Testing your network

[Network and Systems Mgmt. Tip]

Title: Network and Systems Management

July 28, 2004 Published by  TechTarget Network and Systems Management IN THIS ISSUE:   >  Test your network with Qcheck   >  A prominent VoIP advantage - Applications   >  Halfway to 2005: Trends to keep watching   >  Bursting the bubble around enterprise networks   >  Crash Course: VLANs   >  Fighting spam defensively   >  Word search winner and answer key SPONSORED BY:  SearchCIO.com Product and Vendor Guide If you would like to research the latest information and vendor listings about systems management including availability, performance, problem management and more, look no further. SearchCIO.com has condensed this information and enables you to research and communicate with vendors all in one easy to browse location, visit today! Click Here Test your network with Qcheck [Barrie Sosinsky] There are many tools on the market today for testing the quality of a network connection. Many of these tools are quite expensive, but one tool that isn't is Qcheck. You can use it to test both wired and wireless connections. Read more about Qcheck and where to get it... A prominent VoIP advantage - Applications [Rich Parsons] In the recent past, the biggest drivers for implementing a voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure were its cost benefits. Because the traditional circuit providers have addressed this challenge in the voice market by reducing rates and alleviating their past capacity issues, the VoIP cost cutting business driver has lost some of its bite. However, the application benefits of VoIP have become major focal points for companies that use their IT infrastructures as a competitive advantage in today's business. At a high level, this tip discusses three of the VoIP applications currently available. Halfway to 2005: Trends to keep watching [Jon Boroshok] At the beginning of every year, journalists try to show that they have crystal balls and make tech predictions. 2004 was no exception, as Microsoft mediums, computer clairvoyants, and software psychics read techie tarot cards and made their bold predictions. Experts predicted things like: offshore outsourcing becomes an election issue; the NASDAQ hits 2500 again; Linux begins to look like Windows; tablet PCs finally catch on; anti-spam filters start working correctly, etc. Midway through this year, few of these predictions are showing that they were any more realistic than alien landings in Roswell, but one or two spur the imagination for making predictions for the rest of the year into 2005. Bursting the bubble around enterprise networks Disruptive technologies like VoIP, wireless broadband and advanced users are forcing network managers out of their comfort zones and into uncharted territory, according to an analyst at Burton Group's Catalyst Conference. Crash Course: VLANs VLANs allow you to create flexible, secure groupings of users based on job function or group membership, rather than physical location. Learn how and where to use them. Fighting spam defensively Chapter 16 of the Anti Spam Tool Kit focuses on defending against unwanted e-mail. You'll learn about specific network and IT management strategies that reduce the threat spam poses to your organization. (Reproduced from the book Anti Spam Took Kit, ISBN 007223167X, Copyright 2004, McGraw-Hill Companies. Reproduced by permission of McGraw-Hill, Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121.) Download your copy of chapter 16 today. Word search winner and answer key Last week we offered you a break from the stresses of work with a quick and easy way to learn about network security with our security word search. Just for the heck of it we combined the fun with a book giveaway. Well, we heard from many of you and we're so glad you took the time to write. Congratulations to Martin D. Male, Manager of Information Systems & Technology at Inuvialuit Development Corp. for winning a copy of Cisco PIX Firewalls. The book giveaway contest is over but you can still have some security fun. The word search is available here and the answer key here. Contact Us Sales For sales inquiries, please contact us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Editorial For feedback about any of our articles or to send us your article ideas, please contact us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Free E-Newsletters! Select e-newsletters you would like to receive via e-mail! SearchNetworking: Voice over IP Tip SearchNetworking: Updates on new site content Not a Member? We'll activate your membership with your subscription. ABOUT THIS E-NEWSLETTER This e-newsletter is published by TechTarget, the most targeted IT media and events company. Copyright 2004 TechTarget. All rights reserved. To unsubscribe from "Network and Systems Management Tip": Go to unsubscribe: http://searchTechTarget.techtarget.com/u?track=NL-314 Please note, unsubscribe requests may take up to 24 hours to process; you may receive additional mailings during that time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent when your request has been successfully processed. Contact Us: TechTarget Member Services 117 Kendrick Street, Suite 800 Needham, MA 02494