General Networking: Expert Guides and Resources

Security techniques and technology — physical security, user account security, server security, and locking down your servers — are child’s play compared with the most difficult job of network security: securing your network’s users. All the best-laid security plans are for naught if your users write down their passwords on sticky notes and post them on their computers and click every link that shows up in their email.

As an IT professional, cybersecurity is the thing most likely to keep you awake at night. You must consider two basic elements as part of your cybersecurity plan: Prevention: The first pillar of cybersecurity is technology that you can deploy to prevent bad actors from penetrating your network and stealing or damaging your data.

As a network administrator, the Internet is your best friend for networking resources, solutions, news, and guidance. Here are some websites for you to visit often. To register domains: InterNIC Network Solutions register.com To check your TCP/IP configuration: DNSstuff To see if your email server has been blocklisted: DNSBL.

Transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), the protocol on which the Internet is built, is actually not a single protocol but rather an entire suite of related protocols. TCP is even older than Ethernet. It was first conceived in 1969 by the Department of Defense. Currently, the Internet Engineering Task Force, or IETF, manages the TCP/IP protocol suite.

To create and configure a Cisco network, you need to know about routers and switches to develop and manage secure Cisco systems. Become acquainted with Cisco network devices and code listings; and find out how to manage static routing and view routing information.OSI model for Cisco networkingWhile you may not use the OSI model every day, you should be familiar with it, specifically when working with Cisco switches and routers (which operate at Layer 2 and Layer 3, respectively).

As a network administrator, you know that TCP/IP is the glue that holds the Internet and the Web together. As well as being familiar with security terms and general definitions, you need to pay attention to RFCs (Requests for Comment) published by the Internet Engineering Task Force. You can comment on, learn from, and submit RFCs yourself.

PowerShell 5.1 is the version of Windows PowerShell that ships with Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016. It’s available for installation on Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. The last three operating systems must have Windows Management Framework 5.