How to Create Niche Business Social Networking Sites

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

Social networking is the buzz word in today’s Internet space. With lots and lots of people getting into Social networking everyday, many wise online marketers are creating their own Social networking websites. However, with many online marketers getting into Social networking, it is necessary to highlight your social networking website to avoid getting lost in the crowd. For this you have to offer your users with something unique and useful.

Provide the users with interactive Social networking Softwares

Do you know the reason behind the huge popularity of the social networking websites like myspace and face book? One of the reason is that they provide some interactive, useful social networking softwares. Unlike other softwares that needs to be downloaded to the users computer (which most of them do not prefer), these social networking softwares doesn’t need to be downloaded. These web based social networking softwares are gaining popularity these days because of the ease of use. As there are no compatibility problems associated with these social networking softwares, anyone can use it.

Creating Social networking software for your own Business Social Networking Website

When it comes to creating a social networking software, you will come up with a question “Should I Build my Own Social Networks Software?” Just keep reading on to find the answer. You can create the social networking software for your website by yourself if:

1. You are a skilled programmer.
2. Have lots of time to spare to spend on researching the trends in the Social media.
3. Are able to identify the user needs and satisfy them

The users of any websites will become unpleasant if the site takes long time to load. Moreover, the error messages are the ones that make the users of your social networking website more irate. Once the error message shows up to any user of your social networking website, they will never return back to your website. If you are a no vice programmer, trying to add or build social networking softwares, then your social networking softwares will be more error prone. All of these factors will be rather overwhelming to you if you are not a skilled programmer. Yet creating your own social networking software for your social networking website is not impossible.

Getting professional help for building Social Networking softwares

There is nothing to worry even if you don’t have the above said requirements for building social networking software. The professional social networking web designers are capable of building unique social networking softwares too. There are so many ready made social networking softwares also. All you have to do is to pick the right one that best fulfils your customer requirements. Getting social networking softwares built through programmers has many advantages. It saves much of your time and money along with enabling you to offer the users of your social networking website with some great interactive social networking software.

Business Networking In The 21St Century For Men And Women

Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

The U.S. may be in an economic recession; however, it does not mean that you cannot use your personal experience and business background to find a better paying job or additional job. Through online and offline networking, you can find your dream job or meet potential clients and customers to increase your business revenues.

Since the inception of the Internet, email and online groups, men and women have been able to communicate with more people from more places across the globe than once imaginable. Online social networking is exploding across the Internet as more employers and agencies are turning to social network sites to find potential employees and to check work references. Knowing the most popular social networks on the Web in addition to offline network groups can dramatically increase your chances of being connected to the right people or your next employer.

Networking does differ somewhat for men and women, but only in how each gender relates to the other. “Men define themselves through business or the type of work experience they have,” says Patty Sadallah of the Redwood Sisterhood. “Whereas women define themselves through their personal relationships.” How does this difference affect men and women’s networking roles?

Women will have to overcome some challenges in order to network offline with male colleagues and other potential business contacts that are dominated by men, according to an article published in The Cleveland Women’s Journal (Feb-Mar 2009).


Tips for Women to Successfully Network with Men

• Add a feminine touch when talking with men by asking about their personal interests, family and hobbies.

• Send thank you notes to those you met and networked with at social events and include a business card if you did not get a chance to give them one already. This adds a personal feminine touch and may garner you a future interview or phone call to discuss an opportunity.

• Ask questions or advice relevant to your business or position. Men like to be the expert on something and this tactic will validate that you find them trustworthy.

• Find allies with a male colleague or two who values your insight and expertise. Attend networking functions with this person, as he is more likely to include you in conversations and introduce you to other people.

Women and men should join both online and offline groups in order to grow their professional network. Through joining free online business networks, you not only grow your own network, but will also have an opportunity to promote your business, expertise and take part in discussions. Three of the most popular online business networks are Linked In, Fast Pitch Networking and Facebook. LinkedIn and Fast Pitch both have free and paid membership choices. By joining these three networks, you will be able to connect with more people and businesses than email alone.

Features of Top 3 Online Business Social Networks

1. LinkedIn has over 10,000 groups to join and to be an active participant through discussions, Q & A, upload press releases, articles, connect to corporate blogs and more.

2. Fast Pitch Networking also has many of the same features as Linked In, but it also has a weekly live chat for those who opt for the paid membership.

3. Facebook was once touted only for those who had an email ending in ‘.edu’; it added a business application in 2008 for all types of businesses to connect in addition to creating groups by its members. You can create more than one account by using a different email address at signup.

Looking for other online business networks? Anyone can find just what he or she is looking for through simple searches using your favorite search engine. Search for top business social networks, niche social networks, or insert your industry along with social networks or social media (manufacturing social networks). There is much to be read, discussed, and critiqued when researching online social networks and social media.

Scour your local and regional newspaper for events in your area either free or low cost to meet people and to look for job opportunities. Several business social networks offer in-person networking events in many cities across the country. Attend one and talk to other attendees about yourself, your current business/company, and offer a business card for future contact. Everyone who attends is looking to meet other people, so do not be afraid to introduce yourself.

Sources:

Sadallah, Patty. Redwood Sisterhood. 20 Feb. 2009. http://www.redwoodsisterhood.com

Lifshen, Marny. “How to Network Successfully in a Male Dominated Environment.” The Cleveland Women’s Journal. West Edition. Feb-Mar 2009.

Ensuring Security of Wireless Networks

Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

Nowadays, implementation of wireless networks is very common. There are very less clutters in a wireless network, so it is a convenient way of network implementation and management. The troubleshooting of wireless network is easier than wired networks, so people prefer having wireless networks at workplace as well as at home.

However, wireless networks are more vulnerable to security flaws along with the convenience and easy approach of implementation. Even a person with less IT knowledge can easily access an unsecured wireless network and use unethically. Therefore, it is very important to restrict unauthorized access of wireless networks available at home or at your workplace. There are some standard security measures of securing your wireless networks from unauthorized access. In order to secure your wireless network, you can adopt following actions:

Restrict Wireless Network Broadcasting
The default setting of your Wi-Fi router allows automatic network broadcasting so that devices with wireless access feature can detect the wireless networks available in range. Choosing this default setting makes your wireless network open to everybody. To restrict automatic wireless network discovery you can disable this feature. Go through your wireless router manual to learn how to disable this feature.

Enable Data Encryption
Data Encryption is a well-accepted protocol to secure wireless networks. Nowadays, almost every Wi-Fi router or access points come with WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) encryption schemes. By enabling any of these two encryption schemes, you can restrict the access of your Wi-Fi network.

Choosing Strong Network Password
While enabling data encryption, you are required to set a password to allow access to your wireless network. Choosing a strong password is very important to achieve required level of security. An ideal password is combination of alphanumeric keys and comprise of several characters. Avoid using your name, Date of Birth, or other common things as a password for your wireless network.

Activating Firewall
All wireless access points come with an in-built firewall to stop unauthorized incoming and outgoing connections through your wireless network. Learn how to use and customize this firewall for maximum level of wireless network security.

By following above instructions, you can secure wireless networks at your home or at workplace and enjoy the benefits of going wireless without any worries.

Network Management Systems (NMSs) : Ensuring Business Performance and Continuity

Posted on 07. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

Networking is now the main and unavoidable solution to most modern information technology companies, generating services to the whole world. Management of information is the most important thing to be kept in mind. Large amount of data needs to be managed and stored and retrieved as and when needed. Data can be stored centrally or distributed over the component machines. So the various components need to communicate among them. So, a network has to be established among all the components. First and foremost importance is data availability. Network management system has to be done for fast data retrieval. And here comes in the thought of network management system.

Planning for a network management system requires that a number of network management tasks be folded in a single software solution. The network management system should automate the processes of expense management auditing, asset lifecycle management, inventory deployment tracking, cost allocation and invoice processing.

Network management system means different things to different people. In some cases, it involves a solitary network consultant monitoring network activity with an outdated protocol analyzer. In other cases, network management involves a distributed database, auto polling of network devices and high-end workstations generating real-time graphical views of network topology changes and traffic. In general, network management is a service that employs a variety of tools, applications, and devices to assist human network managers in monitoring and maintaining networks.

A number of network management systems are capable of managing multiple geographically distributed sites. It is quite natural that units of an organization be situated quite a far off distance geographically, data sharing and retrieval becomes hard. This is accomplished by exchanging management data between management consoles at remote sites with a management station at the main site. The main advantage of a distributed architecture is that it reduces management traffic, thus, providing a more effective usage of bandwidth. A distributed architecture also allows personnel to locally manage their networks from remote sites with systems.

A typical enterprise is comprised of different network elements. However, each device normally requires compatible element for network management systems in order to effectively manage the network elements. A recent enhancement to management platforms is the ability to remotely manage network elements using a web interface. This type of network management systems is an enhancement which eliminates the need for special client software on individual user stations to access a management platform. The data collected by different systems is stored in separate databases, creating administration overhead for users. Companies now follow the three tier architecture to manage large sets of data. Such situations have initiated the companies to adopt standards such as Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to facilitate the exchange of management data between management platforms and element management systems. CORBA specifies a system that provides interoperability between objects in a heterogeneous, distributed environment and in a manner that is transparent to the programmer. Its design is based on the Object Management Group (OMG) object model. With organizations adopting standards in network management system development, users can expect interoperability and cost savings in deploying and managing the infrastructure.

Most network management systems architectures use the same basic structure and set of relationships. Computer systems and other network devices run software that enables them to send alerts when they recognize problems when one or more user-determined thresholds are exceeded. Upon receiving these alerts, management entities are programmed to react by executing one, several, or a group of actions, including operator notification, event logging, system shutdown, and automatic attempts at system repair.

Management entities also can poll end stations to check the values of certain variables. Polling can be automatic or user-initiated, but agents in the managed devices respond to all polls. Agents are software modules that first compile information about the managed devices in which they reside, then store this information in a management database, and finally provide it (proactively or reactively) to management entities within network management systems (NMSs) via a network management protocol. Well-known network management protocols include the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP). Management proxies are entities that provide management information on behalf of other entities.

Online Network Marketing: How To Create Your Money Making Online Business

Posted on 06. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

Online Network Marketing is inevitable for all networkers. Old model offline techniques are ‘dead.’ The internet evolution and revolution in marketing capability cannot be ignored!

Going Online: The Network Marketing Shift

The beginning of ‘the shift’ to online network marketing was when internet marketers started to be profitable online. That was from 1996, but in 2000 online advertising got a big boost by the introduction of Google Adwords. Internet marketers started to be more effective and some astute people took to ‘list building’ for offline network marketing.

Really… the online network marketing revolution got its biggest boost by the revelations of ‘The Renegade Network Marketer.’ Mike Dillard had put a different, but effective spin on it through Magnetic Sponsoring. However Ann Sieg came out and said what many experienced networkers were thinking. She made it absolutely clear that offline network marketing was a ‘failure.’ The 95% failure rate that has plaqued the industry for decades is not a figure that networkers can be proud of!

Going Online: Creating Your Own Website Business

 After realizing many people were lost in ‘an online wilderness’… Ann Sieg and Mike Klingler combined in 2009 to show people exactly ‘how to’ do online network marketing. Marketing a business on the internet involves having your own website. Taking that step away from a company ‘replicated website’… to having your own website has ‘baulked’ many networkers. When you understand that replicated websites are ‘value-less’ on the internet… because the search engines ignore them… you start to appreciate the idea of having your own marketing website.

Creating your own website is not difficult. For your main website you want to create a content information site. Internet searchers want information… if your content is good quality searchers will bookmark your site and return. Most quality site-builders can be used by anyone… that is you don’t need html knowledge. Also apart from… and to complement your content information website… you can create squidoo pages as well as a blog or two!

Although just having a website does not ‘cut it!’ You need to have a money-making website business. This involves ‘marketing’… to bring site-visitors to your website in considerable numbers. How you market your website has changed since Ann Sieg brought out her first ebook. Today we have more social networking activity, mini-blogs, and mini-video sites that are growing at a fast rate. Online network marketing can use all these interactive tools in association with content information marketing methods. Natural search traffic is every marketer’s ‘most wanted response!’ Good content and good online interaction are the ingredients for achieving excellent natural search traffic.

 Going Online: Choosing Your Income Streams

More traffic to your website means more sales of whatever you have to recommend. Also it means more subscribers to your newsletter. More subscribers means more people who’ll join your online network marketing business!

The income sources you choose to have on your website business can be affiliate products that are both digital and/or hard goods. You join the affiliate company for ‘free’ and every sale that comes via your website can generate commission payment up to 75% of the item sale price. Affiliate ebook marketing is popular and it’s not hard to find ebooks related to your website theme. Referral marketing is another worthwhile income source. Basically, it involves promoting products at another person’s website.

All your income sources should have value for your site-visitors. If your visitors are not interested in your website theme or any of your affiliate products… they may be prepared to click a few Google Ads on your website. Selling Ad space is very popular as an online income source. Other marketing groups have similar schemes as Google. You get paid on the number of ‘clicks’ to these Ads by your site-visitors. Your income fom this source is relative to the number of site visitors coming to your website. High traffic websites make substantial income from this source.

The most important marketing tool on your online network marketing website is to have a subscriber list. People only subscribe to your newsletter if they appreciate your website information. Therefore you endeavour to continue to supply quality information in your regular newsletter. Having a regular newsletter allows you ‘time’ to build trust. People don’t join network marketing businesses without a level of trust! However through your newsletter you can market/recommend ebooks and other products to your subscribers. Keep your subscribers informed about new products and this income source will serve you well.

Going Online: Effective Content & Interactive Methods To Use

Properly balanced online network marketing strategies must incorporate ‘content marketing’ and ‘interactive marketing’ methods. Your main content method is to have a content information website. All your other marketing methods should lead to your information website. Other content methods to use are: 1. Article-Writing 2. Video-Streaming 3. Press-Releases 4. Whitepapers.

Article writing is second to content websites as far as gaining natural search traffic goes! Your articles can be topical and you can point several articles to the same webpage. Once written and submitted… articles keep working for you… year after year! Videos can be used in your web-pages, articles, squidoo lenses, and emails. Although videos are a content marketing method… they get a lot use in blogs as well. In fact blogs are both content and interactive. Anyway videos deliver your message with enormous impact!

The best interactive marketing methods are blogs, social networking sites, bookmarking sites, and niche-forums. As opposed to content marketing, all these interactive methods, are more time-consuming. However… that said… they are all very powerful in delivering site-visitors to your website. Your time-management is generally served best by not trying to ‘work’ too many of these methods.

Whereas your primary business is your online network marketing… you need to remember that only a small percentage of your site-visitors will be interested in that business. Therefore having other monetization sources available with your content information will boost your website business.

Going Online: Conclusions

The internet has altered the way a lot of things are done today. Online network marketing is developing away from its ‘offline’ roots. This is both essential and sensible. Natural progress will eventually take all networkers to online network marketing. The industry ‘failure rate’ gives them no reason to hesitate!

Practicing network marketing on the internet is only effective as part of a website business. You are in business to ‘make money,’ so having multi-streams of income is essential. Just creating your own website to promote your network marketing business is ‘internet death.’ You miss out on income and more importantly for a internet business… site popularity. Providing a quality information experience for your site-visitors is paramount to online business success.

Using all content marketing and interactive methods in promoting your website and business will bring you site-visitors in high numbers. How to actually use those marketing methods is now available and covered very nicely in click-by-click training on ‘how to’ do online network marketing to boost your income!

Network Marketing Online: How To Execute, Grow & Prosper With Online Tools

Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

Network Marketing Online has nothing to do with using the ‘old model’ company methods! The ’shift’ to the internet is seriously being accepted by thousands of network marketers!

Change: To A Total Online Business

Changing to network marketing online involves having your own website, which you develop into a website business. Your website should be information intense. A place where you pre-sell your site-visitors on your website theme. That theme should be related to your network marketing product. The website must be your own… not company controlled. By that I mean… you don’t mention your network marketing company’s registered name or the tradename of any of their products. You keep your main website ‘generic.’

From your website you simply link-off to your company’s website via incontext text links or you create a blog or squidoo lense as a ‘bridge page’ between your website and the company site. By using a bridge-page… that allows you to talk specifically about the product and network marketing business. A place to talk straight to your site-visitor before you send them to the company site.

By keeping your main website ‘generic’… you are truly operating your network marketing online… in an independent fashion! If you were to quit one company… you simply join another. Also I contend that you should be able to operate more than one non-competing network marketing business. Your in business to make money! Falling in love with one company or product is no help in making money in network marketing online!

Change: To A Multi Income Business

The main benefit of having your own website business… is being able to choose multi-streams of income. Changing to network marketing online enables you to select theme-related affiliate programs, ebooks, and hard goods products to market on your website. You can also market your own products… a hobby, book or invention. However the products you choose should be related to your website theme.

The idea is not to detract from your primary product… which is your network marketing business, but to provide your site-visitors with useful products that will help them. This also gives you cash flow and the funds to continue your network marketing online marketing. The internet allows for an automated mode of operation. Using available internet technologies you can create your own list of subscribers from your interested site-visitors!

Change: From Being The Hunter–To Being The Hunted!

The most important marketing method to use from your website is to provide a regular newsletter. You do this by having a subscriber-box on every web-page. You use an autoresponder to automate the confirmation of subscribers and the regular sending of the newsletters. Quality information for your newsletter is available from article directories. Your regular newsletter does two main things:

1. Provides your interested subscribers with fresh information on your website theme and marketing tools they can use in network marketing online.

2. Provides you with the opportunity to market (recommend) various helpful products, ebooks etc to your subscribers.

Building that subscriber-list is essential for financial success and therefore directing visitor traffic to your website is vital!

Apart from your website… you can also have several blogs, squidoo lenses, hubpages, YouTube pages, social sites, articles and press-releases… all directing traffic to your website. With your blogs you can also have a subscriber-box in place. All the above activity boosts your visitor numbers and the beautiful part is you don’t have to pay… to be ‘hunted!’

A percentage of your site-visitors will take one or more of the following actions:

1. Subscribe to your newsletter

2. Purchase an affiliate product

3. Click a few Google Ads

4. Request further information on your network marketing business

5. Join your business and want you to show them how to do what you’re doing in network marketing online!

Change: To A better Way!

Old model offline network marketing encourages members to ‘make-a-list’ of prospects and go out and harass them about your product and business. Also to buy ‘leads’ from lead companies and phone hundreds of leads each week. As well as attend opportunity and training meetings etc. This is ‘old model’ network marketing… a truly worn-out and superceded system… that started in the 1930’s.

New model network marketing online involves having your own content-based website where you provide your site-visitors with generous information on a specific website theme. You then link your website with several blogs, squidoo lenses, hubpages, YouTube pages, articles, press-releases and social networking sites. You edit a regular newsletter to provide your subscribers with fresh theme information.

Network marketing online does require a bit of time to set-up your sites and links, but once done… then they only require maintenance. You do need to visit and post to your social sites. You’re on partial auto-pilot! You’re not on the phone talking to uninterested ‘leads’ all day. You actually have more time for yourself and your family. You do talk to your interested prospects via email and/or voip phones. Talking to serious business builders is vastly different to spending your valuable time with ‘tire-kickers.’ Although you may have the wonderful problem of having more interested prospects than you can handle!

The internet has provided a better way to do business. Have you noticed we are using computers… and typewriters are near extinct! Progress and technology advances… dictate we use the best available methods. Network marketing online is the best method for this industry today!

Change: Conclusions

For what reason would you continue to practice ‘old model’ network marketing? Being ‘loyal’ to your company… doesn’t cut it! They are in it to make money… not to make you happy.

The existing NWM membership model will change. It has too… to cater for method change because of network marketing online techniques. As more and more networkers take the sensible approach and change to an online operation where they are in-charge of their own website business… NWM companies will, by necessity… evolve a more flexible system! That new system will need to incorporate a built-in tolerance for members multi-income sources. The NWM system that has evolved… has been great for companies and manufacturers, but an absolute failure for the majority of networkers. An industry failure rate of 95%… is appalling!

Now the internet has shown network marketers… a better way! The marketing methods that internet marketers have evolved since the early 1990’s… are available for network marketing online! A combination of content and interactive marketing is the most effective system. You need to take the time to learn how to use these methods to carry out your network marketing online. The latest ebook on what to do online is available… as is the most unique click-by-click video training.

Consumer Reports – Home-networking

Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

A network allows a single broadband account to be shared throughout the home. Unfortunately, such networking is impractical with dial-up Internet service–one of several reasons you might want to consider broadband.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Home networking is getting a boost from improvements in the range, speed, and cost of wireless networks. If you own a laptop computer that has wireless capability, a wireless network now allows you to surf the Web at broadband speeds from most places in your house, yard, or apartment. Leading brands of wireless routers include D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys. Wired networking is far from obsolete, however, since it still provides the most secure and reliable connections. Indeed, for many households the best solution for sharing a broadband connection–or a printer, music files, or digital photos–among multiple computers might be a network that includes both wired and wireless.

Ethernet, or wired, networks. Wired networks are very secure by themselves, with no special security measures necessary. They are reliable, and usually immune to interference. They offer the fastest data transfer–up to 94 megabits per second for the common 10/100 type, enough for virtually any data application.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

One drawback is that you can’t easily move your computer around the home. Routing cables throughout the home can be a hassle or expensive. Price range: $50 to $100 for one router and a cable to connect two fairly new computers. Also, there might be additional costs for routing cable through the home. Wi-Fi, 802.11g (wireless). There are no cables to connect or rout with a wireless network, and there are minimal installation costs. Mobility is the key–the wireless network supplies signals virtually anywhere around the home. You will need to take additional steps in terms of security, without which your data are vulnerable to hackers. Thick walls can reduce signal strength, which might vary in different areas of the home or even within a room. Wi-Fi networks might interfere with cordless phones, baby monitors, and other wireless devices. These networks are only 25 percent as fast as Ethernet, but they’re still fine for typical networking uses, such as Web surfing and e-mail. Price range: $200 or less for a router and client cards to allow two computers to use the network wirelessly

HOW TO CHOOSE

Plan your network. You’ll probably want to locate the router near the source of your broadband service–usually a cable or DSL modem. The router and the modem will be connected by an Ethernet cable. But the connections between the router and the computers in the network might be either wired or wireless.

Choose a wireless router. That is the official term for the models that support both Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Even if you don’t need wireless capability now, acquiring it costs little extra (perhaps $10 or so) compared with a wired model, and might spare your having to replace the router if you want to add a wireless device to it in the future.

Stick with the 802.11g wireless standard. Wi-Fi is continually evolving, with new standards designed to increase broadcast range and speed, thus increasing the network’s ability to handle new types of information. The name of the standard is usually listed on the router’s package, as a letter suffix to the technical term for Wi-Fi, which is 802.11. Currently the most common standard is known as 802.11g. We think it’s the best choice for most people.

The 802.11g networks we tested all had sufficient range and speed to provide coverage throughout most homes. The data speeds we measured fell short of the standard speed for 802.11g. But all routers were much faster than the typical speed of a broadband Internet connection.

If you already have a wireless network that uses 802.11a or 802.11b, two older standards, consider upgrading only if you find the range, speed, or reliability of your network wanting.

At the other end of the spectrum are routers that use early variants of the latest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n. Frequently referred to with terms such as “MIMO,” “Super G,” or “pre-n,” such models might not be compatible with the actual “n” standard, which is due in late 2006. They also require that you buy matching networking adapters, even for computers with built-in 802.11g capability.

Consider one of these new routers only if you have range problems that can’t be solved in other ways. In our tests, they were better at penetrating walls than 802.11g routers, and some offered data speeds that were twice as fast. But they were just as likely to interfere with (or receive interference from) cordless phones and other devices.

Consider whether and how you’ll share a printer. A network lets you avoid the cost of putting a printer in every room by sharing one. To do this, you can use a printer with built-in network capability.

It’s possible to share a non-networked printer by attaching it to the network via a print server, a device that costs $70 to $100 and is the size of a large paperback. There may be issues of interference with some printer-management software, however. Any PC connected to a printer can also serve as a print server for the other computers on the network, though you must leave that computer on when you’re printing.

Consider networking issues for other devices. An increasing number of devices that typically connect to a single computer–PDAs, printers, and video-game consoles–are now Wi-Fi compatible. If you plan to connect any of them to your network, make sure they’re compatible with the network security you set up.

Check whether you need to buy adapters. Every computer on your network will require an adapter to allow it to communicate with the network; the question is whether it already has one built in. If you’re using Ethernet to connect a computer bought within the past three years or so, the adapter will most likely be built into the unit. The same applies to recent-vintage laptops, which should have built-in 802.11g capability.

If you need to buy a network adapter for your desktop, you can choose either an internal PC-card version, which requires opening the computer case for installation, or a USB version, which plugs into a USB port. Laptops can use either a PCI-card or USB adapter. In all cases, the cost should be no more than $60.

Resist professional installation help. Computer retailers might try to sell you on professional installation for your new network, starting at a cost of $150 or so. But wiring aside, today’s networks are so easy to set up that you shouldn’t take them up on their offer if you’re comfortable with technology.

Network gear usually comes with instructions and access to free 24/7 technical support. And you can always come back to the retailer for help in troubleshooting the network if necessary.

Shop by return policy. For all your best efforts, the network equipment you’ve bought might not be compatible with your home. For example, your walls and floors might be especially resistant to wireless transmission (which might be the case if they have a lot of moisture, metal, or other highly conductive material in them). Before you buy, check the store’s return policies. Consider a retailer with a generous one.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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The Job of a Network Engineer

Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

The availability of jobs for network engineers and systems administrators is expected to grow by more than 27% per year from 2004 to 2014, according to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A network engineer may also be referred to as a network administrator, systems administrator, network analyst, network designer, network architect, WAN administrator, LAN administrator, IT systems administrator, network operations analyst, or network technician. The principal job of a network engineer is to run and oversee computer communication systems and data transfer within an organization or between companies. Computer networks are used by companies to collect and process data, access the Internet and web-based utilities, and share files and resources. The network engineer serves as both a road engineer and a police officer directing traffic on the information superhighway.

The Duties of a Network Engineer Network engineering jobs involve the designing and maintenance of both hardware and software components of computer networks. Network engineers are specialists in constructing and maintaining local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs). All of the elements within an organization’s IT system, including individual desktop PCs, file servers, mail servers, backup servers, application servers, custom-designed workstations, and more, come within the purview of the network engineer’s job.

Here are some of the tasks network engineers commonly perform:

* selection of hardware and software solutions for organizational needs

* implementation of hardware and software solutions and utilities

* testing and resolution of system issues, including compatibility issues

* analysis of organizational needs

* building IT networks to support organizational needs

* troubleshooting and ensuring smooth network operations

* upgrading equipment and systems

* maintaining network and data security

* establishing user accounts and passwords

* providing compatibility training

* documentation of problems and solutions

* analysis and design of networks

* researching objectives of new or current networks

* apprising existing networks and IT solutions

* designing networks to maximize productivity

* monitoring networks to find and establish regular behavioral patterns

* protecting and extending equipment life

* educating end users

The Skills of a Network Engineer

Network engineers must possess technical backgrounds; a systematic understanding of computer hardware, applications, and operating systems; and technical knowledge of networking hardware and software. A networking engineer generally must possess:

* an understanding of networking principles and influencing factors

* thorough knowledge of routing protocols and switching technologies

* an understanding of network security systems, strategies, and procedures (repetition)

* specific knowledge of WAN/LAN infrastructure

* a mastery of scripting languages

* expertise regarding server products and technologies

* familiarity with industry protocols

* experience with IP addressing, including subnetting

* experience with troubleshooting router, switch, and fault-tolerant or redundant environments

* hardware maintenance skills

* strong communication skills

* motivation

* decision-making ability

Working Hours and Environment

It is standard for network engineers to work around 40 hours per week. However, time spent installing new systems or conducting maintenance often extends beyond normal working hours. Network engineering jobs are usually in metro environments.

How Does One Become a Network Engineer?

Network engineers typically have IT backgrounds as well as bachelor’s degrees or higher-level educational qualifications. Certifications from institutes and organizations like Microsoft and Cisco also carry weight with employers. Engineers with different IT-related backgrounds or specializations in network design, operations, and related fields can become network engineers. Many universities and colleges offer degrees in network engineering. There are also network management and network engineering programs at various higher education institutions. Working network engineers often upgrade themselves by acquiring specialty certifications from industry organizations like Microsoft.

Prospects for Network Engineers

As mentioned earlier, job prospects for network engineers are expected to grow at a rate greater than 27% per year. The average salary of a network engineer ranges from $50,000 to $70,000 per year.

Engineering Crossing

The Importance of Network in Regular Database Management System

Posted on 02. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

The network is the most pertinent exposure relevant to the client-server in configuring level of the computer where the users are being able to feel appropriateness in the sense that in someplace on the network, the services they necessitate are obtainable and are accessible based on a criteria and right of access, without regard to the technologies involved. When ready to move beyond personal productivity stand-alone applications and into client-server applications, organizations must address the issues of connectivity. Initially, optimum users realize their needs to access a printer that is not physically linked to their client workstation. It is experiential that sharing data files among non-networked individuals in the same place of work can be handled by hand-carrying diskettes, but printing is more self-conscious. The first LANs installed are usually basic networking services to support this printer-sharing requirement. Now a printer anywhere in the local area can be authorized for shared use. The physical medium to accomplish this connection is the LAN cabling. Each workstation is connected to a cable that routes the transmission either directly to the next workstation on the LAN or to a hub point that routes the transmission to the appropriate destination. There are two primary LAN topologies that use Ethernet and Token Ring.

Ethernet and Token Ring are put into practice on well-defined Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) industry principles. These principles recognize the product requirement detail and afford a pledge to a fixed capacity. This standardization has encouraged hundreds of vendors to develop competitive products and in turn has caused the functionality, performance, and cost of these LAN connectivity products to improve spectacularly over the last five years. Older LAN installations that use substandard topologies will eventually require replacement. There is a basic functional difference in the way Ethernet and Token Ring topologies placed data on the cable. With the Ethernet protocol, the processor attempts to unload data onto the cable whenever it requires service. Workstations vie for the bandwidth with these attempts, and the Ethernet protocol includes the appropriate logic to resolve collisions when they occur. On the other hand, with the Token Ring protocol, the processor only attempts to put data onto the cable when there is capacity on the cable to accept the transmission. Workstations pass along a token that one after the other gives each workstation the right to put data on the network.

Up-to-the-minute expansions in the capabilities of intelligent hubs have changed the way we design LANs. Hubs owe their accomplishment to the effectiveness and healthiness of the 10BaseT protocol, which facilitate the achievement of Ethernet in a star fashion over Unshielded Twisted Pair wiring. Now commonly used, hubs provide integrated support for the different standard topologies such as Ethernet, Token Ring, and Fiber over different types of cabling. By repeating or amplifying signals where necessary, they enable the use of high quality UTP cabling in virtually every situation. Hubs have evolved to provide tremendous flexibility for the design of the physical LAN topologies in large office buildings or plants. Various design strategies are now available. They are also an effective vehicle to put management intelligence throughout the LANs in a corporation, allowing control and monitoring capabilities from a network management center. Newer token-passing protocols, such as Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) and Copper Distributed Data Interface, will increase in use as higher performances LANs are required. CDDI can be implemented on the same LAN cable as Ethernet and Token Ring if the original selection and installation are done carefully according to industry recommendations. FDDI usually appears first as the LAN-to-LAN Bridge between floors in large buildings. Wireless LANs offer an substitute to wiring. Instead of cabling, these LANs use the airwaves as the communications medium. Motorola provides a system—Altair—that supports standard Ethernet transmission protocols and cards. The Motorola accomplishment cables workstations together into micro cells using standard Ethernet cabling. These micro cells communicate over the airwaves to similarly configured servers. road and rail network on this frequency do not pass through outside walls, so there is little problem with interference from other users. Wireless LANs are attractive when the cost of installing cabling is high. Costs tend to be high for cabling in old buildings, in temporary installations, or where workstations move frequently. NCR affords another implementation of wireless LAN technology using publicly accessible frequencies in the 902-MHz to 928-MHz band. NCR provides proprietary cards to provide the communications protocol. This supports lower-speed communications that are subject to some interference, because so many other devices, such as remote control electronic controllers and antitheft devices use this same frequency.

It is now a well-accepted fact that LANs are the preferred vehicle to provide overall connectivity to all local and distant servers. WAN connectivity should be provided through the interconnection of the LANs. Router and bridges are devices that perform that task. Routers are the preferred technology for complex network topologies, generating efficient routing of data packets between two systems by locating and using the optimal path. They also limit the amount of traffic on the WAN by efficiently filtering and by providing support for multiple protocols across the single network. WAN bandwidth for data communications is a critical issue. In terminal-to-host networks, traffic generated by applications could be modeled, and the network would then be sized accordingly, allowing for effective use of the bandwidth. With LAN interconnections, and applications that enable users to transfer large files (such as through e-mail attachments) and images, this modeling is much harder to perform. WAN services that have recently emerged, such as Frame Relay, SMDS (Switched Multimegabit Data Service), and imminent ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) services, enable the suitable flexibility inherently required for these applications. Frame Relay uses efficient statistical multiplexing to provide shared network resources to users. Each access line is shared by traffic ordained for multiple locations. The access line speed is typically sized much higher than the average throughput each user is paying for. This enables peak transmissions (such as when a user transmits a large file) that are much faster because they use all available bandwidth. SMDS is a high-speed service that uses cell relay technology, which enables data, voice, and video to share the same network fabric. accessible from preferred RBOCs as a wide-area service, it supports high speeds well over 1.5 Mbps. ATM is an up-and-coming standard and set of communication technologies that span both the LAN and the WAN to create a seamless network. It provides the appropriate capabilities to support all types of voice, data, and video traffic. Its speed is defined to be 155 Mbps, with variations and technologies that may enable it to run on lower speed circuits when economically appropriate. It will operate both as a LAN and a WAN technology, providing full and transparent integration of both environments. ATM will be the most significant connectivity technology after 1995. ATM provides the set of services and capabilities that will truly enable the “computing anywhere” concept, in which the physical location of systems and data is made irrelevant to the user. It also provides the network managers with the required flexibility to respond promptly to business change and new applications. Interoperability between distributed systems is not guaranteed by just providing network-based connectivity. Systems need to agree on the end-to-end handshakes that take place while exchanging data, on session management to set up and break conversations, and on resource access strategies. Network Management is an integral part of every network. The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a well-accepted standard used to manage LANs and WANs through the management capabilities of hubs, routers, and bridges. It can be extended to provide basic monitoring performance measurements of servers and workstations. Full systems management needs much more functionality than SNMP can offer. The OSI management protocol, the Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), which has the flexibility and capability to fully support such management requirements, will likely compete with an improved version of SNMP, SNMP V2. The existence of heterogeneous LAN environments in large organizations makes interoperability a practical reality. Organizations need and expect to view their various workgroup LANs as an integrated corporate-wide network. Citicorp, for example, is working to integrate its 100 independent networks into a single global net.1 The OSI model provides the framework definition for developers attempting to create interoperable products.2 Because many products are not yet OSI-compliant, there often is no direct correspondence between the OSI model and reality. The OSI model defines seven protocol layers and specifies that each layer be insulated from the other by a well-defined interface.

In view of the above it is evident that the physical layer is the lowest level of the OSI model and defines the physical and electrical characteristics of the connections that make up the network. It includes such things as interface specifications as well as detailed specifications for the use of twisted-pair, fiber-optic, and coaxial cables. Standards of interest at this layer for client/server applications are IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), and IEEE 802.5 (Token Ring) that define the requirements for the network interface card (NIC) and the software requirements for the media access control (MAC) layer. Other standards here include the serial interfaces EIA232 and X.21. The data link layer defines the basic packets of data expected to enter or leave the physical network. Bit patterns, encoding methods, and tokens are known to this layer. The data link layer detects errors and corrects them by requesting retransmission of corrupted packets or messages. This layer is actually divided into two sub layers: the media access control (MAC) and the logical link control (LLC). The MAC sub layer has network access responsibility for token passing, collision sensing, and network control. The LLC sub layer operates above the MAC and sends and receives data packets and messages. Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI define the record format of the packets (frames) being communicated between the MAC layer and Network layer. The internal formats are different and without conversion workstations cannot interoperate with workstations that operate with another definition. And in this connection the network layer is responsible for switching and routing messages to their proper destinations. It coordinates the means for addressing and delivering messages. It provides for each system a unique network address, determines a route to transmit data to its destination, segments large blocks of data into smaller packets of data, and performs flow control. When a message contains more than one packet, the transport layer sequences the message packets and regulates inbound traffic flow. The transport layer is responsible for ensuring end-to-end error-free transmission of data. The transport layer maintains its own addresses that get mapped onto network addresses. Because the transport layer services process on systems, multiple transport addresses can share a single network address. Indeed, the session layer provides the services that enable applications running at two processors to coordinate their communication into a single session. A session is an exchange of messages—a dialog between two processors. This layer helps create the session, inform one workstation if the other drops out of the session, and terminate the session on request. The presentation layer is responsible for translating data from the internal machine form of one processor in the session to that of the other. The application layer is the layer to which the application on the processor directly talks. The programmer codes to an API defined at this layer. Messages enter the OSI protocol stack at this level, travel through the layers to the physical layer, across the network to the physical layer of the other processor, and up through the layers into the other processor application layer and program.

Connectivity and interoperability between the client workstation and the server are achieved through a combination of physical cables and devices, and software that implements communication protocols. One of the most important and most unnoticed parts of LAN implementation today is the physical cabling plant. A corporation’s investment in cabling is significant. For most though, it is viewed strictly as a tactical operation, a necessary expense. Implementation costs are too high, and maintenance is a no budgeted, nonexistent process. The results of this shortsightedness will be seen in real dollars through the life of the technology. Studies have shown that over 65 percent of all LAN downtime occurs at the physical layer. It is important to provide a platform to support robust LAN implementation, as well as a system flexible enough to incorporate rapid changes in technology. The trend is to standardize LAN cabling design by implementing distributed star topologies around wiring closets, with fiber between wiring closets. Desktop bandwidth requirements can be handled by copper for several years to come; however, fiber between wiring closets will handle the additional bandwidth requirements of a backbone or switch-to-switch configuration. Obviously, fiber to the desktop will provide extensive long-term capabilities; however, because of the electronics required to support various access methods in use today, the initial cost is significant. As recommended, the design will provide support for Ethernet, 4M and 16M Token Ring, FDDI, and future ATM LANs. Wiring standards include RG-58 A/U coaxial cable (thin-wire 10Base2 Ethernet), IBM Type 1 and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI for 10BaseT or Token Ring). Motorola has developed a wireless Ethernet LAN product—Altair—that uses 18-GHz frequencies. NCR’s Wave LAN provides low-speed wireless LAN support. Wireless LAN technology is useful and cost-effective when the cost of cable installation is high. In old buildings or locations where equipment is frequently moved, the cost of running cables may be excessive. In these instances wireless technology can provide an attractive alternative. Motorola provides an accomplishment that uses standard Ethernet NICs connecting a group of closely located workstations together with a transmitter.

The source of data transmission like transmitter communicates with a receiver across the room to provide the workstation server connection. Recent reductions in the cost of this technology make it attractive for those applications where the cost of cabling is more than $400 per workstation. Wireless communication is somewhat slower than wired communication. Industry tests indicate a performance level approximately one-half that of wired 10-Mbps UTP Ethernet. NCR’s substitute wireless technology, Wave LAN, is a slow-speed implementation using proprietary communications protocols and hardware. It also is subject to interference by other transmitters, such as remote control electronics, antitheft equipment, and point-of-sale devices. Ethernet is the most widely installed network topology today. Ethernet networks have a maximum throughput of 10 Mbps. The first network interface cards developed for Ethernet were much cheaper than corresponding NICs developed by IBM for Token Ring. Until recently, organizations that used non-IBM minicomputer and workstations equipment had few options other than Ethernet. Even today in a heterogeneous environment, there are computers for which only Ethernet NICs are available. The large market for Ethernet NICs and the complete definition of the specification have allowed over 100 companies to produce these cards.3 Competition has reduced the price to little more than $200 per unit. 10BaseT Ethernet is a standard that enables the implementation of the Ethernet protocol over telephone wires in a physical star configuration (compatible with phone wire installations). Its robustness, ease of use, and low cost driven by hard competition has made 10BaseT the most popular standards-based network topology. Its pervasiveness is unrivaled: In 1994, new laptop computers will start to ship with 10BaseT built in. IBM is now fully committed to support Ethernet across its product line. IBM uses the Token Ring LAN protocol as the standard for connectivity in its products. In an environment that is primarily IBM hardware and SNA connectivity, Token Ring is the preferred LAN topology option. IBM’s Token Ring implementation is a modified ring configuration that provides a high degree of reliability since failure of a node does not affect any other node. Only failure of the hub can affect more than one node. The hub isn’t electric and doesn’t have moving parts to break; it is usually stored in a locked closet or other physically secure area. Token Ring networks implement a wire transmission speed of 4 or 16 Mbps. Older NICs will support only the 4-Mbps speed, but the newer ones support both speeds. IBM and Hewlett-Packard have announced a technical alliance to establish a single 100Mbps standard for both Token Ring and Ethernet networks. This technology, called 100VG-AnyLAN, will result in low-cost, high-speed network adapter cards that can be used in PCs and servers running on either Token Ring or Ethernet LANs. The first Any LAN products are expected in early 1994 and will cost about between $400 and $700 per port. IBM will be submitting a proposal to make the 100VG-AnyLAN technology a part of IEEE’s 802.12 (or 100Base-VG) standard, which currently includes only Ethernet.

The Ethernet procedure device may function well when the cable is lightly full but, because of rear-ender that occur when an attempt is made to put data onto a busy cable, the technique provides poor performance when the LAN utilization exceeds 50 percent. To recover from the collisions, the sender retries, which puts additional load on the network. Ethernet users avoid this problem by creating subnets that divide the LAN users into smaller groups, thus keeping a low exploitation level. In spite of the prevalent implementation of Ethernet, Token Ring installations are mounting at a fast rate for client/server applications. IBM’s commitment to Ethernet possibly will slow this success, because Token-Ring will always cost more than Ethernet. The analysis predicts a steady increase in planned Token Ring installations from the middle of 1988 until the installed base is analogous in 1996. However, this analysis does not account for the emergence of a powerful new technology which has entered the marketplace in 1993, Asynchronous Mode, or ATM. It is likely that by 1996 ATM will govern all new installations and will gradually replace accessible installations by degrees.

The Value of Your Network and Networking

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by admin in Networking

“The value of a network grows in proportion to the square of the number of users.”

Metcalf’s Law

In an increasingly noisy world, we are all becoming more immune and even resistant to messages and information from others.

Go back a generation or two and you’ll find most business/personal transactions were done on a handshake with someone you knew or got to know through someone you knew. Your route to success today is still tied to your roots . . . the relationships you have built in your life, on trust.

A Network is a group or system of related or connected parts. The action form of Network is Networking — the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions.

Both the Network and Networking are important.

Most people are familiar with the principle of Six Degrees of Separation, where it has been proven that almost all human beings are no more than six people or contacts apart. But without an intentional strategy to build your network or to be involved in networking, Six Degrees of Separation is only a mathematical principle with little or no intrinsic value.

Think about it. Who do you prefer to do business with and provide referrals for? The usual answer is people you already know. The key is to get to personally know and connect with even more individuals. The more people you are directly connected with, the more people you will have inside your network — and also waiting just six contacts away from you.

The art of building a valuable network is strategic in nature — it does not happen by accident.

Successful networking is built on trust. Essentially, it is more about giving than getting. Inexperienced networkers have the attitude of what can I get from this group or person when, in fact, the opposite mental set must be present to build a long-term network. Yes, we must be strategic with the individuals and groups with whom we connect, but we must have in our heart: what can we give or contribute, not what can we take.

Networking is also about quality, not quantity. It took me several years to learn not to be anxious or frantic when attending networking events or opportunities. I used to try to meet as many people as possible. With that approach, I met everyone but really knew no one.

Building relationships takes time and effort. This holds true in the networking world. I have found that if I go to an event or attend some type of networking opportunity and connect (not meet) with just one or two individuals, my time has been well invested. The challenge is that today’s society wants us to think that the fast and the furious win the race. When building a network, being focused and intentional is far more productive.

Networking is a principle that usually defies logic or predictability. Many of us will try to determine in advance who and what will come out of a specific network or contacts. My experience is the exact opposite. Your successful contact, connections, and contracts will usually come from where you least expect them. The best examples of this are the true stories each of us has lived.

Here is an example. In 1989 I joined the National Speakers Association (NSA) and attended my first national convention in Dallas, Texas. Admittedly it was an intimidating event; I met Zig Ziglar, Cavett Robert, and other luminaries from the speaking industry. On the first day, I met fellow Canadian speaker Brian Lee and we became friends. The next year at the NSA National Conference in Atlanta, Brian introduced me to his friend Patti, a trainer who lived in Atlanta. Patti and I also became friends.

Here is where the story reveals the power of a network. Two years later (1992), Patti called me, — all excited. “Ken, I have just met this person here in Atlanta who is looking for trainers for a large project in Canada. I gave Jim your name. Here is his information . . .”

I called Jim the next day and soon thereafter, we met. Jim and his committee selected me to work with them. That single contact referred by Patti resulted in a contract with a Fortune 100 company that, over 10 years, was worth over $10 million dollars to our firm. Never could I have anticipated or predicted that sequence of events. I also wonder where I would be without that single contact made with Brian Lee over 15 years ago.

No matter what your need, focus, or interest, there is almost always an association, network, or group of like-minded individuals. Find out who and where these groups meet. Use the Internet to search for these groups; they range from obvious business organizations to associations for Parents with ADHD Children to thousands of other groups.

I encourage you that whenever possible, be part of a live event. The impact and quality of a person-to-person interaction cannot be replaced by phone calls or email.

Be intentional, be strategic, be giving, and watch what happens. You will be amazed at the power of networking. Remember the old cliché – success is not about what you know, but who you know!

Action Steps to Help You Increase the Value of Your Network

First you must acknowledge that your network and networking are highly influencing your success level. Building a true network of value does not happen by accident. Become intentional and strategic about your network and networking activities. Determine how you want your network to look and who should be in it. Define its reason or benefit. Find out where the individuals you want to target are already meeting or if they are already part of a network. Be clear about your objectives and purpose. Always, always, always focus on what you can give ? not take ? from the network. Think of what you can offer or contribute; let people know about it. Become likeable, confident, interesting, and attractive. Think quality, not quantity. Stay connected on a regular basis in some form or another ? by letter, email, phone, or in person. Be willing to let go. Sometimes you might think an individual or organization fits your purpose, passion, and direction but if that is really not the case, acknowledge that you might create more mutually beneficial relationships elsewhere. Because none of us has unlimited time, we must prioritize our networking and networks. Have fun, enjoy, and let the process unfold. Don’t try to control it — just be in it.

Until next time, keep “Living On Purpose.”

Ken Keis