There are several configuration features on Cisco ASA that require some sort of password or secret-key that you need to enter. Some examples include: VPN pre-shared keys (either for site-to-site IPSEC VPN or for Remote Access). AAA server secret key when communicating with a RADIUS server. Routing Protocols keys (for OSPF, EIGRP). Secret key for […]
12 Pingplotter Alternative Software Tools for Network Diagnostics
As network engineers, having insights about how our network performs can save us from a lot of headaches. That’s where software tools for network diagnostics are useful for every networking professional. Pingplotter is a network diagnostic software utility used to monitor packet loss, latency, jitter etc in data packets along network paths. This tool lets […]
How to Use Cisco ECC Profile to Provide Caller ID Details for External Calls
One of the most asked questions from those who deployed Cisco Unified Communications Manager is how to provide external caller ID on IP phone display. CUCM does it well for internal phone lines, but what about external incoming calls? Your account managers would love seeing the name of the client calling on the IP phone. […]
10 Cacti Alternative Software Tools for Network Bandwidth Monitoring
Cacti is a popular open source networking tool that is web based, and it is used both for network monitoring and graphing. In my work environment we use Cacti extensively to mainly monitor bandwidth on interfaces of switches etc. It is a complex tool to learn but very powerful. With Cacti you can poll services, […]
Cisco IOS Command Line Interface (CLI) Keyboard Shortcuts
Learning to configure your Cisco devices from the Command Line Interface (CLI) is an essential step towards your Cisco networking career. This means that you need to learn how to configure the Cisco IOS operating system which runs on routers, switches and other network devices. Acquiring this hands-on experience with the Cisco IOS CLI will […]
10 Best Hardware Firewalls for Home and Small Business Networks
On this website I have written tens of articles about enterprise level firewalls (especially Cisco ASA) but many people are interested to learn about the best hardware firewalls for home or small business networks, so this is what I’ll focus in this article. Firewalls are designed to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic, helping to keep […]
25 Best Open Source & Free Network Monitoring Tools (Guide)
As network engineers and administrators, we mostly focus on managing and configuring hardware devices such as routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers etc. We rarely deal with software management tools which are equally important in a corporate network. Without knowing the health, performance, availability and quality of your network is like running with closed eyes. Network […]
12 Best Open Source Firewalls Comparable to Commercial Solutions
Usually, in the world of network security, when we talk about Firewalls we mean the devices that help protect your computer systems and networks from attacks and provide a “wall” in front of servers and IT resources. The above concept of a “Firewall” refers to the classic network hardware firewall such as the Cisco ASA, […]
Comparison and Differences Between MAC vs IP Address
Every host or device that is connected to a TCP/IP network must have two addresses in order to send and receive traffic on the network. These are MAC and IP addresses. Knowing the details and functionality of these two address types is essential for anyone working in networking or in I.T in general. In this […]
Adjusting MSS and MTU on Cisco 800 routers for PPPoE over DSL
One of the most frequent problems encountered from users of DSL internet connectivity (especially PPPoE DSL service) is when they experience incomplete connections or unreliable data transfers when they communicate with internet servers. A prominent example is when a user accesses a web site and some times it works and some times it does not. […]
Comparison of FTP and HTTP Network Communication Protocols
FTP and HTTP are two of the oldest network protocols in existence. Although they made their appearance in the nineteen-eighties, they are still among the most popular network protocols used in Information Technology and Internet in general. HTTP is an acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. FTP is an acronym short for File Transfer Protocol. Both […]
The Most Important Cisco Show Commands You Must Know (Cheat Sheet)
If you are a networking professional that is operating and supporting Cisco devices and networks, then learning some important “show commands” is essential. There are a few different categories of commands on Cisco devices. There are commands that configure the device to perform a certain function and also there are commands that extract information from […]
Cisco Show IP Route Command (Routing Table)-Example and Explanation
Routing and Switching form the foundation of computer networks and the Internet in general. A network engineer must know routing principles like the back of his/her hand!! In this practical tutorial we will discuss the Cisco “show ip route” command which allows a network engineer to examine the routing table of a router device in […]