Tips

Tips

• Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency

  Green storage best practices control power and cooling costs, and increase energy efficiency in your data center. Tiered storage, consolidating storage arrays, solid-state drives (SSDs) and MAID can help.  Continue Reading

• Use the VMware vStorage API for Data Protection to backup virtual machines

  Learn how VMware's vStorage API for Data Protection enables backup of virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• How to manage firewall testing using Nmap

  Nmap includes many features that can be used to circumvent poorly implemented firewalls. Learn how the freely available tool can test your network devices.  Continue Reading

• How to create a data classification policy

  Michael Cobb explains how to bring data classification awareness across an entire enterprise.  Continue Reading

• How to understand deduplication ratios

  Learn how to assess the claims made by data deduplication vendors by decoding "deduplication ratios" - the metric that explains how much shrinkage can be achieved through dedupe.  Continue Reading

• How to detect and stop SQL injection attacks

  Learn how to stop automated SQL injection worms invading your web servers.  Continue Reading

• How to secure data on your laptop fleet

  Learn how to manage your fleet of laptops to ensure the business data they contain can be managed and secured.  Continue Reading

• How to find credit card numbers and other sensitive data on your users' computers

  If you worry that important and sensitive data like credit card numbers is lurking on your users' hard drives, read on to learn how to search for and corral this information.  Continue Reading

• How to deploy a Web application firewall (WAF)

  Expert Michael Cobb reviews the steps involved when implementing a Web application firewall.  Continue Reading

• How to plant a listening device

  Part two of our Les Goldsmith interview reveals how to plant a listening device if you feel like conducting a little industrial espionage.  Continue Reading

• Which is cheaper?: Hyper-V or VMware?

  Microsoft's Hyper-V costs less on the price list, but sometimes VMware ESXi can be cheaper to implement  Continue Reading

• FC SAN vs. iSCSI SAN Part 1: Reliability and performance

  Still undecided when it comes to the Fibre Channel/iSCSI SAN debate? The first part in our guide explains how the two differ in reliability and performance.  Continue Reading

• How to mount Xen virtual machine storage on physical hosts

  Learn why it's a good idea to have a storage back end mounted to your Xen Server physical host - just in case the Xen server won't start up - in this tip.  Continue Reading

• 25 ways to save money in your IT department

  CIOs can expect to be asked to save money any minute now, so here's 25 cash-saving suggestions from Gartner  Continue Reading

• How to develop security policies for mobile devices

  Mobility is empowering, but also creates new security risks. Here's how to develop policies that let you reap the benefits of mobility, without the worries.  Continue Reading

• How to manage Hyper-V's security permissions

  Learn how to operate Hyper-V's Authorization Manager (Azman) in this How-To guide.  Continue Reading

• How to install Openfiler, an open source SAN, inside Microsoft Hyper-V

  Want a SAN to use for testing, but don't want the cost of new hardware? This How-To offers a procedure to install Openfiler within a virtualised environment to deliver a SAN for peanuts.  Continue Reading

• How do I increase network signal strength over a large distance?

  Want to build a WLAN that covers a large area? Lisa Phifer explains that you'l need mutiple access points and clever use of antennae.  Continue Reading

• 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

• iSCSI SANs getting enterprise boost by shared storage, virtual servers

  Enterprises are increasingly considering iSCSI SANs for departmental applications, server workloads that aren't bandwidth-intensive, and virtual servers. In fact, the connection between shared storage and virtualised servers is changing the iSCSI ...  Continue Reading

• What are the best methods for handling rogue access points?

  Michael Gregg explains how to enforce network policy and handle rogue access points (APs) in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What is a logical network? How do you improve one?

  Learn what logical and physical networks are and how to improve them, in this expert response with networking fundamentals expert, Chris Partsenidis.  Continue Reading

• Optimising virtual hard disk performance in Hyper-V

  To improve virtual hard disk (VHD) performance, allocate virtual machines more efficiently, better distribute VHD I/O load and perform standard disk operations regularly.  Continue Reading

• Windows registry forensics guide: Investigating hacker activities

  Ed Skoudis explains how investigators and administrators can interact with the Windows registry to analyse a compromised system.  Continue Reading

• Ten steps to wireless LAN security

  Wireless LAN security can be achieved with these 10 steps for securing business WLANs.  Continue Reading

• Packet collision in Windows

  Linux includes tools to detect and report on Ethernet packet collisions. Does Windows have the same facilities?  Continue Reading

• Recovering domain controllers after a server disk failure

  When recovering domain controllers after a system volume failure, normal restoration doesn't always work. Learn some special procedures in this tip.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to the SIP protocol, part 1

  SIP is the primary protocol that's used by most VoIP and UC products. This tip will explain how the SIP protocol works.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Five command line tools to detect Windows hacks

  Learn about five of the most useful Windows command-line tools for machine analysis and how they can tell if a machine has been hacked in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Buying software? Don't forget the warranty

  Standard software license agreements rarely include the protections you need. Avoid these gotchas and write these warranties into your next software contract.  Continue Reading

• VoIP bandwidth: Calculate consumption

  The bandwidth needed for VoIP depends on compression technology, packet overhead and the protocol used. Learn how to figure out what bandwidth you'll need.  Continue Reading

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

  Using MPLS in the core network, service providers can safely run Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) only on the network edge.  Continue Reading

• Remote Desktop troubleshooting

  How to troubleshoot Remote Desktop connectivity, authentication and encryption issues.  Continue Reading

• Designing large-scale BGP networks

  Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) has a solid place in large-scale IP networks, but knowing when and how to deploy it is the key.  Continue Reading

• Mobile video conferencing and interactive multimedia

  This chapter excerpt provides an understanding of mobile video conferencing technology, standards and applications.  Continue Reading

• 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

• What's the value of unified communications?

  Implementation of unified communications as a part of your organization's strategy to increase productivity can be made easier by answering a few questions.  Continue Reading

• Understanding 802.11n wireless antennas

  Learn how 802.11n wireless antennas increase network footprint, available bandwidth and resilience to problems that crippled older 802.11a/b/g access points.  Continue Reading

• Prevent unauthorised USB devices with software restriction policies, third-party apps

  How to prevent unauthorised USB device use by implementing software restriction policies or by using third-party applications.  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.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for instant messaging security

  In this tip, Brien Posey details the steps you can take to protect your organisation from security problems when implementing an instant messaging system.  Continue Reading

• Building a UC strategy

  To create a UC strategy, you must first understand your current business processes and incorporate your business partners into the strategy.  Continue Reading

• How to manage network access for single users in AD

  Alter a few settings to limit single user network access in an AD domain to simplify Active Directory management.  Continue Reading

• Voice quality and MOS

  Defining the nine elements of voice quality and Mean Opinion Score (MOS), the standard numeric value used to measure and report on voice quality.  Continue Reading

• Why you need VoIP to move to unified communications

  Making the move to unified communications is an intricate five-step process that requires a solid foundation.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Use Netstat to determine which ports to open on a Windows firewall

  Learn how to use Netstat to determine which firewall port to open when troubleshooting a Windows XP firewall.  Continue Reading

• USB storage devices: Two ways to stop the threat to network security

  USB storage devices pose a significant threat to network security. This tip discusses some basic strategies for blocking unauthorized USB device use.  Continue Reading

• Tape encryption purchases Part Two: LTO-4 considerations

  This chapter covers specific considerations for LTO-4 tape drives. After that, you'll find a series of specifications to help compare vendor products.  Continue Reading

• Routing with NAT traversal and UPnP

  For SMBs using NAT routers, UPnP can help keep things up-to-date -- despite potential problems when IPv6 comes into play.  Continue Reading

• Bringing the network perimeter back from the 'dead'

  Many have expressed the importance of endpoint security, going so far as to say the perimeter is dead. Not so fast, says network security expert Mike Chapple.  Continue Reading

• Network analysis -- Enhancing security assessments

  Network security assessment doesn't have to rely on expensive automated tools. In this tip, learn how to use data from freely available tools to produce a comprehensive view of network security.  Continue Reading

• Secure Cisco routers against IOS flaw attack

  Learn how to secure Cisco routers against the recently announced Cisco IOS flaw, which could be exploited by hackers. Find out how to determine which routers are affected and ways to protect yourself from this vulnerability, including steps to ...  Continue Reading

• How to test Snort

  VARs should test Snort to ensure the open source IDS is detecting malicious activity.  Continue Reading

• Upcoming wireless standards promise managed WLANs

  Learn about two new IEEE standards, 802.11k and 802.11v, which aim to improve wireless the problems over overlapping wireless networks, in this tip.  Continue Reading

• BT's SDK for do-it-yourself VoIP apps

  BT's SDK takes the complexity out of VoIP application development.  Continue Reading

• Beyond Asterisk -- Other open source PBXs

  Asterisk is the most widely known open source PBX, but other developers are making competitive products in the unified communications market. Learn more in this tip from Gary Audin.  Continue Reading

• Traffic engineering: An introduction

  An introduction to traffic engineering: The optimal distribution of bandwidth load across all available network links.  Continue Reading

• Understanding MPLS network components

  MPLS network components are explained from a service provider's viewpoint in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Open source PBX: Risk or value?

  Open source IP PBX systems like Asterisk have benefits and risks. Learn what they are and assess your readiness for the IP PBX implementation in this tip from Gary Audin.  Continue Reading

• Hardening your router: Increasing security with ACLs

  Learn how to harden your router to increase network security using ACLs in this step-by-step, automated, ten-minute demo.  Continue Reading

• Wireless security -- Defending Wi-Fi clients

  In this tip, Lisa Phifer examines how host-resident wireless IPS agents can help you safeguard Wi-Fi client devices to ensure strong wireless security.  Continue Reading

• BGP networks: Advanced troubleshooting

  This tip on troubleshooting border gateway protocol (BGP) networks takes an advanced approach and details how to work with Internet service provider (ISP)networks.  Continue Reading

• VoIP/IP Telephony vendor security solutions

  Are vendors' VoIP security features all you need, or is it prudent to buy additional security tools to lock down your network?  Continue Reading

• What's in a VoIP packet -- An introduction to bandwidth for VoIP

  Learn what makes up a VoIP packet, how headers work, what protocols transport voice traffic over the Internet and how this traffic uses network bandwidth.  Continue Reading

• Manipulating VoIP Security

  This tip provides an extensive list of sites that track and document VoIP attack tools.  Continue Reading

• VoIP security -- Free IP telephony fuzzing tools

  Protect your organization's VoIP security with free VoIP security tools designed to test IP telephony vulnerability.  Continue Reading

• OSI: Securing the Stack, Layer 8 -- Social engineering and security policy

  Network security is essential at every layer of the OSI model, including the mythical eighth layer, where users interact with technology. Since hackers can use social engineering to exploit people, it is important to train your users and implement ...  Continue Reading

• What can we do to connect our wireless router to our wireless client?

  Experiencing a persistent inability to connect a wireless router from your wireless client? Lisa Phifer details how to fix this problem.  Continue Reading

• 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 ...  Continue Reading

• ISCSI for beginners

  iSCSI is an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. Learns the basics in this fast guide.  Continue Reading

• How do I get my LAN computers to reach the Internet?

  Get your LAN computers to reach the Internet in this response from wireless expert Lisa Phifer.  Continue Reading

• What are the criteria for evaluating an indoor wireless network?

  In this Q&A., learn how to evaluate an indoor wireless network with criteria provided by expert Lisa Phifer.  Continue Reading

• Should I use data deduplication to manage unstructured data?

  Absolutely; there are two areas where data deduplication, or single-instance storage, can help...  Continue Reading

• Network summarization -- Supernetting and wildcard masks

  Supernetting allows one routing table entry to represent an aggregation of networks. Network engineers need to understand supernetting, how to read routes received from other providers and how to create an access list that references these multiple ...  Continue Reading

• VoIP security - problems inherited from data networking

  VoIP security problems present a challenge for voice and network staff because IP telephony brings with it not only the security problems of data networks but also new, added threats specific to VoIP. In this tip, learn about the data network ...  Continue Reading

• What are the fundamentals of ATM and ISDN?

  Lisa Phifer explains the fundamentals of ATM and ISDN and why they are used.  Continue Reading

• Intrusion detection systems -- introduction to IDS and IPCop

  This article, excerpted from the book ""Configuring IPCop Firewalls: Closing Borders with Open Source,"" explores how intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) including Snort and IPCop protect the network from ...  Continue Reading

• Access your ISA and Exchange Server from outside the office

  Learn how to configure your Linksys router so that you can access your ISA and Exchange Server from outside the office in this expert response by Lisa Phifer.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Wireless connections with ad hoc networks

  Ad hoc wireless networking in Windows Vista with the IPv6 protocol has its risks, but it also has several built-in security mechanisms. In this tip, Brien Posey explains how these security features help counteract some risks of wireless networks.  Continue Reading

• Capacity planning: Reclaim orphaned storage

  This tip takes a look at how to maximize your storage capacity utilization by finding orphaned data and storage that can in turn be re-allocated for another productive use.  Continue Reading

• Creating a WPA2 compliant network

  Our expert, Lisa Phifer, goes through the basic principles of creating a WPA2 compliant network.  Continue Reading

• High-gain antennas and the near field effect

  In this response, Lisa Phifer explains the use of a high-gain antenna and what the near field effect is.  Continue Reading

• Wireless connection in the wilderness

  Lisa Phifer explains how to connect office buildings wirelessly where laying cable is not an option due to trees and rocky terrain.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Document your network cabling

  Because updating your network documentation is a time-consuming, error-prone process, keeping track of your network cables can be a big mess. When moving things around, or in the case of a security audit, a poorly-documented layout can turn into an ...  Continue Reading

• 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

• Convincing management to approve your networking project

  Network pros must have great technology know-how, coupled with major league pitching abilities. This list of project dos and don'ts can help you over your managers.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Does having a CCNA and MCSE equal a higher-paying job?

  David Minutella answers the question, "How helpful will it be if I get a CCNA certificate or MCSE certificate to fetch a high-paying job?" Read on to see our expert's response.  Continue Reading

• Find the right work path in the field of IT

  Our expert, David Minutella, answers the question of what path in IT is the right one.  Continue Reading

• What to certify in when new certification tracks are pending

  In this response, our expert, Ed Tittel, answers the question, "Will it be wise to invest in MCSE security certification or to wait for Microsoft to launch new certification tracks before starting my training?"  Continue Reading

• Making the career change -- work corporate mid-level in security

  In this Q&A, Ed Tittel advises on the right certifications for a person at the end of their military career.  Continue Reading

• 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....  Continue Reading

• Validity of certification

  In this response, David Minutella talks about the validation of certification and what IT managers should be aware of.  Continue Reading

• The best book for CCDA certification

  In this Ask the Expert, David Minutella recommends the best book resource for CCDA certification.  Continue Reading