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2011

  • 3 min read

Color Code Your Routers

I came across an interesting idea, what if you could color code your devices in command line? So such as if you were operating routers at a core level you could color code the CLI to the color red, and the branch routers green and etc. I wasn't sure if this would possible but doing some searching through the internet I found a guy Ivan Pepelnjak who wrote how to do this a couple years ago and wrote a couple books as well, check out his blog/website at http://www.ipspace.net there is tons of helpful information along with his original guide here.

  • 3 min read

Network Troubleshooting

The thing that makes networks awesome is the fact that once you setup a network you're not done. That may sound like a drawback but it is excellent job security! Engineers or administrators must watch the performance of an organization's network to make sure that productivity is not affected. Network outages can have a huge effect on an organization, lost revenue and the cost of unproductive employees can severely damage the organization, Earlier this year I also talked about the troubleshooting process which goes hand in hand with network troubleshooting. One of the major things a network engineer or administrator needs to have is documentation of the network.

  • 3 min read

How to Configure SSH on Dell Power-Connect

Although not dealing with Cisco directly Dell switches are around in network closets and with my limited experience with them I thought this would be a perfect blog post to show the differences between Dell and Cisco. I like to think of Dell CLI like a dumb downed version of the Cisco CLI so I had some time to play around with a Dell 6248P switch and wanted to figure out how to get SSH working in the thing. Couple searches around the web and some guess and check methods I was able to get SSH working and disable telnet sessions from connecting to the switch. Compared to a Cisco switch dell has few commands when configuring SSH. This switch was configured with an IP address and user name and passwords before I touched it but I don't think would too hard to figure out. :)

  • 2 min read

I've found this table that I created a while ago and it lists common WAN connections that businesses use. I have used this table like a reference guide to familiar myself into other protocols.

  • 1 min read

Windows 8 Developer Preview

Changing topics for today, I want to talk about the Windows 8 Developer Preview which was released on September 13th. I had the time to install it under virtual box and was pleasantly surprised! About how fast it installed the easy to understand install prompts and the new "Metro" UI which is aimed at touched devices. Also the ability to switch to the standard Windows operating system.

  • 2 min read

Store-and-Forward vs. Cut-Through Switching

Switching in the network can happen in two ways, these layer-two devices send frames but they can forward them in different ways. These different modes have positive and negative effects which depend on the type of network environment that runs through them!

  • 2 min read

Welcome CCT (Cisco Certified Technician Certification)

Switching gears for today, Cisco has introduced a certification for onsite support technicians, who need product-specific technical skills to diagnose, restore, repair, and replace critical Cisco equipment. This certification which was introduced this summer now has questions about it from CLN (Cisco Learning Network) and other Cisco sites.

  • 3 min read

The Ending of Layer Two Redundancy

Although layer two redundancy should never end, this is the final chapter of understanding layer two redundancy in the network. Last week I talked about how and why STP (IEEE 802.1D) is important in the network and the problems and causes of not having it which can turn your network against you and everybody on it. Today’s post will talk about how a switch decides which one is in charge on the network and which ones aren’t.

  • 3 min read

The Middle of Layer Two Redundancy

In the month of August I talked about the "beginnings" of layer two redundancy mainly looking at the basic foundations and fundamentals of having layer two redundancy. Let's continue are discussion about redundancy in the layer two environment.