how well users can get their jobs done across a variety of devices, operating systems and locations, according to an expert.Continue Reading

• Cisco to acquire maintenance agreements tracker MaintenanceNet

  Cisco plans to acquire maintenance agreements tracker MaintenanceNet. The $139 million deal is expected to help resellers.Continue Reading

• SN blogs: Cybersecurity vendors the new Pets.com?

  Analysts say the addition of Cisco and Accenture will help efforts to standardize IoT wireless efforts, but hurdles remain.Continue Reading

• Masergy's NFV platform: An app store for virtual network functions

  Masergy's new NFV platform acts like an app store for virtual network functions. One possible hurdle: Convincing enterprises the software is secure.Continue Reading

• Gaining business intelligence from network data analysis

  Harvesting your networking data to generate business intelligence can be done -- if you know how to begin.Continue Reading

• SN blogs: Ensuring access point security remains puzzle

  Industry analysts discuss steps to protect WLANs against honeypot APs and how Juniper's alliance with Ruckus could shake up the market.Continue Reading