A logical map of the network shows the relationships between components and the flow of information through the network. A physical map of the network tries to approximate on paper a representation of how each component of the network is connected to the network. For example, a logical map for a Windows network might show […]
One of the oldest abbreviations used on the Internet doesn’t have anything to do with a specific protocol or network service. It’s RTFM. If you ever get this in response to posting a question on a news- group, you can probably guess what the letters stand for. For those who don’t know, it’s something along […]
A signal usually propagates down a wire at a constant speed, provided that the impedance of the cable is the same throughout its journey. When the signal runs into a fault in the wire (such as a kink or a splice) or reaches the end of the wire, part or all of the signal is […]
Network Objects: The Management Information Base (MIB)
The primities just described are the operations that can be performed by the manager or agent processes when they exchange data. The types of data they can exchange are defined by a database called the management information base (MIB). The first compilation of the objects stored in this database […]
Building a network today involves integrating products from various vendors. It has discussed tools that can be used to locate faults in the physical elements that make up the network and tools that can be used to monitor the functioning of network protocols.
Yet, so far the tools that have been mentioned are all limited to […]
Not all devices are equipped with SNMP capabilities. For these devices, another device might be able to handle those functions and acts as a proxy agent so that it can still be managed from the SNMP management console. For example, a network card might not be SNMP-enabled, but the host computer can run a process […]
The newest, latest, and maybe greatest approach to SOHO networking environments is to remove the cables altogether. It’s now quite inexpensive to buy a small wireless Access Point (AP) and install wireless network cards in the computers in your small or home office. This allows you, for example, to use a laptop and take it […]
Just as in a large corporate network, you might have a problem with one or more components that make up the network. Network cards go bad, as do hubs and switches (and even individual ports on a hub or switch). Always keep handy the minimal documentation that comes with your computer(s), network card, hub, switch, […]
Network Cable Connectors
A 10BASE-2 network uses a different kind of connector than a 10BASE-T/100BASE-T network does. You should pay attention to the details when ordering connectors (if you plan to make cables yourself) or when ordering ready-made cables that have the connectors attached. When upgrading to twisted-pair wiring, I’ve already suggested that you use Category […]
Because 10BASE-2 uses thinnet coaxial cabling, the first upgrade issue you must address is getting the appropriate network cabling.
This should be the simplest decision you have to make. Although it’s quite possible to use Category 3 wiring to construct a 10BASE-T (and even a 100BASE-T) network, the only good reason I can think of to […]
Today Gigabit Ethernet has arrived, in a big way. You won’t find many people using Gigabit to the desktop yet (although in some high-end environments, such as video production, you just might). But as a backbone transport, Gigabit is an ideal replacement for Fast Ethernet or other protocols used to transfer high-bandwidth traffic.
The initial cost […]
Using wireless technology opens up the possibility of security breaches. Thoroughly read the documentation that comes with your choice of devices to find out what kind of security features can be enabled. It’s probably best to associate the wireless network adapters you buy with one or more APs, depending on the work habits of the […]
Just as you need to test new network configurations or PC configurations in a laboratory before rolling them out for production usage, you need to evaluate the placement of APs should you decide to get into wireless networking. Wi-Fi provides for roaming capabilities, but it also enables you to restrict users to selected APs if […]
Wireless networking has its place in the home, small office, and enterprise environments. You can use an inexpensive Access Point to create a network of just a few computers, or you can use multiple wireless Access Points (APs) throughout a large company to further enable mobility of your networked clients.
There are many good reasons to […]
When Windows NT 3.51 was released, one of the default network protocols installed during initial installation was Microsoft’s implementation of Novell’s IPX/SPX protocol, NWLink. It easily can be assumed that at that time Microsoft perceived that Novell was its most important competitor in the network operating system (NOS) marketplace. With Windows NT 4.0, the TCP/IP […]
To manage the basic FTP server on a Windows Server 2003 system, follow these steps:
Click Start, All Programs (Programs for Windows 2000) Administrative Tools, Internet Services (IIS) Manager.
The MMC console starts with the IIS snap-in. Click on the IIS server you want to manage (in this example, FTP sites).
Right-click on the FTP site you want […]
When using the Windows 2000 Server Telnet server application, you saw that the Command Prompt was used with a menu to enable you to manage the Telnet server. For Windows Server 2003, a command-line interface is also used, but you’ll have to specify the option you want to manage instead of using a menu. The […]
After you’ve started the Telnet server service on the Windows 2000 Server, you can manage the server by using the Telnet Server Administration utility found in the Administrative Tools folder. The interface to the Windows 2000 Server service utility is simple. You have the options of listing connected users or terminating users and the ability […]
Instead of trying to tackle the enormous job of developing still more applications to make it easier to integrate Unix and Windows into a cohesive network, Microsoft chose to take advantage of developments by other vendors and instead released the Windows NT Services for Unix Add-On Pack. This set of applications contains in-house applications developed […]
Windows operating systems now support many protocols and utilities that were originally created for the Unix Environment. The first that comes to mind, and perhaps the most important, is the TCP/IP protocol suite. This includes not just the TCP/IP protocols, but other associated protocols and utilities.
Many of the technologies that began in the Unix world […]