Telecommuting’s Toll on the Network: Visualization Helps
By Fred Koh - April 1, 2020Recently, I’ve been working remotely (as have so many of us). As a result, I’ve had some time to reflect on the demands that telecommuting place upon the network. Without the right tools, too much telecommuting can leave IT departments are left scrambling to ensure the infrastructure is up and ready to support internal customers….
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4 Ways Network Documentation Helps You Secure the Network
By Fred Koh - March 11, 2020In a recent article, I wrote about network documentation and diagrams — and why automation is the key to getting network diagrams up-to-date (and have them stay current). In that article, I didn’t address how proper and up-to-date network documentation is important for security aspects. Security? Now, I don’t mean documenting cameras, alarm boxes, fire…
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What is netTerrain?
By Fred Koh - February 10, 2020How did you reach our website? Hear about us from a coworker? Maybe Google or other search engine? Perhaps one of your staff recommended us. However you landed here, you may be wondering: “what exactly is netTerrain?” If you’ve checked out a page or two on our website, read a blog, or maybe watched a…
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Not All Network Documentation is the Same
By Fred Koh - February 7, 2020When I’m talking to network engineers about documenting the network, I always ask the following question, “what does network documentation mean to you?” The responses I get range from: “I just want to document my routers and switches and be able to show this to management” ”I need to document everything — from office workstations,…
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What is Network Diagram Software?
By Fred Koh - January 24, 2020Our IT visualization software netTerrain allows our users to create a wide variety of network diagrams — because of this we get a fair amount of search traffic to our website who want to know what is network diagram software, anyways? Before we launch into a long-winded and incredibly exciting (yes, I’m being sarcastic) explanation…
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Network Monitoring Tools: The Devil is in the Details
By Fred Koh - January 23, 2020Early this year, the team here at Graphical Networks plans to release the latest version of our IT visualization software: netTerrain 8.5. In the past, I’ve discussed the differences between network monitoring and network documentation…ad nauseum. To review my previous articles, click here. Some network monitoring systems (NMS) are better than others…for example, can your…
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Make New Years Resolutions for Your IT Network
By Jason Sherman - January 9, 2020Happy new year….it’s back to work again for most of us lucky enough to have had some time off for the holidays, and that means it’s back to the grind. If you’re a network engineer without good and up-to-date network diagrams and documentation, that probably means you’re back to fielding the daily headaches that go…
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Peace on Earth, Network Diagrams, & Network Documentation
By Fred Koh - December 20, 2019‘Tis the season…for snowmen, ugly holiday sweater parties, eggnog, and…network headaches. Aside from genuinely wishing everyone this season “happy holidays” — Happy Holidays to you, and yours! — the team at my company also wants to wish everyone this season the following: ‘Happy Documenting’. Why? Because good IT documentation leads to a happier holiday season:…
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Go Home Early: How Network Diagrams Help You Work
By Fred Koh - December 11, 2019Ah, the work day is almost over (finally) and time to go home and let the dog out and maybe even cook dinner when, all of a sudden, the calls start…..cue the horror movie music: your network is having issues. No! There goes your quiet afternoon and evening…oof. What is the first thing you try…
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5 Awesome Things You Can Do with Automated Network Mapping Software
By Jason Sherman - December 5, 2019It’s 2019, almost 2020, and what a time to be alive: we are on the cusp of robotic take over! Our robot overlords are coming but fear not. Before robots really take over we can at least use them to make our lives a little more simple. Put some automation in your life: it can…
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How Collaborative Network Diagrams Facilitate Teamwork
By Jason Sherman - December 2, 2019Who in the world wants to work as part of a collaboration? Boo! It’s all about me and that’s all there is to it! Well, ok now: that’s how I like to work (no wonder no one likes me in the office). OK…so maybe you prefer to be one of those radical people who want…
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Why Not Just Use a Spreadsheet to Document the Network?
By Jason Sherman - October 18, 2019In 2019, it’s all too easy to start talking about network documentation, mapping, and diagramming as though it’s a new innovation that’s evolved specifically for getting, and acting upon, information about IT networks and infrastructures. Though automated network documentation, such as netTerrain Logical, is something that has evolved in the current age of information we…
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