Ethernet

Top 10 Free Network Management Downloads

To manage and maintain a network, you need to have a well-rounded collection of tools in your arsenal. Many commercial tools can be expensive, and may not perform any better (or sometimes not even as well) than their freeware counterparts. This Computerworld article lists the Top 10 (plus one bonus program) free downloads you can use to monitor and administer your network. Check out 10 great free downloads for your network to see the complete list.

Determining and Optimizing WAN Bandwidth

If you have to connect multiple sites that are not physically in the same building or campus, it can be a little tricky establishing the kind of connectivity and throughput you need for remote sites to work effectively with the primary servers across the WAN connection. Dividing the file size by the projected network bandwidth can give you a theoretical data transfer speed, but factors such as packet loss or the protocol used can add significantly to that time. Take a look at networking expert David Hughes answer to How do I calculate the time taken for a file to be transferred over a WAN link? to learn more about the factors that may impact your rate of data transfer and some tips to help you optimize your WAN connection.

Projected Network Infrastructure Spending For 2008

What are your plans for your network infrastructure for 2008? Do you have a holiday wish list or some New Year’s resolutions regarding the technologies you want to implement or the changes you plan to make? TechTarget’s SearchNetworking site conducted a survey of over 1,200 respondents and they have published the results. Some of the key results are:

• 21.28% project an increase in their budget of more than 10%
• 7.26% of respondents said their networking budgets will decrease
• 8.34% claim that VoIP/data convergence is driving their budget increase

Check out Applications, convergence to boost network spending for the complete results. You can read it just out of curiosity, or maybe you can use the survey results to help prove your case to management and get your budget requests approved.

LAN Security: What Hackers Don’t Want You To Know

This blog is titled “Connectivity” because it deals with all aspects and issues of network connectivity. That includes how to ensure your network connectivity is secure and available, and how to make sure that malicious attackers can not intercept or disrupt your network connectivity. Do you know what ARP Poisoning is? How about a multicast storm? Have you heard of Spanning Tree Protocol or VLAN Trunking Protocol hacks? Do you know how to protect your network from them? Networkworld.com recently hosted a chat session with Christopher Paggen and Eric Vyncke, authors of LAN switch security: What hackers know about your switches, which covers a wide range of security issues and the authors’ advice and tips for how to lock your network down and protect against these (and other) threats. Read LAN switch security: what the hackers know that you don’t to see what the authors have to say.

Merging Wired & Wireless Network Management

Managing wired networks is pretty old school. It is a mature field of information technology with many capable and stable tools. Administrators have experience and the utilities available to proactively monitor network performance, simplify management, allow them to allocate network resources and more. Then along came wireless. Many organizations are still struggling with whether or not to implement wireless networks, never mind how. Many of those that have deployed wireless networks are still on the low end of the learning curve for managing them at all. But, as wireless networks evolve and become an accepted part of standard enterprise networks, administrators will increasingly be looking for tools & utilities that allow them to monitor and maintain the overall network- wired and wireless included. Computerworld.com has an article which explores this issue in some detail. Check out Want to manage your wired / wireless LANs together? Too bad to learn more.

Google Rumored to Develop 10Gbps Switches

When you’re an Internet juggernaut like Google, you can’t let simple things like the fact that a technology hasn’t been invented get in your way. Google has to transport a lot of data from Point A to Point B within their data center very quickly in order to work all of the magic they do that keeps the users coming back. The mortal world of networking has 1Gbps Ethernet networks, but that is the max for now. IEEE is working on developing both 40Gbps and 100Gbps standards, but it could be years before the standards are ratified and actual, functioning equipment hits the streets. Iconic organizations like Google can’t be sitting around, twiddling their thumbs waiting for standards to be ratified. The rumor is that their is evidence to suggest that Google has developed their own 10Gbps switches in-house for their data centers. Check out this Networkworld.com article for more about the story.

Planning For Network Changes

The network is the lifeblood of the organization. Email, VoIP communications, files, and other data zip back and forth throughout the network infrastructure. Of course, over time equipment gets worn out or becomes obsolete and changes have to be made to the network. If you were dealing with your own lifeblood- replacing your heart or rerouting some damaged arteries- you can bet that you would want to have an extensive plan for how to execute the change, as well as some idea of how to abort the mission or fix things if the operation doesn’t go according to plan. You need to put the same diligence into planning a change to the corporate lifeblood. This article from SearchNetworking addresses the considerations you should take into account before embarking on a change to the network infrastructure, as well as how to test to ensure everything is operational, and how to develop a backout plan should anything go wrong.

Wired Networks R.I.P.

According to a recent report from Burton Group Senior Analyst Paul DeBeasi, the end of wired Ethernet networking is at hand. Comparing the features and functionality of the latest standards- 802.11n wireless vs. wired Gigabit Ethernet- DeBeasi concludes that the benefits of an 802.11n network will establish it as the default network type and chip away at the dominance of wired networks over the next few years. You can read more about the report in this Computerworld.com article.

IEEE Higher Speed Study Group (HSSG) Resolves Differences

IEEE created the HSSG (Higher Speed Study Group) to work on developing the next generation Ethernet standard. The current standard top speed is 10Gbps. Originally, the group set out to develop a 100Gbps standard, but factions within IEEE fought for an interim 40Gbps standard as well. The battle almost scuttled the whole project as the two sides reached a stalemate and refused to work together. Computerworld reports that the two sides have more or less agreed to disagree and that work is now continuing to develop a single standard for both 40Gbps and 100Gbps ethernet. Read IEEE group settles on faster Ethernet plans for more details.

100G and 40G Duke It Out

The Higher Speed Study Group (HSSG), a working group within IEEE, has divided into factions battling it out. The original charter of the group is to explore a 100 Gbps ethernet standard. However, many members are pushing for a 40 Gbps ethernet standard to be established as well as a stepping stone to the ultimate goal.

The 100G proponents are resisting the idea, claiming that it will take their focus off of their real purpose and will impact progress toward the 100 Gbps standard. Those in favor of 40G feel that it is a logical step that is on the path toward 100G and gives the market something to deliver in the mean time.

The battle has gotten a little nasty and IEEE has directed the factions to come to a consensus and get things on track, or IEEE may possibly dissolve the working group altogether. Read Controversy threatens 100G standards work for more details.