Prepare to peek under the covers of how your data can travel from as little as a few inches to thousands of miles from device to device and through tens of network devices in the path. In this article, we will explore the differences between a layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) Packet and a layer […]
What is Cisco Meraki ? Some FAQ About Cisco Meraki You Need to Know
The company Meraki was founded in 2006 and started out as a research project called Roofnet within MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) which had the aim of providing outdoor Wireless Internet access to the City of Cambridge. In this article we will discuss the Cisco Meraki brand and answer some Frequently Asked Questions that many […]
11 Best IT & Network Inventory Software Tools (Free & Paid)
Companies these days need to deal with and manage vast inventories of network and IT assets. Keeping track of these assets, tagging them, and knowing their status at all times is essential to the operations of any modern company. Image Source As you’d expect, this is a big job but network inventory software makes it […]
14 Best Nagios Alternatives for Networks, Servers, IT Systems Monitoring
For businesses, the task of network and IT infrastructure monitoring remains highly important. A company cannot afford to ignore the security and performance of its network and IT resources. Nagios remains one of the most popular solutions for IT infrastructure monitoring today. An entire suite of software allows businesses to take control and have visibility […]
What is an SFP Port-Module in Network Switches and Devices
A Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) Port on a network switch is an Ethernet Interface which has been designed to allow a small module (which contains a connector and small circuit board) to be inserted into the switch. This device is called an SFP Module. There are different types of SFP modules and SFP ports, […]
Cisco ASA Firewall Management Interface Configuration (with Example)
All Cisco ASA firewall models from 5510 and higher (including the newer generation of 5500-X appliances), include an extra dedicated Ethernet interface for management. In this article we will provide a basic example of configuring network settings to the dedicated management interface and also SSH access in order to connect to the appliance through the […]
Comparison of Cisco Meraki MX64 vs MX65 vs MX67 vs MX68
Meraki is a Cloud-Managed IT company based in San Francisco, California which was purchased by Cisco Systems in December 2012. Cisco Meraki provides networking products which are configured and managed through a cloud-based web portal. These products include MX Security Appliances, MS Network Switches, MR Wireless Access Points, MV Wireless Cameras and more recently, IOT […]
8 Different Types of VLANs in TCP/IP Networks
A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a fundamental concept in TCP/IP computer networks and every professional in this field must have a deep understanding of this technology. In networking, VLANs are implemented and configured on Ethernet Switches and they work at OSI Layer 2. They are a method to logically separate Layer 2 Ethernet […]
How to Configure Access Control Lists on a Cisco ASA 5500/5500-X Firewall (with Examples)
The following article describes how to configure Access Control Lists (ACL) on Cisco ASA 5500 and 5500-X firewalls. An ACL is the central configuration feature to enforce security rules in your network so it is an important concept to learn. The Cisco ASA 5500 is the successor Cisco firewall model series which followed the successful […]
Comparison of Static vs Dynamic Routing in TCP/IP Networks
“Packet Routing” is the primary operation in TCP/IP networks that establishes communication from a source device located on one network to a destination device located on another network. Image Credit Within the OSI model, routing is a Layer 3 process which groups Internet Protocol (IP) data into Packets that are put inside of Frames (Layer […]
Comparison of “peer-to-peer” vs “client-server” Network Models
A computer network is made up of software and hardware components that allow one device to communicate with another. Hardware provides the set of instructions that utilizes the networking equipment for data transmission, whereas software specifies the sequence of commands (communication protocol) that uses the hardware equipment for data transmission. A basic data transfer is […]
What is Cisco Umbrella Security Service? Discussion – Use Cases – Features
In recent years Cisco have been focused on building their cloud and software defined networking portfolio through the acquisition of smaller companies such as Viptela and OpenDNS among others. In this article we will focus on Cisco Umbrella, explain what it is, discuss how it can protect your network etc. A Brief History of Cisco […]
What is Cisco ASA Firewall – All you need to Know
The ASA (Adaptive Security Appliance) is a network security product that is a part of Cisco’s Advanced Network Firewall portfolio. A network Firewall is a hardware or software device that sits usually at the edge of a network and provides security by allowing or denying traffic based upon a set of pre-configured rules. In large […]