Jan 31 2008 8:45PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
IPv6,
Microsoft Windows,
Windows Vista,
IP
IPv6 is the latest, greatest, cutting edge version of the IP protocol. It is designed to be more secure, more efficient, more stable, and provide a larger (exponentially larger) pool of addresses to work with than its IPv4 predecessor. So, why would you want to disable it? In this SearchNetworking.com article, Brien Posey provides additional reasons, but the primary one is system resources. Windows Vista runs both IPv4 and IPv6 functionality simultaneously. If your network infrastructure is not actually leveraging the advantages of IPv6, then precious Windows Vista system resources are being eaten up by a protocol you are not even using. Of course, Posey also provides some logic behind why you would want to leave IPv6 on. Take a look at Disabling IPv6 in Windows Vista — Pros and cons to read the complete article and decide for yourself if you should disable IPv6 in Windows Vista.
Jan 31 2008 8:18PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
MAC address,
IP addressing,
Routers
To many, routers are the proverbial “man behind the curtain”. We all know they are there, and that they are integral to getting our data from Point A to Point B, but how? Why do I need a router? How does a router magically know how to get an email from my home in Houston, TX, to a recipient in Singapore? David Davis has addressed these concepts in an article on SearchNetworking.com. It is not a long article, but it gives you a quick and simple explanation for how routers use MAC addresses and IP addresses and how your data is handled to get to its final destination. Check out How Routers Work to learn more.
Jan 29 2008 6:26PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Internet2,
Mobile,
802.11,
BlackBerry,
iPhone,
Mobile device,
wi-fi,
WiMax,
Wireless,
Broadband
At some point in the future, maybe the next generation will simply see the rate of evolution of technology as a given. A normal way of life. On a day to day basis, I don’t think that much about it, but when I look back and realize just how much has been invented, and developed in just the past 10 or 15 years, and the rate that technology changes, it is somewhat mind-boggling. It wasn’t that long ago that 56Kbps modems were considered to be blazing fast. But, the extent of most users access to the Internet was from their employer’s network, or via dial-up on a 56k modem from home. Now, there are still some stubborn stragglers using dial-up, but broadband access with 24/7 connectivity is becoming the norm instead of the exception for home users. Notebook computer sales, even for consumers, have skyrocketed. Cell phones are PDA’s and mini-computers all rolled into one. From my cell phone, I can surf the Web, look up a phone number, click the linked phone number, and automatically initiate a call. While I used to have to be in my home or at my office desk to access the Internet, now I can access the Internet from almost anything and almost anywhere. This article from Computerworld takes a mort in-depth look at the trend of “hyperconnectivity” and what it means for the future of technology and communications.
Jan 28 2008 6:34PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Enterasys,
ConSentry,
Force 10,
Juniper Networks,
UCC,
YouTube,
Cisco,
IP,
VoIP,
Unified Communications
Unless you have been in a coma, or living in a cave for the past year, you should be aware that the whole world is being converged into a single, IP-based network. Telephone and television service are both available via IP. Video services such as YouTube.com, and video conferencing for enterprise collaboration also consume a fair amount of IP bandwidth. As consumers and businesses aggressively embrace all of the new IP-based technologies, the network hardware vendors are racing to try to stay ahead of the curve and provide next-generation solutions to meet the bandwidth needs. Cisco, Juniper, Force 10, ConSentry Networks, and Enterasys Networks are all rolling out updates and new hardware to support bandwidth-heavy applications, such as virtualization, collaboration, unified communications and video. Check out this NetworkWorld article for more details about this trend.
Jan 28 2008 4:39PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Mobile device,
Cisco,
WAN
Cisco launched their new application acceleration appliance, the ACE (Application Control Engine) 4710. At just under $16,000, this device is aimed at small and medium enterprises. It can support up to 50 virtual devices at throughput of 2 Gbps, enabling organizations to get the performance and efficiency they need to host and access web-based applications for their users. In addition, Cisco also rolled out their WAAS (Wide Area Application Services) Mobile Software product which accelerates TCP-based applications used by mobile and remote users. Check out this Computerworld article for more details about these new Cisco products and what it means to the networking market as a whole.
Jan 28 2008 4:30PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Subnets,
Switches,
WAN,
VLAN
One of the ways to organize your network so that it is easier to manage and protect is to segment it into smaller, interconnected subnets. Using a virtual LAN, or VLAN, you can easily and conveniently set up separate subnets, and connect ports from various switches, or even separate buildings, so that they are a part of the same broadcast domain. You can learn more about the virtues of VLAN’s, as well as how to go about configuring them, by watching the Configuring VLAN’s screencast by David Davis on SearchNetworking.com
Jan 27 2008 4:33AM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
LLTD protocol,
network mapping,
Group Policy,
Windows Vista,
Microsoft Windows,
Windows Computing,
Networking
It can be very useful to have a network map. A graphic depiction of the layout, devices, and interconnections of the network can help with planning and troubleshooting, as well as asset or inventory control. Microsoft included an automatic network mapping feature in Windows Vista that uses the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) protocol to detect and visually illustrate a map of the network. They felt that domain administrators may not want every user to have the ability to map the whole network, so in systems connected to a domain the feature is disabled by default and must be enabled via Group Policy. One BIG caveat- there are no Group Policy settings to control this feature in Windows Server 2003. They will be in Windows Server 2008, but that doesn’t help you today. Check out Enabling Windows Vista’s Network Mapping feature on domain networks at SearchNetworking to learn how you can turn this feature on in a domain system.
Jan 17 2008 5:13PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
adCenter,
pay-per-click,
PPC,
Advertising,
Google,
Microsoft Windows,
Windows Computing
Microsoft is taking off the gloves to do battle with Google. They are going head to head on Internet search, Internet advertising, and web browser toolbars. It is hard to imagine Microsoft playing the role of underdog, but in these areas Microsoft is stepping out of their dominant arena and facing Google on Google’s home turf so to speak. Microsoft has unveiled adCenter, their answer to Google AdSense. Like AdSense, adCenter lets companies or individuals market their products and services via the web based on targeted keywords. As an incentive, Microsoft is letting users start adCenter accounts for as little as $5 and they are throwing in an additional free $50 worth of advertising. Sign Up for a Microsoft adCenter Account, and get your message out to a potential 97 million customers. With the browser toolbar, Microsoft has updated the Windows Live Toolbar to version 3.0 and they have added some cool new features. Users can initiate a search from anywhere on the web page, or highlight information on a web page to get more details. You can preview maps, weather, or stock data from the Windows Live Toolbar, and add custom buttons for quick and easy access to the features and information you use most. In addition to the pop-up blocker features found in most browser toolbars, Microsoft also provides extra security to help protect your web surfing from phishing scams or malware attacks. Click here to download Windows Live Toolbar for free.
Jan 7 2008 8:20PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Networking,
VoIP,
QoS,
MPLS,
YouTube
MPLS seemed to be one of the big network buzz words of 2007, overshadowed only by VoIP. It seems like everyone is racing to implement MPLS networks. What is the big deal? What does MPLS even stand for? Well- I can answer that last one: MultiProtocol Label Switching. In a nutshell, MPLS is faster and easier to manage than traditional networking protocols or architectures. MPLS provides a cost-effective and flexible solution that is better suited for high-bandwidth usage such as voice and video. You might connect the dots and ascertain that the popularity of VoIP and video technologies is a primary driver behind the push for MPLS. TechTarget’s SearchNetworking site has a great introduction to MPLS. Their MPLS guide covers MPLS basics, Understanding MPLS network components, MPLS architectures, MPLS and quality of service (QoS), and Using MPLS with VoIP. To become better acquainted with this hot technology, I suggest you take a look at the MPLS Technology Overview.
