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  • How to keep your network in tip-top health

    If your network has between 1,000 and10,000 devices and computers, you have a midsized network. Your servers, connections and other resources suffer the same problems as larger networks, but your budget for keeping the network healthy is less than what large enterprises enjoy.

    Written by Barry Nance • 06 May 13 13:16

  • Cisco edges F5 in VPN shootout

    Connecting remotely to network servers is a fact of life for millions of end users. Whether working from a PC or a mobile device, users rely on secure, reliable remote connections to maintain their productivity.

    Written by Susan Perschke • 22 April 13 14:04

  • Microsoft DirectAccess impresses

    Available since Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsofts DirectAccess server role became fully integrated with the OS in Windows Server 2012. DirectAccess is designed to connect a VPN-type session automatically as soon as a compatible Windows client is connected to the Internet.

    Written by Susan Perschke • 22 April 13 10:57

  • 5 Cool Corporate Retreat and Training Centers

    It pays to get the staff out of the office every once in a while. These five example highlight facilities offer amenities that work well for training, team-building, relaxing or letting loose.

    Written by John Brandon • 18 April 13 15:51

  • Where's the beef? Fedora releases 'Spherical Cow'

    After being delayed seven times due to reported problems with the new installer, Fedora 18 has arrived. On the plus side, Fedora 18 delivers new management functionality for IT administrators and offers improved Active Directory support. However, a complicated installation process and some issues with the user interface make it a less attractive option than desktop competitors like Ubuntu and Mint.

    Written by Maria Korolov • 08 April 13 11:00

  • Hot hotspot gateways

    Offering Wi-Fi can be a good way to increase return customers and boost revenue in retail stores, hotels, cafes, etc. And it provides convenience for contractors and associates working in corporate offices and conference rooms. Though visitors might have 4G mobile devices or laptops, Wi-Fi can provide a faster, higher quality connection.

    Written by Eric Geier • 01 April 13 14:10

  • Office 365 Mixes New Features, Familiar Feel and Bridge to the Cloud

    The new Office 365 and its enterprise-grade cloud services are a good option for a business of any size. We look at the Windows 8 experience, the desktop-cloud connection and which of the new features will most appeal to both end-users and IT admins.

    Written by Vangie Beal • 27 March 13 13:45

  • Puppet or Chef: The configuration management dilemma

    Puppet is model-driven, Ruby is procedural, and both are large, messy, open source ecosystems plagued with pitfalls

    Written by Peter Wayner • 27 March 13 10:14

  • How to tell if your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn efforts are paying off

    As businesses make more use of social networks, the number of engagement, analysis and monitoring tools has exploded. Enterprises are trying to understand their return on social media investments, to find out if their Twitter and Facebook marketing campaigns are actually delivering customers. They want to track social mentions across multiple networks and be responsive to both kudos and complaints.

    Written by David Strom • 25 March 13 13:51

  • NoSQL showdown: MongoDB vs. Couchbase

    MongoDB edges Couchbase Server with richer querying and indexing options, as well as superior ease-of-use

    Written by Rick Grehan • 21 March 13 10:07

  • Building the perfect Franken-tablet

    Finding the right business tablet can be a daunting task. Do you want a 7-inch display or a 10 inch? Built-in keyboard? Snap-on keyboard? Which operating system? What apps? How about ruggedness, style, battery life, price?

    Written by Tom Henderson and Matt Evangelista, ExtremeLabs, Inc. • 11 March 13 14:12

  • Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Shows Why It Rules Voice Recognition Market

    The latest version of Nuance's speech recognition software impresses with its Windows integration, application support and transcription capabilities. But which version is right for your business?

    Written by Paul Mah • 06 March 13 16:16

  • Gigabit Wi-Fi? Not so fast.

    The newest Wi-Fi technology -- 802.11ac -- promises blazing speeds of up to 1.3Gbps, according to claims made by the leading vendors.

    Written by Wayne Rash • 25 Feb. 13 15:29

  • Smartphone tools to keep your Wi-Fi network humming

    In the early days of Wi-Fi, site surveys were fairly basic and involved running around with a laptop looking at simple signal levels. The next step was mapped-based tools that provided a good visual of Wi-Fi coverage, but still involved carrying a bulky laptop around.

    Written by Eric Geier • 11 Feb. 13 14:58

  • Review: The best network monitoring system on earth

    ScienceLogic EM7 brings ultraflexible, ultrascalable, carrier-grade network monitoring to the enterprise

    Written by Brian Chee • 06 Feb. 13 11:09

  • Ruckus Wi-Fi Access Points for Your Small Business

    How does the latest Wi-Fi hardware from Ruckus Wireless stack up? This review rates two access points and one controller appliance on configuration, security, authentication and performance--all key considerations for a small business that wants a new or upgraded Wi-Fi network.

    Written by Paul Mah • 31 Jan. 13 14:39

  • Samba 4 review: No substitute for Active Directory -- yet

    Samba's open source alternative to Microsoft's domain controller is a good start, but not ready for prime time

    Written by Paul Ferrill • 23 Jan. 13 11:13

  • Lenovo ThinkServer: Fast, versatile, energy efficient

    We tested the Lenovo ThinkServer RD630 in our network operations center cabinet at nFrame in Carmel, Ind., and found that it fits the bill if you're looking for a powerful, versatile 1/2U server.

    Written by Tom Henderson • 14 Jan. 13 14:50

  • Six free databases with commercial-quality features

    Free or open source databases run hundreds of millions of public-facing and private applications worldwide, but how effective is this technology and how do these products compare? For answers, we reviewed six popular free or open source database products: Microsoft SQL Server Express, PostgreSQL, Oracle's MySQL, MariaDB, Apache Derby and Firebird SQL.

    Written by Susan Perschke • 03 Dec. 12 14:33

  • Review: Best tools to set up secure Wi-Fi for BYOD

    Deploying the enterprise mode of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) with 802.1X authentication provides great Wi-Fi security, but complicates the client configuration and connection process. In bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environments, this can cause user frustration and a spike in help desk calls. The solution is to deploy an automated configuration process so users can easily connect their devices without invention from IT staff.

    Written by Eric Geier • 12 Nov. 12 15:00
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