Tips

Tips

• Self-organizing networks could be next-gen OSS model

  The concept of self-organizing networks emerging from LTE and IMS technology may offer service providers a new telecom OSS model for broad service operations management that automates processes and enables lower operations costs for high-volume, ...  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 IP routing configuration: Static and dynamic RIPv2

  With the removal of OSPF in Microsoft Windows Server 2008, your IP routing options are static routing or dynamic routing with RIPv2. In this tip, learn whether you should use static or dynamic routing, and see the IP routing configuration of each.  Continue Reading

• Remote, branch office VPN access with DSL

  Connecting multiple branch or remote offices to the main office can be done easily over DSL with a typical IPsec VPN solution; explore the options, including using a Cisco router.  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

• Cisco Unified Computing System vs. VMware vSphere 4

  In the Cisco Unified Computing System vs. VMware vSphere 4 battle, find out which company is more likely to be the first to bring private clouds to data centers.  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

• Determining IPsec tunneling, bandwidth capacity

  VPN router tunnels, including IPsec tunnels, are demystified in this tip as well as bandwidth management and determining bandwidth capacity for router tunnels.  Continue Reading

• Reduce TCP congestion, packet loss on the WAN with SACK and FACK

  TCP robustness and packet loss can be reduced with the use of the SACK and FACK algorithms on the WAN. Find out how these algorithms can help reduce congestion on the network.  Continue Reading

• GRE tunnel vs. IPsec tunnel: What is the difference?

  Encapsulating a packet for secure transportation on the network can be done using either GRE or IPsec protocols. This tip explains under what circumstances each protocol works best.  Continue Reading

• Interpreting bandwidth utilization graphs

  Network bandwidth utilization graphs can help determine if an enterprise has the right amount of bandwidth. Find out more about interpreting the graphs and finding the solution the fits the best.  Continue Reading

• Router virtualization: Developing effective networking strategies

  As new router and network virtualization technologies become a reality, telecom carriers need to weigh lower capital costs against realistic operations costs to see whether it's worth replacing parallel networks.  Continue Reading

• VPLS: A secure LAN cloud solution for some, not all

  VPLS can be the right solution for enterprise customers using non-IP protocols and for disaster recovery scenarios, as long as service providers and customers understand the security implications and don't get swept away with the hype.  Continue Reading

• Satisfying the need for WAN speed

  Improving the performance and throughput of a WAN usually starts with a basic understanding of speed limitations and capacity. While the common view is faster is better, in the land of WANs and other areas of networking, it is all about distance, ...  Continue Reading

• Converged Enhanced Ethernet: New protocols enhance data center Ethernet

  10 Gigabit Ethernet performance in the data center is improving. Network traffic and packet loss issues are being solved with new, more efficient protocols.  Continue Reading

• Carrier Ethernet: Big picture issues for carrier deployment

  Carrier Ethernet standards were designed to address Ethernet technology's shortcomings in access and core networks and in site-to-site transport to bring Ethernet to carrier grade. This tip addresses additional telecom service provider issues in ...  Continue Reading

• Three 4G business models emerge for LTE and WiMAX

  4G evolution talk is all the rage, but the best business models for wireless broadband technologies aren't in sharp focus yet. Wireless operators have to decide whether to deploy WiMAX or LTE for their 4G networks, and knowing their customers' ...  Continue Reading

• WAN design: What to consider

  WAN design includes taking many factors into consideration. Network managers must start with business goals and technology requirements, then use techniques including discovery, network analysis, and simulation to determine the network architecture ...  Continue Reading

• Questions to ask to determine WAN bandwidth requirements

  When addressing bandwidth management, business and technical issues cannot be overlooked. This means that as a network manager you must identify all the key factors that affect bandwidth usage and requirements. This article walks through collecting ...  Continue Reading

• WAN capacity planning: Building a methodology

  Successful WAN capacity planning depends on many factors and how they work together. This article provides network managers with a starting point for understanding how to measure and predict network capacity and provides a 10-step methodology to ...  Continue Reading

• FTTx: Three considerations for deployment planning

  Fiber may be the most effective way to deliver high-speed bandwidth, but three main FTTx deployment considerations for service delivery will affect each provider's cost/benefit analysis. Find out what network operators need to consider in selecting ...  Continue Reading

• 802.11n's impact on WLAN security

  802.11n wireless LANs offer many benefits over 802.11a/b/g for not only performance but also network security. However, 802.11n can also bring new security threats. As businesses move full steam ahead toward bigger, faster WLANs, many factors must ...  Continue Reading

• Choosing customer MPLS VPN routing protocols

  Providing customers with MPLS VPNs puts the issue of which IP protocols to use in the network front and center. Telecom service providers prefer BGP, but enterprise customers often prefer other options. This expert article looks at a range of ...  Continue Reading

• Configure network monitoring for optimal performance

  Networking monitoring systems can use a lot of bandwidth to accomplish their task of monitoring the network. The more devices you monitor and the more up-to-date you want that monitoring to be, the more bandwidth your monitoring system will eat away...  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

• A new vision for telecom network transformation

  To maintain revenue from transporting bits over their networks, telecom operators must adopt a new vision of transformation, plus a new model to monetize network investment. Think supermarket, with basic supplies and premium products, which means ...  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

• Building the network infrastructure in your data center

  The network architect must help contribute to an energy-efficient and cost-effective data center network design -- without sacrificing performance. This can be accomplished by choosing optimal networking equipment. This tip discusses some ...  Continue Reading

• Power and cooling considerations for data center network design

  The network architect involved in data center design needs to be aware of issues that factor into networking the data center beyond the network itself. This tip will introduce physical facilities considerations of data center design, such as power ...  Continue Reading

• Using NAT Traversal and IPsec Passthrough together

  NAT Traversal and IPsec Passthrough are two different solutions to tunneling encrypted packets through an NAT-ing device like a firewall. Learn to configure them without conflict.  Continue Reading

• Redundant routers and network segmentation

  This tip investigates a routing configuration using a router for each switch -- or redundant router architecture -- on the WAN, and discusses a common failure scenario that is somewhat difficult to defend against: a segmented network.  Continue Reading

• Redundancy on the WAN: Routers for backup circuits

  When improving redundancy with a backup WAN circuit between two sites, the network architect must decide whether there should be two routers, with one for each circuit, or whether both circuits should plug into the same router. In this tip, Tom ...  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

• IPsec VPN clients

  Here's a list of IPsec clients that run on many systems. See what they have to offer and what they are often missing.  Continue Reading

• The VPN Expert: VPN client alternatives, part 2 -- PPTP

  Lisa Phifer discusses one widely available type of "free" client: those used in Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol VPNs.  Continue Reading

• Advanced OpenVPN configuration

  This article deals with some features of advanced OpenVPN configuration like protecting clients through a firewall behind a tunnel, distributed compilation through VPN tunnels with distcc and authentication methods.  Continue Reading

• Modeling can be key to capacity planning

  Planning for the future of your network sometimes requires rigorous planning and modeling. In this tip, Ed Tittel shows how a free modeling tool just may come to your rescue.  Continue Reading

• Configuring a VRF

  Doug Downer demonstrates how to configure a VPN Routing and Forwarding (VRF) in an instance where a service provider needs to keep Internet services separate for two different clients on shared devices.  Continue Reading

• Network planning: Bandwidth utilization

  Network planning is explained in this tip on bandwidth utilization.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting WAN performance issues

  Isolating the root cause of a WAN performance issue is critical, and having the right tools or managed services in place is imperative. Those tools can help determine whether the root cause of the problem lies in the application; the carrier network...  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

• Bandwidth: Calculate current and future requirements

  Increased bandwidth, and factors influencing the need for it, are considered in this tip. Network engineers will discover best practices for estimating current and future bandwidth needs.  Continue Reading

• Broadband VPN bandwidth issues

  VPN bandwidth presents a serious challenge when the VPN is connected over broadband Internet connections. Vendors tout the ability to provide bandwidth controls and QoS, but you must consider that the traffic will be in the same queue as any other ...  Continue Reading

• Using MPLS TE to avoid core network congestion

  Telecom service providers with high-bandwidth core networks inevitably face link congestion. To help you deal with router architecture proactively, IP expert Ivan Pepelnjak offers advice on reintroducing virtual circuits in the core IP network using...  Continue Reading

• Virtualization to fundamentally change telecom networks

  Virtualization will be the new model for service provider network infrastructure, and if it is effective, carrier revenue will increase while capex and opex decrease. Juniper is leading the way with a new router virtualization switching fabric that ...  Continue Reading

• Telecom operators need vendor help to justify new investment benefits

  Telecom network operators need to justify the value of new equipment purchases, and vendors need to help them define the benefits if telecom revenue is to recover now that voice is no longer king. The question is: Will vendors step up to the plate ...  Continue Reading

• Network performance and throughput in server virtualization environments

  Network performance and throughput are crucial areas where server virtualization can affect the data center network. These need attention from networking professionals. As organizations expand their use of server virtualization, the data center ...  Continue Reading

• How to use Netsh WLAN to configure Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista wireless connections from t

  Learn how to configure wireless networking connections, specifically, Windows Server 2008 Windows Vista wireless connections, from the command line interface (CLI) using Netsh WLAN. Figure out how to add or delete profiles and connect or disconnect ...  Continue Reading

• Telecoms must address three SOA implementation challenges

  To successfully implement SOA, telecom providers must be clear on the main deployment challenges, and keep high performance, scalability, efficient applications automation and boundaries from third parties' top of mind.  Continue Reading

• Server virtualization and the impact on network configuration

  Server virtualization delivers sophisticated capabilities that affect performance, scaling and connectivity needs. Solutions have evolved from enabling partitioning of a single computer into multiple virtual servers to enabling virtual servers to be...  Continue Reading

• No BS on OSS/BSS

  Operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS) for service providers have always been important, but change all that as the telecom industry marches to complete IP network transformations.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid the WPA wireless security standard attack

  The latest crack in wireless Internet security, specifically, the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security standard, can threaten the safety of enterprise networks and company information or data. This tip shows the best way to avoid being victimized ...  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

• The year's 5 hottest telecom topics and editor's picks

  The past year in telecom was a lot more than ominous recession forecasts and survival tips. From BGP and MPLS to flexible service provisioning, optics and wireless broadband, telecom pros were intensely focused on next-generation networking this ...  Continue Reading

• Five steps to a next-gen network transformation plan

  Creating a network transformation plan establishes a solidly outlined plan to get the most out of a service provider's next-generation network investment. Networking expert Tom Nolle presents the essential five steps needed to create a flexible ...  Continue Reading

• HTTP error code troubleshooting, Part 3: Disabling IE friendly error messages

  To troubleshoot an HTTP error code, you may need to disable Internet Explorer's friendly error messages. In this tip, learn how to do this and discover the reasons why you may continue to see the same friendly error message.  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

• MPLS QoS: Implementing the best model for guaranteed service

  Adding Quality of Services (QoS) guarantees for MPLS VPN services using DiffServe is a significant engineering undertaking, but advanced planning will help you choose the right QoS model for the project.  Continue Reading

• The TPM chip: An unexploited resource for network security

  The TPM chip developed by the Trusted Computing Group is installed in most new desktops, laptops and servers. It can be used to strengthen user login authentication, protect against unauthorized software modification, and fully encrypt hard disks ...  Continue Reading

• HTTP error code troubleshooting, Part 1: HTTP status codes defined

  To troubleshoot HTTP error codes, you must first understand HTTP status codes. Any time a client issues an HTTP request to a Web server, the server returns a response code. In this tip, learn the 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 Series response status ...  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

• 3 recession survival steps for telecom service providers

  As the economy settles in for an extended recession, telecom service providers can prepare their businesses to not only survive the global economic downfall, but to pull through in a strengthened position. CIMI Corp. President Tom Nolle offers three...  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

• OSS service delivery platforms: New services launch pads

  Service delivery platforms (SDPs) bring together many OSS/BSS disciplines and provide a unified view of subscriber data, service configuration and device-level information that strengthens every link in the service fulfillment chain.  Continue Reading

• Tackling next-gen network OSS/BSS challenges

  Use OSS/BSS to help manage packet-switched, content-driven telecom networks so the right packets reach the right customers, and service providers capture the revenue.  Continue Reading

• Packet optical: Differing views on network elements

  Packet optical networking solutions may be the biggest new thing for replacing or migrating away from TDM-based SONET/SDH optical networks. Telecom service providers are looking at both single and multiple network element solutions, depending on ...  Continue Reading

• How to achieve server virtualization in your network

  Learn how to virtualize the physical servers in your network in order to reduce hardware costs and ease network management in these step-by-step instructions.  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

• 802.11s mesh networks

  802.11s mesh technology, currently under development by the IEEE, will bring a number of advances to 802.11 wireless networking.  Continue Reading

• 3 reasons to speed legacy to next-gen network migration

  It's about revenue flow. Telecom providers have three good reasons--customer demand, economics and network equipment--to speed their transition from legacy to next-gen telecom networks. Here's how to go about it.  Continue Reading

• Avoiding private IP security risks in public networks

  A shortage of public IP addresses for new services looms, but service providers should avoid the dangers of using private IP addresses and Network Address Translations to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• How to prioritize wireless traffic

  Learn how to prioritize wireless traffic by using Wi-Fi Multimedia to give selected traffic preferential treatment and to move business applications and multimedia traffic to the network edge.  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

• Telecom business model transformation requires symbiotic service models

  Business model transformation is the worldwide priority of network operators. While SOA and IMS don't guarantee results, they are essential tools to create the pieces of a telecom service transformation.  Continue Reading

• Building revenue-increasing telecom services for the future

  Telecom service providers are facing a decline of 50% or more in the revenue they make per bit, which means they have to unlock the value of the network using IMS and SOA to expand into new and profitable services.  Continue Reading

• Compliance in a virtualized world: Server virtualization and NAC security

  Network security, especially NAC, is the Achilles' heel of server virtualization. With virtual servers moving around the data center, traditional access control is difficult to apply. This can be particularly challenging when organizations need to ...  Continue Reading

• Limit network energy consumption with computer cooling technologies

  The more heat generated by a piece of equipment, the more electricity is being wasted. For many networks, as in the data center, reducing the amount of heat generated, and therefore the amount of electricity wasted, can lead to significant monetary ...  Continue Reading

• Securing the new network architecture: Security for distributed, dynamic networks

  A security perimeter alone can no longer secure the network in an era of distributed architectures. Learn what tools and techniques you need now to supplement network security.  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

• Configure WAN interfaces on a Layer 3 switch

  Is it possible to configure WAN protocols on Layer 3 (L3) switches? Learn about L3 switching and how it reacts in a WAN environment in this tip by expert Puneet Mehta and Dr. David Hughes.  Continue Reading

• How to configure Windows Server 2008 advanced firewall MMC snap-in

  Find out new features of the Windows Server 2008 Advanced Firewall -- and how to configure this powerful host-based firewall using the new MMC snap-in -- in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Recovering domain controllers after a server disk failure

  When recovering domain controllers after a system volume failure, it is important to remember that each domain controller in the domain shares a replicated copy of the Active Directory database. When you restore a backup of a domain controller, ...  Continue Reading

• MPLS solutions: Gathering customer requirements is job 1

  Telecom service providers need to focus in on customer requirements when planning MPLS implementations to successfully decrease point-to-point connections.  Continue Reading

• Network modernization in an optically dominated era

  Network planning and design needs to factor in changes in optical technology as a driver to equipment change, as well as changes in optical technology that facilitate new applications and traffic.  Continue Reading

• Server virtualization and the network: Site consolidation's impact on latency

  Server virtualization is nearly synonymous with site consolidation -- bringing concerns about whether performance and throughput will suffer over the WAN as application servers' physical locations change.  Continue Reading

• Wireless security protocols -- How WPA and WPA2 work

  WPA and WPA2 improve upon WEP's encryption methods for better 802.11 wireless security. WPA was carefully designed so that hardware upgrades would not be needed. The processing power of many early access points (APs) was quite limited. The RC4 ...  Continue Reading

• Upgrade your network: Network evolution and roadmap

  Network infrastructure upgrades are essential to provide availability, reliability and security when you run voice and video on your data network. This tip provides an overview of trends currently affecting the network and the key infrastructure ...  Continue Reading

• Wireless security -- How WEP encryption works

  Inadequate wireless security can jeopardize critical company information. Encryption is an important part of wireless security -- but how does it work? In this tip, first in a two-part series on 802.11 wireless security protocols, learn how WEP or ...  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

• Short-circuiting hackers' SIP-based VoIP attacks

  Hacker attacks against SIP-based VoIP may have been rare so far, but as VoIP use grows, service providers need to be ready to secure their voice networks as they route traffic without using the public switched telephone network.  Continue Reading

• Scale your backbone with core MPLS, BGP on the edge

  Using MPLS in the core network, service providers can run Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) only on the network edge to reduce memory requirements and CPU load, without compromising stability.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting the Remote Desktop feature for Windows

  Remote Desktop is a Windows feature that allows you to connect to your computer remotely by using the RDP protocol, but it can sometimes be difficult to establish a Remote Desktop session. Learn troubleshooting techniques and workarounds for ...  Continue Reading

• Designing large-scale BGP networks

  If you're running a large-scale IP network, you're going to need Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), but not for a fast-converging protocol to implement modern IP-based services. You need to know where and how to deploy BGP, and when to bring in help.  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

• Troubleshooting the mystery error -- Managing Windows networks using scripts, part 7

  Learn how to troubleshoot a mysterious "remote procedure call failed" error received when the ChangeIPAddress.vbs script developed earlier was used to change the IP address on a remote computer. This tip is part of a series on managing Windows ...  Continue Reading

• Understanding 802.11n wireless antennas

  Learn how 802.11n wireless antennas have been improved to increase network footprint, available bandwidth and resilience to problems that crippled older 802.11a/b/g access points, and how improved speed and capacity is made possible using techniques...  Continue Reading

• 5 essential reasons for BGP in your IP network

  The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is considered the hardest routing protocol to design, configure and maintain, but there are the 5 major reasons you need all of that difficulty in your network.  Continue Reading

• Open source network monitoring: Monitor your routers with Cacti

  Learn how to configure the open source network monitoring tool Cacti to poll your routers, gather network data, and provide graphs based on what you configured. Cacti is a free open source tool with a Web interface. Cacti can be used to complement ...  Continue Reading