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Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

• Networking tutorials

  SearchNetworking.com’s tutorials are a great resource for technical tips and valuable best practices on routing, switching, network security, network/systems management, convergence/VoIP and wireless LANs, so that IT professionals can keep their ... Continue Reading

• Live migration networking: Enter long-distance data center bridging

  Live migration networking poses all sorts of challenges, including the potential need for long-distance data center bridging that results in traffic trombones. When it comes to server virtualization networking, is it possible to avoid the pitfalls? Continue Reading

• Time to upgrade from 100 Mbps to Gigabit Ethernet on the network edge?

  While 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet might provide enough bandwidth for your campus network today, a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) upgrade on the network edge may prepare the local area network for the coming convergence. Weigh the factors in moving forward or ... Continue Reading

• Do Web application firewalls complicate enterprise security strategy?

  Using Web application firewalls should only be one slice of your overall enterprise network security strategy. Even then, users must be aware that application firewalls can leave behind vulnerabilities. Continue Reading

• Endpoint power management: Energy savings through network monitoring?

  Many network monitoring and security tools have been expanded to include power management and policy enforcement features. Find out what the Tolly Group learned when it tested Lumension’s endpoint power management software. 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

• How remote users change WAN connection and bandwidth requirements

  The growth of remote users entering an increasingly virtual workplace is putting stress on WAN connections and bandwidth. How should network technology evolve to meet the demands of teleworkers? Find out in this article.Continue Reading

• Optimizing 802.11n for voice over wireless LAN

  Understand the impacts that 802.11n can have on voice applications and discover techniques to deliver toll-quality voice over wireless LAN, including WMM prioritization, call admission and fast roaming. You’ll gain insight into why a well-designed ...Continue Reading

• Deploying 802.11n for improved wireless LAN performance

  This series examines how deploying 802.11n can improve your enterprise’s wireless LAN performance enabling mobility services that make workforces informed and productive. With 802.11n you can extend your network to deliver multimedia over wireless ...Continue Reading

• 802.11n WLAN design best practices

  Discover best practices for designing and deploying an 802.11n wireless LAN, from RF design and band/channel selection to access point placement for coverage and capacity. After reading this section, you will understand where to start when adding ...Continue Reading

• 802.11n migration: Supporting legacy devices

  Lisa Phifer explains how your 802.11n migration provides support for legacy client devices that are already used for best-effort data applications like Internet access and email, identifying best practices for migration. After reading this section, ...Continue Reading

• Delivering video over your 802.11n wireless LAN

  Learn about delivering video over your 802.11n wireless LAN. Discover the features that affect video streaming, and identify benefits and limitations related to techniques like multicast and airtime fairness that must be considered in order to ...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

• How to use an edge firewall for network bandwidth management

  These five tips will help your organization apply quality-of-service controls on a network perimeter firewall.Continue Reading

• How to prepare enterprise WANs for MPLS/VPN integration

  How should IT professionals prepare their enterprise WANs (wide area networks) for an MPLS VPN integration? Find out using the steps described in this tip.Continue Reading

• File transfer methods: How can WAN managers improve the process?

  In the first part of this interview with Dan Sullivan, author of 'The Shortcut Guide to Eliminating Insecure and Unreliable File Transfer Methods,' WAN managers can find answers on how file transfer methods need to change and which parts of the ...Continue Reading

• How is MPLS different from SONET and ATM networks?

  WAN managers face an array of technology possibilities, like SONET, ATM and MPLS, being pitched to them by every service provider. Making sense of these terms, and the differences between the technologies, will enable organizations to make an ...Continue Reading

• How to accelerate encrypted traffic using WAN optimization

  WAN optimization controllers (WOCs) solve branch office server consolidation problems, but not all those around encrypted traffic. Learn how certain wide area network optimization techniques can handle data and the CIFS protocol, in this section of ...Continue Reading

• Network security infrastructure consolidation: What's your strategy?

  Network security hardware and software vendors are offering enterprises options to consolidate network security infrastructure so that they can reduce management overhead and power consumption in the data center. But enterprises must avoid adding ...Continue Reading

• VDI over the WAN: How latency affects virtual desktop performance

  VDI performance problems can plague global deployments, thanks to latency. But WAN optimization, QoS and WAN monitoring tools can help VDI over the WAN.Continue Reading

• The best branch office technology choices for remote management

  One way to simplify remote management is to consolidate the number of individual point products at the branch into “all-in-one” or “branch-in-a-box” products. Their prime advantage is consolidation of remote management functions. Find out which ...Continue Reading

• How to define remote office structure to simplify branch IT management

  Individual branch offices often become islands from the perspective of a corporate wide area network (WAN) manager. This can be overcome by implementing a model that organizes branches into a manageable structure. Branch IT management can be tricky....Continue Reading

• Virtualization networking guide: Managing virtualization

  Networking professionals must understand how server virtualization affects the network. This virtualization networking guide examines capacity planning for virtual server networking, managing virtual networks through distributed virtual switching, ...Continue Reading

• A cloud computing tutorial for WAN managers

  If your company is considering cloud services, check out this cloud computing tutorial that will walk you through what wide area network (WAN) managers need to know about cloud computing technology, which cloud types work for the enterprise, the ...Continue Reading

• How to apply network virtualization to a wide area network (WAN)

  How can you apply network virtualization technology to an enterprise wide area network (WAN)? Allocating bandwidth and improving network management and performance are just a sampling of what WAN managers can do better. In this primer, discover ...Continue Reading

• Talari Networks' APN appliances offer low-cost, reliable WANs

  Talari Networks' adaptive private networking (APN) appliances can lower the cost of your networking services while giving your enterprise higher reliability and more bandwidth. Sound too good to be true? Read about the pros and cons of using this ...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

• How to plan an out-of-band network management system

  To design out-of-band network management systems that are both cost efficient and effective, networking teams must consider which assets are crucial for visibility and just how much information they need to see.Continue Reading

• How to set up an SSTP VPN to secure your enterprise network

  Learn how to set up an SSTP VPN (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Virtual Private Network) connection in order to secure the remote users on your enterprise wide area network (WAN). These instructions explain step-by-step what is required to create ...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

• CCNA quiz: Test your skills from routing configuration to VLANs

  In this CCNA quiz, you can test yourself on a number of skills found in the CCNA certification study guide, ranging from Cisco IOS router configuration to setting up VLANs with Cisco switches and monitoring spanning tree protocol operation.Continue Reading

• Smart grid tutorial: What IT managers should know

  This smart grid tutorial explains what enterprise IT managers should know about the technology and how it will be applied to your business's wide area network (WAN).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

• Managing virtualization networking: Virtual network switch challenges

  Managing virtualization networking is a real challenge for network admins since they often don't have control of virtual network switches and the traffic that runs inside servers. But there are some solutions by way of virtualization networking ...Continue Reading

• Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)

  The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is an Internet protocol that provides a way for an Internet computer to report its multicast group membership to adjacent routers.Continue Reading

• device relationship management (DRM)

  Device relationship management (DRM) is enterprise software that enables the monitoring, managing, and servicing of intelligent devices over the Internet.Continue Reading

• What is a WAN manager's role in storage?

  Bandwidth, data deduplication, disaster recovery (DR) and remote site acceleration and optimization are all areas where storage and WAN managers' job responsibilities overlap. This article explains how and answers the question, 'What is a wide area ...Continue Reading

• Types of cloud computing services WAN managers should consider

  WAN managers can benefit greatly from understanding the different types of cloud computing services available to them. Understand how SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, security, network, systems, and project planning services can be used to benefit your enterprise ...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

• Can automated network configuration management save you from errors?

  Network configuration automation promises to cut out manual configuration change, saving time and eliminating human error.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

• Improving network troubleshooting methodology, IP address management

  A growing airport reinvented its network troubleshooting methodology and approach to IP address management by scrapping a network management product that wasn't working out and replacing it with SolarWinds' Orion product suite.Continue Reading

• Benchmarking core switches: Modeling techniques for switch testing

  When it comes to benchmarking core switches, network managers find that testing tools are costly, so it may be worth using switch traffic modeling for testing core switch performance.Continue Reading

• Integrated wireless network management systems work across infrastructures

  Enterprises must implement integrated wireless network management systems that are user-aware and offer end-to-end visibility but also provide the drill-down capabilities of wired network management systems.Continue Reading

• Bandwidth measurement and management guide

  Today's enterprise applications are demanding more and more network bandwidth. How do you ensure you have enough bandwidth and manage it well? Find out with the resources in our bandwidth measurement and management guide.Continue Reading

• Network penetration testing guide

  This network penetration testing guide reveals how to use penetration testing tools and best practices for conducting a penetration test.Continue Reading

• Types of penetration tests

  Learn about different types of penetration tests in part four of our series on this ethical hacking technique that can help security professionals evaluate the effectiveness of information security measures within their organizations.Continue Reading

• Penetration testing strategies

  Learn penetration testing strategies, ethical hacking techniques to help security professionals evaluate the effectiveness of information security measures within their organizations.Continue Reading

• Penetration testing methodology and standards

  Penetration testing methodology and standards are key to success for this ethical hacking technique that can help security professionals evaluate information security measures.Continue Reading

• SSL VPN tutorial

  Some companies see SSL VPNs as a simpler, cheaper way to provide remote access to corporate data. Find out about SSL VPN usage, compare IPsec vs. SSL and decide what's right for your network in this SSL VPN tutorial.Continue Reading

• IP network design guide: Managing an IP-based network

  Network design underlies the performance of your enterprise IP network. This four part guide by Cormac Long offers you a comprehensive roadmap to designing IP-based networks, from the basic principles involved to the more complex finishing touches.Continue Reading

• Performing a penetration test

  Part 2 in our series on penetration testing, an ethical hacking technique, to help security professionals evaluate the effectiveness of information security measures within their organizations.Continue Reading

• Testing 10 gigabit Ethernet switch latency: What to look for

  Testing 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches means going beyond just speed to examine potential latency. Testing 10 gigabit Ethernet switch latency requires choosing the right switches and testing tools and recreating your track flow in just the right way.Continue Reading

• How to test LAN switch energy efficiency

  Vendors promise energy-efficient networks, but they often can't provide actual measurements for LAN switch power consumption. In this best practices guide, learn methods for measuring LAN switch energy efficiency.Continue Reading

• Testing LAN switch power consumption: A best practices guide

  LAN switch power consumption testing is as crucial as benchmarking speeds and feeds on switches. Enterprises that develop a set of best practices for testing network power consumption will save millions in op-ex annually.Continue Reading

• Out-of-band network management ensures data center network uptime

  Enterprises with extremely high uptime requirements for their data center networks will spend the extra money on out-of-band network management. The New York Stock Exhange (NYSE Euronext) has built a Force10 network to manage its Juniper production ...Continue Reading

• Outsourcing strategies for next-generation network operations

  Telecom service providers are implementing outsourcing strategies for network operations to deal with increasingly complex next-generation network infrastructure, fast-paced service deployment and a shortage of engineers with cutting-edge skills.Continue Reading

• 802.11n WLAN architecture strategies: The 2.4 vs. 5 ghz. band debate

  802.11n WLAN architecture that enables use of both 2.4 ghz band and 5 ghz band can result in stronger WLAN performance and the ability to handle more clients and applications on the network. The Farpoint Group tested the theory in a Cisco WLAN ...Continue Reading

• Network device management overload: Engineers managing too many boxes

  The number of devices in enterprise networks is growing, but the size of the network engineering teams is not. Engineers need to turn to network automation, standardization and network management outsourcing to keep on top of things.Continue Reading

• How to plan for 802.11n wireless LAN upgrades

  802.11n WLAN upgrades mean more than just implementing new antennas and access points. 802.11n network requirements include the need for more power and controller capacity, as well as complex management and monitoring tools.Continue Reading

• Distributed network management means no more hard NOCs

  Distributed network management with out-of-band networks enables enterprises to move away from network operations centers, becoming eco-friendly and spending less.Continue Reading

• Extending NAC enforcement to network security devices

  NAC enforcement tools can be extended to network security and management devices -- and in return user and machine identity can be integrated into firewalling, VPN, application access, intrusion prevention and detection and anti-virus control.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

• Deploying 802.11n access points: Best practices

  802.11n access points offer greater speed, footprint and ability to support demanding applications than their 802.11a/b/g counterparts, but they require different configuration, monitoring and management. Learn strategies for 802.11n deployment.Continue Reading

• VPN, remote access security best practices

  Keeping workers connected to the corporate network increasingly requires greater reliance on virtual private networks. Find out more about site-to-site VPN and connecting mobile and remote workers, as well as what protocols are used.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

• WAN management: Palo Alto adds traffic shaping, QoS, to firewalls

  Firewall vendor Palo Alto Networks has added quality of service and traffic shaping capabilities to its firewall operating system. The new features transform the notion of the traditional firewall into a WAN management technology.Continue Reading

• Rogue access points: Preventing, detecting and handling best practices

  Allowing end users to add wireless devices to your network poses security threats. These rogue access points serve as unsecured gateways to your enterprise's data. Our two experts, Lisa Phifer and Michael Gregg, explain how to prevent, detect and ...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

• Beamforming, RF management key to 802.11n wireless LAN success

  Ruckus Wireless introduced beamforming to 802.11n wireless LAN, taking aim at the RF management techniques of Cisco and other rivals.Continue Reading

• How the NetFlow protocol monitors your WAN

  Learn how the NetFlow protocol, developed by Cisco and recently opened as an IETF standard, can monitor your WAN traffic and perform a number of other network monitoring tasks.Continue Reading

• How to monitor and manage your data center network

  A large part of designing and building a good data center network is making sure you can monitor and manage it effectively. This tip covers some issues that complicate managing data center networks and provides an overview of the monitoring options ...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

• How a new casino manages a giant network with 500 switches, IP voice

  When Station Casinos built its newest property, Aliante Hotel & Casino, a new computing model for slot machines forced the company to deploy a network that was 10 times bigger than anything it had built before. Find out how it was done and how the ...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

• How to upgrade Windows Server 2003 to Server 2008

  Use these resources recommended by our network administration expert to upgrade from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, in this expert response.Continue Reading

• Which OSI layers are network managers responsible for?

  Learn which layers of the OSI model network managers should be responsible for. Our expert, Lindi Horton, explains where to focus your manual operations, especially regarding automated operation tasks.Continue Reading

• Top Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scripting books, websites

  Once you've learned how to write Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scripts to manage various aspects of Windows-based networks, check out the top resources recommended for your study. In this tip, Mitch Tulloch lists the best books and ...Continue Reading

• Best practices for service delivery: Translating customer needs into network services

  Telecom service providers can provide successful network services to enterprise customers by adopting best practices that help identify customer needs, create realistic project plans, and develop on-time, on-budget implementation strategies.Continue Reading

• Best practices for securing your wireless LAN

  Perhaps the biggest network security concern for many enterprises is securing a wireless local area network (WLAN). This three-part expert lesson provides best practices for securing a WLAN in the enterprise. Lesson 1 focuses on methods of ...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

• The changing requirements of telecom operations and business support systems

  Operations support systems (OSSs) have always been essential software tools for the telecom industry, but as networks converge on IP, and business relationships and standards change, there is more emphasis on OSSs than ever before. This Telecom ...Continue Reading

• IEEE 802.11w protects wireless LAN management frames

  The IEEE 802.11w wireless encryption standard builds on the 802.11i framework to protect against subtle attacks on wireless LAN (WLAN) management frames. It will increase the confidence of network managers that applications such as wireless VoIP can...Continue Reading

• Properties of Windows Management Instrumentation: Managing Windows networks using scripts, Part 12

  Learn how to display all properties of any Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) class in this tip on how to manage Windows networks using scripts.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

• Why haven't I received my CCNA certification? I passed the test.

  Find out who to contact when your CCNA certification hasn't arrived from Cisco.Continue Reading

• 802.11 protocols

  Learn about the newest wireless protocol, 802.11n, as well as how to evaluate which protocol is best for your environment. You also get a run-down of the 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g specifications in this guide.Continue Reading

• More remote scripting tricks: Managing Windows networks using scripts, Part 11

  Learn a remote scripting trick and how to use Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) to remotely query for local administrators in this tip from the series Managing Windows networks using scripts.Continue Reading

• Remote scripting tips and tricks -- Managing Windows networks using scripts, Part 10

  Learn how to manage your Windows networks using scripts with these two tricks involving remote scripting using WMI scripts written in VBScript.Continue Reading

• Network management frameworks: FCAPS and ITIL

  Network management is a complex topic, especially as the network has to handle more instances of unified communications, video, and virtualization. Thus far, two frameworks exist that can be of some use for understanding and taming network ...Continue Reading

• Distributed antenna system streamlines wireless management

  Distributed antenna systems can help simplify wireless deployments, particularly for those charged with managing multiple systems.Continue Reading

• Understanding remote scripting -- Managing Windows networks using scripts, part 9

  It's all well and good to jump in and try things -- such as managing Windows networks using scripts -- but sometimes we hit a wall when we do this. Learning the fundamentals can often help us avoid the wall. In this tip from his series on managing ...Continue Reading

• Network planning, monitoring and management using modeling

  Networked services have become the most popular architecture for delivering enterprise services today. New demands placed on the network are forcing a change to traditional network planning, monitoring and management techniques. Network modeling or ...Continue Reading

• OA&M (operations, administration, and management)

  OA&M (operations, administration, and management) is a general term used to describe the costs, tasks involved, or other aspects of operating, administering, and managing something such as a computer network.Continue Reading

• Upgrading to 802.11n: Key considerations

  802.11n physical and link layer enhancements could significantly increase your WLAN's speed, capacity, reach and reliability. But realizing this potential requires proper deployment: Your 802.11n upgrade must be explicitly designed to satisfy your ...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

• Upgrading your network: Top tips and timesavers

  This SearchNetworking.com handbook will explore the challenges, best practices and essential technologies for responding to the shortcomings of today's network, as well as future-proofing your network for tomorrow's business challenges. We offer ...Continue Reading

• 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

• How asset management can benefit your network

  Asset management combines and impacts network operations that touch every part of the organization. Auto-discovery of infrastructure inventory provides an accurate accounting of what's there, frequently uncovering "lost," underutilized and phantom ...Continue Reading