Rules of Deployment: The Life Cycle of a Converged Network

A major shift in telecommunications from circuit to packet switched technology, along with increasing sophistication of the corporate LAN/WAN, is prompting businesses of all sizes to consider merging their voice and data networks. Increased bandwidth availability through gigabit Ethernet and fiber trunk lines allow for telephony to be treated as any other application on the IP network, albeit a very needy one. Whereas the main motivation for individual consumers to make the switch to VoIP may be... Read more »

Rules of Deployment: Inventory of Assets and Existing Capabilities

Inventory of Assets: Know what you have to work with by taking a full inventory of all your network hardware including switches, routers, servers, existing PBX’s, cabling and end user equipment. Make sure to take note of their processing power and throughput capabilities, as well as any nodes that are not VoIP aware. Also be sure to document router OS versions and WAN connections to the Internet. You may find that some equipment may need to be upgraded, refurbished, or retired. For hardware... Read more »

Pre-Deployment Testing and Implementation of a Converged Network

After all the planning has been done and the network assessed, the conclusions drawn and assumptions made must be tested to assure that they are correct before moving on with the migration. Testing new applications and hardware in a production environment can be potentially disruptive to a business if things don’t go as expected. It is therefore essential that the testing and tweaking be done on an isolated network segment. The Virtual Network Test Lab The test lab should mirror the production... Read more »

How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network with Windows XP

In my experience as a computer support tech for residential customers I would estimate that 9 out of 10 home wireless networks are not properly secured and left open for anyone in range to use the internet connection or worse, hack into the files. Most people don’t even realize that their network is not secure. They buy a wireless router plug in all the cables and if they get an active internet connection from all PCs then they are done. In this article I will show you how to secure your home... Read more »

High Speed Internet Is A Must-Have For Gamers

Anyone who has ever played online games knows high speed internet (HSI) is almost a must-have purchase. The reasons for this are many, but the proof is in the playing. When it comes to accuracy, speed and ease of use, it just can’t be beat. Whether it’s a T-1 line, cable or even DSL, high speed internet makes it easier for players to enjoy their games - especially the fast-paced ones that involve a lot of high end graphics. Why is this? It’s simple, high speed internet allows for... Read more »

Creating a Fool Proof Data Archive System with a Magnetic Tape Library

Most businesses have laws and regulations for how long specific data must be stored, but still many companies don’t have a tape drive, tape libraries, secondary storage or any plan for archiving data. Even if your industry doesn’t have specific requirements, keeping a well documented business information library is a safe bet. Recently, the residential building company Urban Renaissance Agency realized that it had lost archived building plan data for 555 (31%) of its condos due to “insufficient... Read more »

Wire Your House for Multi-Media

Structured wiring is a new, but very important concept in the residential construction industry. In fact just as one does not buy a home without any indoor plumbing or central heating today, pretty soon, no one will buy a home without any structured wiring. With structured writing, it is possible to interconnect PCs and printers around the house so that there is file sharing and the possibility of sending information from one PC to another room or printer. In addition to connectivity between PCs... Read more »

Setting Up A Home Network

There is essentially two ways of setting up a home network, wired or wireless. A wired network involves connecting up the computers using cables, and if often referred to as an Ethernet network. An Ethernet network transfers data at high speeds, faster than wireless networks as it is very rare for the connection to be interrupted. Although data transfer speeds of 1 Gbps can be achieved, the average speed is 100 Mbps, and this is why you will often see “10/100″ next to Ethernet ports on... Read more »

The Truth About Bluetooth Headsets

Everywhere you look, companies are producing Bluetooth Headsets faster than the rising cost of gasoline. Nokia, Sony, even Verizon Wireless is unveiling the newest trend in Blue Tooth technology, the headset. Demand is high, and understandably so. Studies have shown that many accidents occur while people are dually driving and speaking on cell phones. A Blue Tooth headset can solve the problem by freeing both hands for the wheel and allowing people to focus their attention on the task at hand-driving. Now,... Read more »

Wireless Networking: The Cutting Edge Of Technology

One of the fastest growing and most exciting technologies these days is devices that use some sort of wireless network. Wireless networking has allowed almost anyone to use many different devices in a way that not too long ago was unheard of. The most exciting thing about wireless networking is that the development of new technologies is only just beginning. A new wireless protocol, 802.11N, should be released later this year, which will allow wireless networks to connect over longer distances,... Read more »