Computer networks keep changing the way we live and do things in the 21st century. This is because virtually every computing activity or information sharing we do today depends on one form of network or another. The Internet is a very good example of a computer network that allows users to get information from any […]
Compare and Contrast Network Topologies (Star, Mesh, Bus, Hybrid etc)
Computer networking has been around for several decades, which is the backbone of what we all know as the Internet today. The Internet is simply a network of networks, which means there is no such thing as a standalone computer on a network. For a user or host computer to participate in data and resource […]
Collision Domains and Broadcast Domains Explained
In this blog I usually share practical configuration examples and how-to guides about Cisco networking devices and technologies (routers, switches, ASA firewalls etc). However, there are a lot of people out there interested in more generic and fundamental networking topics because they either just starting out in this field or are learning the basic concepts […]
Windows IP Commands – ipconfig-nslookup-ping-tracert-netstat etc
As Network Engineers we need to be versatile and troubleshooting-savvy in our work environment. In addition to having strong knowledge of networking protocols and commands on network devices (routers, switches, firewalls etc) we need also to have very good knowledge of IP and other networking related commands on end-point devices such as Windows computers, Linux […]
Best Ethernet Switches of 2019 – Gigabit-Managed-Unmanaged
Ethernet Switches are the backbone of any network, no matter if it’s a home, office or enterprise network. Even though most of our communication nowadays is carried out wirelessly (WiFi, Mobile 3G-4G-5G etc), there ARE a lot of cases whereby network connectivity has to be implemented the “old-school” wired way. And that’s where Ethernet Switches […]
Network Failover Redundancy Scenario – Two sites with two ASA Firewalls
A few months ago I was involved in a project where we had to design a network redundancy scenario with two physically separate networks in two different buildings (the sites were a few kilometers away from each other). The main requirement was to provide Inbound Internet Access to two Server Pools (Linux Servers in High […]
Make Your Home Future Proof With A Home Network
In the past computer networking was the reserve of office places and businesses utilizing computer systems and shared software for completing demanding workload tasks. However, since the introduction of the PC to the home, primarily in the form of the desktop computer, the need for home networking has become an almost everyday necessity. No Longer […]
Troubleshooting skills are essential in Networking
One of the most important skills that a network engineer must learn and develop is troubleshooting. I have designed, configured and managed hundreds of networking projects. Its very rare to configure a network (especially complex ones) and have everything running as expected from the first shot. Most of the times a lot of troubleshooting activity […]
Characteristics of dynamic IP routing protocols
Below are some important characteristics of various Dynamic Routing Protocols that are used in Cisco IOS routers. RIPv2 * Distance Vector Protocol. * Suitable for small to medium networks. * Average convergence speed. * Supports VLSM. * Supports CIDR. * Standardized protocols (supports multi-vendor networks.) * Multicast address for updates: 224.0.0.9 * Administrative distance: 120. […]
Important Points to Know About IPV6
We are slowly approaching the implementation of IPv6 in a mass scale and thus we must be ready to learn some significant differences over IPv4. Also, some IP addressing terms will start to appear with increasing frequency in our day to day work. So let’s see some notable concepts that you need to know about […]
Intelligent DDoS Mitigation System-IDMS
As e-commerce continues to proliferate and deliver profitable results, more business is being done online. The growing adoption of online retailing, Internet banking, cloud-based data storage and other commercial services represents a natural evolution of Internet use. For online businesses, however, any downtime can dramatically impact the bottom line. As a result, the growing scale […]
How to Configure Static Routing on Cisco Routers
Cisco IOS Routers support both static and dynamic routes. In small networks (2 to 5 routers) I would suggest to configure only static routes, especially if the network is not going to change much over time. Of course dynamic routing (using dynamic routing protocols such as RIP, OSPF, EIGRP) is much more flexible and scalable […]
GNS3 Graphical Network Simulator
GNS3 is a graphical network simulator that allows simulation of complex networks. To allow complete simulations, GNS3 is strongly linked with : * Dynamips, the core program that allows Cisco IOS emulation. * Dynagen, a text-based front-end for Dynamips. * Qemu, a generic and open source machine emulator and virtualizer. GNS3 is an excellent complementary […]