Networking » Management Software

Software-based NAC security useful despite drawbacks

Despite some shortcomings, software-based network access control technology that enforces policies on network endpoints is often the first choice of customers who adopt the technology.

By Tim Greene | 13 November, 2008 09:44

Tags: nac

Juniper WXC 1800 speeds WAN traffic

Speeding up the delivery of applications and data to remote users is the No. 1 goal of WAN acceleration and optimization. Not only does it help get more done over the same amount of bandwidth -- or less -- but WAN optimization appliances reduce response times and overcome latency inherent to long-distance WAN links. Using a combination of file- and byte-segment caching, TCP optimizations, and application-specific acceleration, WAN acceleration appliances help move the data that drives business.

By Keith Schultz | 03 November, 2008 10:31

Tags: cisco wae, juniper networks, networking hardware

Navigating the WLAN management maze

With enterprise-class wireless LANs well on the way to becoming the preferred -- if not default -- network access method for organizations across all industries, it's imperative that the software available to manage WLAN gear is up to the task.

By C.J. Mathias | 24 September, 2008 10:51

Tags: wlan

What are Cisco's top network-management challenges?

Network management has been a source of frustration for Cisco for years.

Wireless LANs face huge scaling challenges

Philippe Hanset is wondering about the intersection of the Slingbox and the campuswide wireless LAN at University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he's senior networking engineer.

College dropout is one-man IT shop — at college lab

Meet Justin King — the one-man IT shop. At the 5-year-old Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, IT plays a key role in innovative research involving fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machines.

Wi-Fi tweaks for speed freaks

One thing you can depend on these days is that the claims made for wireless routers, like 300Mbit/sec. throughput and 1,000-foot range, are nothing more than digital pipe dreams. The plain and simple truth is that these speeds and distances just aren't going to happen in your home, office or any place on this planet.

By Brian Nadel | 21 August, 2008 11:29

Tags: antenna, repeater, router, wi-fi, wireless, wireless and wired network installations

Internet companies dominate top 10 Q2 network venture deals

Venture funding for networking companies took a small dive in the second quarter, but a few innovative Internet, wireless and hardware vendors raised boatloads of cash from investors.

Pimp your apps

Tools for speeding sluggish applications traditionally are of two types: application-delivery controllers designed to ease the load on Web servers, and WAN optimization devices aimed at mitigating network latency and bandwidth constraints. Some say it's time for these two to consolidate.

Four cool network optimization startups

When Rich De Brino agreed to let a start-up come on-site and demonstrate how its technology could optimize video applications by aggregating multiple network connections, he didn't make it easy on the vendor.

Four ways to improve IT and get better app performance

1. Take a SWAT team approach

Dear IT: Forget the technology

The scenario is typical: The lights on the network management consoles are a soothing shade of green, but a top revenue-generating application is crawling. Business users have swamped the help desk with calls and trouble tickets. Everyone there is calling the network team to figure out the problem.

Microsoft Intelligent Application Gateway and Celestix VPN appliance

Secure Sockets Layer virtual private networks are commonly used when easy access to corporate applications is required to be offered to partners, remote employees, and other people and businesses that aren't necessarily trusted enough to be granted access to your corporate networks.

Assembling a 'network A-team'

Have you spent millions on management software and still struggle to quickly determine the root cause of network performance problems?

INTEROP - Startups take on network security, management

Interop inspires industry veterans and newcomers alike to put on display their most innovative products, hoping to catch the eye of network managers with IT problems to solve.

Privilege Access Management review highlights

A quick highlight of products from CyberArk, eDMZ Security, Quest and Symark.

E-DMZ appliance less advanced than its rivals

e-DMZ's Password Auto Repository (PAR) is delivered as a hardware appliance with all the services necessary for it to act as a privileged account password manager. All privileged account passwords are issued based on administratively designed rules. The passwords may be deemed valid for an indefinite life, for finite periods of time or for single purpose activities such as installations, upgrades or configuration changes.

Quest homes in on Unix password management

Quest Privilege Manager for Unix (QPM) currently only works with Unix derivatives. No Windows allowed.

Symark makes mark in privileged access market

Symark, late in 2006, broke code development ranks with OEM partner eDMZ Security. The PowerKeeper 2.0 running on HP hardware we tested represents some slight changes in terms of flexibility, operating system and application support between the two offerings. The company plans to release PowerKeeper 3.0 this summer, but that revised code was not ready for us to test.

Cyber-Ark tops privilege account managers list

Cyber-Ark's product was sent to us in pre-configured VMware-format virtual machines. While it's Cyber-Ark's policy to install 100 per cent of its products, we requested this optional product delivery mode that allowed us to install the product ourselves.