Freeware: Here, there and everywhere

Network/Systems Management This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke Networks Whitepaper: Solve application performance issues Troubleshooting application performance issues can be difficult and time consuming. This paper outlines some of the causes and explains why having the right diagnostic tool can enable network professionals to quickly identify and resolve a problem. Network World's Network/Systems Management Newsletter, 10/03/07 Freeware: Here, there and everywhere By Denise Dubie With the complexity of networks and applications growing, IT managers don’t get a break in terms of the number of things they have to manage -- which represents a huge strain on budgets. And that's where freeware comes in. Freeware is one of my favorite topics to cover at Network World, partly because a lot of the no-cost applications address pressing IT management concerns and partly because I got my newsletter writing start here compiling freeware, shareware and other low-cost applications in the now defunct Download Depot. And this week I compiled my most recent list of freeware applications that I discovered and that readers and some vendors submitted to me. Freeware is typically a small application designed by an individual or a scaled down version of commercial software made available at no cost by the vendor. For instance, one of the all-time favorite freeware applications MRTG, or Multi Router Traffic Grapher, is put to use in many large networks today. Executive Guide:Virtualization Meets Reality Virtualization is being used to make the most out of everything from applications and servers to desktops and storage. But as companies expand their reliance on the technology, challenges mount. Read this guide authored by a host of Network World editors and review this timely topic. Click Here for More Information "We are using MRTG to monitor traffic on some of our more critical routers," says Kerry Miller, network engineer at First Victoria National Bank in Victoria, Texas. And others combine the classic freeware applications like Ethereal with newer freebies. "We've long used Ethereal -- freeware network sniffing software. In fact, over time it replaced our commercial Network General Sniffers. It's been renamed Wireshark and is worth the upgrade for those using it," says Rick Beebe, manager of system and network engineering for ITS-Med at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. And sometimes by spending a bit of cash, IT managers such as Beebe couple the freeware with commercial products to address emerging issues and new technologies in IT environments. "There's a commercial add-on from CACE Technologies called AirPCap. It's essentially a promiscuous-mode wireless card in a USB dongle. Plug it in and Wireshark can be used to sniff the wireless network," Beebe explains. Tristan Rhodes, network engineer at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, authors a blog on the topic of open source software and puts multiple free applications to use in his network. For instance, NeDi "is the most useful tool we have," Rhodes says. "It is used by our service desk, the security team and the network team." Rhodes likens the product to another one he uses, AlterPoint's open source network configuration management application ZipTie. But he says NeDi "currently provides more functionality including bulk changes to devices, mapping of IP->MAC->Port->Switch and a variety of useful reports. I highly recommend for network engineers to take a look at NeDi." What freeware or open source applications do you recommend? Let me know.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Senior Editor Denise Dubie covers the technologies, products and services that address network, systems, application and IT service management for Network World. E-mail Denise. This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke Networks Whitepaper: Solve application performance issues Troubleshooting application performance issues can be difficult and time consuming. This paper outlines some of the causes and explains why having the right diagnostic tool can enable network professionals to quickly identify and resolve a problem. ARCHIVE Archive of the Network/Systems Management Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007