Network monitoring and analysis

Network monitoring and analysis can be challenging for today's intricate networks carrying a multitude of applications. We help you sort out the best software and tools for network management and application performance. You'll learn how network analysis and deep packet inspection work to identify bottlenecks and trouble spots. We'll teach you about best practices for analysing network reporting in order to identify vulnerabilities and proactively troubleshoot problems to improve network performance.

News 05 Jun 2023
Workers ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with digital surveillance at work

Employees express discomfort towards employers’ use of various digital surveillance and monitoring techniques, which are often powered by artificial intelligence Continue Reading
News 22 May 2023
Telstra makes 400Gbps services available through key Australian city routes

Wholesale division of Australia-based global telco offers customers ability to use 400Gbps wavelength services after enhancements made to advanced, high-bandwidth optical infrastructure based on optical technology Continue Reading

News 29 Apr 2013

Another online firm hit by data breach

Online deals service LivingSocial is the latest company to report a breach of its computer systems that may mean attackers accessed customer details Continue Reading
News 17 Apr 2013

The Global Information Technology Report 2013

This report from the World Economic Forum remains one of the most comprehensive and authoritative assessments of the impact of ICT on each country. Continue Reading
News 18 Mar 2013

Underexposed risks of public Wi-Fi hotspots

This article in our Royal Holloway Information Security series assess the hidden security risks of public Wi-Fi hotspots. Continue Reading
News 07 Feb 2013

Interview: Phil Smith, CEO of Cisco UK & Ireland

Cisco's UK CEO talks about innovation, wireless vs wired and software defined networking at the company’s annual Cisco Live event in London Continue Reading
News 01 Feb 2013

Computer Weekly User Awards

The deadline for the Computer Weekly European User Awards for Networking has been extended to 8th February. Get the recognition you deserve! Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2012

Essex County Council signs £81m PSN deal

Essex County Council has signed a £81m network and telephony deal to introduce a Public Services Network (PSN) across its 200,000 users Continue Reading
Feature 12 Nov 2012

Software-defined datacentres demystified

As datacentre managers increasingly rely on software and automation, what can a software-defined datacentre bring to the enterprise? Continue Reading
News 29 Oct 2012

Cheshire Constabulary polices network with SolarWinds

Police force in Cheshire uses SolarWinds’ infrastructure monitoring tools to keep its IT out of trouble Continue Reading
Feature 22 Oct 2012

How to manage your assets and control business costs

Asset lifecycle management allows the IT department to improve governance, mitigate risk and improve service quality and efficiency Continue Reading
Photo Story 07 Oct 2012

A tour of London’s Victorian sewers: Geo Networks cabling system

Computer Weekly takes a tour of Wick Lane sewers to see how Geo Networks works in partnership with Thames Water to house its fibre cabling system. Continue Reading
News 25 Jul 2012

Huawei Technologies' first half profits drop 22%

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei saw profits fall 22% to CNY8.79bn (£0.9bn) in its first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011 Continue Reading
News 13 Jul 2012

Special Report on Cisco

This special seven-page report from Computer Weekly analyses the challenges facing Cisco, its financial performance, the services it offers, its place in the IT market and its future strategy. Continue Reading
News 19 Jun 2012

The mobile side of net neutrality

It isn’t just ISPs managing website traffic to improve access to some destinations and limit it for others – the mobile operators are at it too Continue Reading
News 06 Jun 2012

Top 10 tips for IPv6 security

Many organisations are being misled about the complexities surrounding IPv6 security, according to security firm Stonesoft Continue Reading
News 01 Jun 2012

Cambridgeshire launches PSN to cut £1m per year

Cambridgeshire County Council will save £1m per year with the launch of its public services network (PSN) Continue Reading
News 16 May 2012

London 2012 Olympic Games IT enters final test

The Atos team controlling the IT for the London 2012 Olympic Games are recreating the environment for a final test before systems go live Continue Reading
News 08 May 2012

Canary Wharf stress test underway ahead of London Olympic Games

Businesses in Canary Wharf are running two days of stress testing to prepare for the London Olympic Games, including flexible staff working Continue Reading
News 02 May 2012

Five trends that will affect your cloud strategy

Businesses need to keep a close eye on the evolution of cloud based services to avoid wasting money and missing out on business opportunities. Continue Reading
E-Zine 02 Mar 2012

Next-generation network management techniques

This issue examines how network managers can simplify their management tools and use key protocols like NetFlow and IPFIX, and hardware like matrix switches. Learn how network managers are adopting new tools that give them better control over virtualized infrastructure, cloud environment and multi-vendor networks. Continue Reading
News 27 Feb 2012

WAN optimisation: improving the performance of business applications

How can WAN optimisation support IT consumerisation and cloud computing? Continue Reading
News 29 Dec 2011

Networking 2012: Vendors predict what's ahead for the industry

Senior vendor executives offer SearchNetworkingUK their Networking 2012 predictions for the challenges ahead, including addressing the transition to a mobile workforce. Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2011

Network reliability to win over innovation in 2012, says Cisco survey

Cisco’s first TechWatch 2012 report finds network reliability as opposed to innovation or performance is the most important factor for network architects in the new year ahead. Continue Reading
News 31 Oct 2011

Are network performance monitoring tools ready to meet new challenges?

Network performance monitoring tools must adapt to handle virtual infrastructure, new applications and hybrid cloud environments. Are they ready? Continue Reading
Tutorial 14 Oct 2011

vSwitch best practices: Know what powers your virtualised network

Virtual switches in a virtualised network offer high agility, yet potential management and design issues as well. These vSwitch best practices explore those problems and solutions. Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2011

Unified network management: Wired and wireless together for good?

With an integrated network management vision, two organizations improved security and reliability, and have made steps towards a fully integrated network. But will we get there? Continue Reading
News 02 Jun 2011

Using network management and monitoring systems across IT and buildings

Bolton College linked its buildings facilities to the campus network and is using a network monitoring and management system that sees both buildings and IT resources. Continue Reading
News 26 Nov 2009

Microsoft emphasises content management, security at launch of Vista, Office'07 and Exchange

Microsoft has declared that the combination of Windows Vista, Office System 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 have the potential to help businesses improve their productivity by making it easier to manage unstructured data. Continue Reading
News 07 Oct 2008

Don't jump to Hyper-V unless you have to

Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005 R2 (MSVS) remains a powerful tool for managing virtual infrastructure and there's no need to rush to Hyper-V. Continue Reading
News 30 Sep 2008

What is the ISAKMP policy and how does it impact IPsec VPN router configuration?

Learn how to implement ISAKMP policies using IKE to ensure secure VPN configuration, in part three of our VPN guide. Continue Reading
News 28 Aug 2008

Managing Windows networks using scripts part 10: Some neat WMI tricks

The 10th instalment of our tutorial series on managing Windows networks with scripts offers a pair of cool WMI tricks. Continue Reading
News 17 Jul 2008

How to move from Microsoft Virtual Server to Hyper-V

If you plan the upgrade from Virtual Server to Hyper-V, here's how to get onto Microsoft's new virtualisation platform. Continue Reading
Tip 15 Jul 2008

Network management frameworks: FCAPS and ITIL

Two network management frameworks exist that can be of some use for understanding and taming network management: FCAPS and ITIL. Learn more about what these FCAPS and ITIL are and how they can simplify network management in this crash course. Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2008

Unix admin tutorial: How much memory is in this machine?

It's not always straightforward to get the answer to the burning question: How much memory is in this Unix machine? David Douthitt points readers to the answers for Solaris, AIX, HPUX, Linux, OpenVMS, and FreeBSD environments. Continue Reading
News 30 Jun 2008

Sizing server hardware for virtual machines

How many virtual machines can you put on a server? Depends upon whether your hardware and virtualisation environment are well-matched. This tip offers four criteria for selecting the right servers for VMs. Continue Reading
News 13 Jun 2008

How can I configure 10 VLANs with 5 unmanaged switches?

Given a Cisco Layer 3 (L3) switch and 5 unmanaged switches, learn how to create 10 VLANs from our routing and switching expert, Sudhanshu Gupta. Continue Reading
News 19 May 2008

NSW Ambulance Service rebuilds its comms systems

The Ambulance Service of New South Wales has completed a massive revamp of its networks and customer contact systems. Continue Reading
News 15 May 2008

What is data loss prevention? -- An introduction to DLP

This Q&A discusses what data loss prevention (DLP) is and how it differs from other networking security products in securing your enterprise and keeping your business reputable. Continue Reading
News 06 Apr 2008

Governance, compliance, security: How are these network problems?

Governance is often perceived as a C-level issue. Yet network professionals must recognise that they have responsibility for these issues too! Continue Reading
Tip 17 Mar 2008

Upgrade your network: Network evolution and roadmap

Network upgrades are essential to provide availability, reliability and security when you run voice and video on your data network. Continue Reading
News 05 Mar 2008

Virtual servers' impact on the network

When several servers combine as one, what does it do to the network? Continue Reading
Tip 23 Jan 2008

Enabling Windows Vista's Network Mapping feature on domain networks

Learn how to enabling Windows Vista's Network Mapping feature on domain networks. Continue Reading
News 21 Jan 2008

When fighting peer-to-peer, packet shaping can be more effective than cat-and-mouse

Crimping access to P2P applications may be a more effective approach than trying to ban them. Continue Reading
News 17 Jan 2008

When fighting peer-to-peer, packet shaping can be more effective than cat-and-mouse

Some network managers are finding that slowing peer-to-peer protocols discourages piracy better than blocking it, which users invariably find a way around. Continue Reading
News 10 Jan 2008

Network monitoring vendors sell SMBs on usability

Ease-of-use is the key to SMB hearts when it comes to network monitoring. A new release from SolarWinds might give market leader Ipswitch some competition. Continue Reading
Tip 09 Jan 2008

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. Continue Reading
News 21 Nov 2007

Making the case for FCIP and FCoE

FC over IP and FC over Ethernet let companies begin consolidating on one network platform as opposed to maintaining separate FC and Ethernet networks. Continue Reading
News 19 Nov 2007

ITIL -- What network managers need to know

This tip helps network managers about implement IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and explains how it can be beneficial to networking. Continue Reading
News 11 Nov 2007

Integrating edge assets into networks can cut costs

Proper management of edge assets in a network saves money and time while avoiding headaches. Continue Reading
News 01 Nov 2007

MPLS implementation gotchas

Eliminate network latency, without locking into an SLA with a bad service provider, by controlling and implementing multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). Continue Reading
News 28 Oct 2007

As network configuration management matures, documentation woes linger

Documentation of networks is a tertiary consideration. Is this hurting your business? Continue Reading
Tip 22 Oct 2007

Using VMware to test open source network analysis tools

Open source network analysis tools can help network monitoring. Try out the open source network protocol analyser Wireshark inside a VMware Player Guest OS. Continue Reading
News 08 Oct 2007

The Tao of automated network management

Read or podcast this article about taking the first step toward an automated future by integrating network management tools. Continue Reading
News 07 Oct 2007

Tool suites for identifying the problem -- from 'Network troubleshooting and diagnostics'

Learn network troubleshooting tool suites and their feature sets to support your technical troubleshooting activities. Continue Reading
News 03 Oct 2007

Network engineering applications -- from 'Network troubleshooting and diagnostics'

Network analysis applications, including protocol analysers, traffic generators, and simulation tools, can be used to understand how networks operate. Continue Reading
News 02 Oct 2007

IP address management -- from 'Network troubleshooting and diagnostics'

Learn how IP address management and maintenance tools can help manage the scope of IP addresses on your network. Continue Reading
News 01 Oct 2007

Developing good troubleshooting technique -- from 'Network troubleshooting and diagnostics'

The most important part of troubleshooting is technique. This excerpt examines several approaches such as Bottom-Up, Top-Down, and Divide-and-Conquer methods Continue Reading
News 28 Aug 2007

VoIP, unified communications study reveals challenges

VoIP and unified communications deployments can affect other applications. A study by Network General highlighted some challenges introduced by convergence. Continue Reading
News 09 Aug 2007

Network navigation -- Chapter 6 of 'Microsoft Windows Vista Administration'

Microsoft introduced a new way to view and navigate a network with Windows Vista. This chapter from 'Microsoft Windows Vista Administration' examines such new network navigation tools as Network Map and Network Details. If you have several networks that your users need to connect to using a single computer, you'll find this chapter will explain how you can manage those connections more simply and efficiently than in earlier versions of Windows. Continue Reading
News 09 Aug 2007

Network navigation -- Chapter 6 of 'Microsoft Windows Vista Administration'

Microsoft introduced a new way to view and navigate a network with Windows Vista. This chapter from 'Microsoft Windows Vista Administration' examines such new network navigation tools as Network Map and Network Details. If you have several networks that your users need to connect to using a single computer, you'll find this chapter will explain how you can manage those connections more simply and efficiently than in earlier versions of Windows. Continue Reading
News 06 Aug 2007

F5 buys Acopia for US$210M

F5 joins the storage market with the acquisition of file virtualisation switch company Acopia. Continue Reading
News 29 May 2007

Bridging VoIP islands

WAN optimisation makes it possible to connect campus VoIP connections Continue Reading
News 21 May 2007

Microsoft, TCG partner on network access control; Cisco takes own route

Microsoft and the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) have joined forces to create better interoperability between network access control solutions with the announcement of a new specification which ensures that Microsoft's Network Access Protection (NAP) and TCG's Trusted Network Connect (TNC) architecture can work together. Continue Reading
Tip 19 Apr 2007

VLANs -- Controlling wired and wireless traffic

Today, most business networks rely on virtual LANs (VLANs) to partition Ethernets and control the destinations reached by each worker. As users begin to shift between Ethernet and Wi-Fi throughout the work day, it makes sense to apply VLANs to both wired and wireless network access. This tip describes common methods for mapping Wi-Fi stations onto corporate VLANs and suggests when you might want to do so. Continue Reading
News 25 Feb 2007

Gartner: Quad-core slowed 2006 server sales

New Gartner data suggests that quad-core servers are not exciting users. Continue Reading
News 20 Feb 2007

All about automation

Automating your IT operations is a trick that creates obvious benefits. In this article, we explain how data center automation can help an entire enterprise. Continue Reading
News 27 Jan 2007

Network visualization, automation: At odds?

Visualization is a powerful tool. But in the context of network management, the prevalence of graphs may indicate that your network management system (NMS) is not ready to meet the requirements of autonomic network performance. Why so? Loki Jorgenson explains in this tip. Continue Reading
News 17 Jan 2007

Reasons why enterprise networking and security roles must stay separate

Enterprise network managers are responsible for configuring and managing network devices, but should they be accountable for tasks that are typically handled by the information security team? Contributor Shon Harris examines why networking and information security tasks should not be shared. Continue Reading
News 18 Dec 2006

WLAN interference and clogged pipes -- happy holidays!

WLAN interference caused by decorations and slowed traffic due to online shopping are just some of the network woes of the holidays. Continue Reading
Tip 29 Nov 2006

Slow response times from client/server PC's running IFS applications

How do you find out the culprit of a network delays when you see little bandwidth being used? Read this Q&A to see what our network administrating expert, Lindi Horton, has to say. Continue Reading
News 25 Oct 2006

Video, audio are network drains

Network misuse is rampant, according to a recent survey. Employees using the corporate network for recreation or high-bandwidth business can put a strain on network resources, but network engineers can combat that with filtering and monitoring. Continue Reading
Tip 05 Oct 2006

Minimum and maximum Ethernet frame sizes

In this Q&A, Lindi Horton answers the question "What is the minimum and maximum size of an Ethernet frame that carries an IP packet which in turn carries an ICMP packet?" Continue Reading
Tip 04 Oct 2006

Link and port aggregation information

Need some clarification on link and port aggregation? Here, our expert, Lindi Horton, provides us with just that in this Q&A. Continue Reading
Tip 04 Oct 2006

Troubleshooting your network

In this Q&A, our expert, Lindi Horton, helps with troubleshooting a network that has problems staying up in the evening. Continue Reading
Tip 03 Oct 2006

The most commonly used network operating system

In this Q&A, Lindi Horton answers the question "What network operating system is more currently and commonly used?" Continue Reading
Tip 02 Oct 2006

How to prevent former employees and administrators from accessing your server

What do you do if you have ex-employees or even ex-administrators accessing your server remotely? How do you prevent them from doing this? Our expert, Lindi Horton, can tell you how. Continue Reading
News 20 Sep 2006

Reporter's notebook: Hidden gems of Interop

The Interop conference in New York this week featured the usual suspects talking about their newest offerings and the industry at large. Continue Reading
News 19 Sep 2006

NAC, VPNs and behavior analysis in the Interop spotlight

Security for the enterprise network was emphasised at Interop New York as vendors rolled out and upgraded NAC, VPN, network behavior analysis, and other threat protection products. Continue Reading
Tip 04 Sep 2006

Migrating to MPLS

As more organizations begin to take advantage of MPLS' offerings, network engineers must learn how to prepare their current networks for transition. This tip explains basic MPLS implementations and shows you some common configurations for MPLS VPNs. It also provides a sample configuration and routing considerations to keep in mind. Continue Reading
News 31 Aug 2006

Configuring managed and unmanaged switches

In this Q&A, Sudhanshu Gupta answers which cable to use with managed and unmanaged switches. Continue Reading
News 27 Aug 2006

Duplex mismatch

This article helps networking engineers understand the issues behind duplex mismatch, one of the most troublesome problems in today's Ethernet networks. Learn why duplex mismatch occurs and how you can prevent it with autonegotiation and hard coding. Continue Reading