Phil Hochmuth

Manufacturing companies are IP-enabling their shops to pull real-time data off the factory floor and into back-end databases and ERP systems. These firms say the goal is to drive productivity and increase customer satisfaction, while lowering the costs of network downtime and waste.

With the spate of new 10G gear, analysts say, corporations have more options for alleviating data centre and LAN bottlenecks.

Foundry Networks Inc. at Networld+Interop this week launched a line of enterprise access router, VPN and firewall gear for enterprises seeking an alternative to market-leader Cisco Systems Inc. for WAN connectivity and security.

Cisco Systems Inc. warned that an implementation of Secure Sockets Layer on some of its switches, routers and firewalls could leave these devices vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack.

A little-known standard for real-time network monitoring is proving to be a valuable tool for some users of high-speed networks.

Cisco Systems Inc. certifications, such as Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer and Cisco Certified Network Professional, have become sought-after credentials for most network professionals. They also are required levels of competency that many CIOs and other IT executives look for when hiring staff.

A developing technology known as Power over Ethernet is catching on with organizations looking to cut costs on wireless LAN deployments. It also can keep IP phone users talking even if the lights go out.

A hardware vulnerability may cause some high-end Cisco Systems Inc. switches and routers with specific configurations to crash, but only under very specific circumstances.