5 Free Tools That Every Network Administrator Should Have

Every network administrator has their own set of tools that they like to use on a daily basis to help them do their job. Here is my list and why each one of these free programs are in my toolbox.

PuTTY - PuTTY is a very versatile telnet application for use when you spend a lot of your day working on Cisco equipment. PuTTY allows a number of different ways to connect to a piece of equipment including Raw, Telnet, Rlogin, SSH, and with the newest version of PuTTY Serial connection. The newest Serial option becomes very handy for network administrators since HyperTerm is no longer available with Windows Vista and you still need a serial connection for new routers and switches. PuTTY is also very customizable and can be run from a USB drive without installing anything onto the computer.

Network Mapping Software

Sniffer - There are actually to sniffer applications that I keep in my toolbox, WireShark and Smsniff. Both programs are free to download and use but the difference is that Wireshark has more functionality when it comes to filters. But smsniff can be launched from a USB drive without any installation onto the workstation. I use Wireshark more for general network slow downs where I have to monitor the entire network or an entire VLAN to pinpoint the problem. Where Smsniff I can use on a single machine when I know that machine is having a problem but I don't know why. I simple run Smsniff on the problem machine and then watch the network traffic that comes across it. If it is a network problem I will see it reflected in the trace from Smsniff and I didn't have to waste time configuring port mirroring or setting up a laptop to get the trace.

PumpKIN - PumpKIN is a free FTP server program that you can download and use to host your computer as an FTP server. I use this program main for transferring Cisco images back and forth from the switch or router to my computer. This program become very valuable when you have a switch or router down that you need to get back up quick.

NetScan - Netscan is a very useful tool that will attempt to ping every address within subnet or vlan and tell you which ones respond. NetScan will also try to resolve the IP address to a DNS name for you. I use this tool a lot when I want to quickly see who it connected to a VLAN and I want to know if anyone shouldn't be connected, or who is connected via DHCP.

NetStumbler - NetStumbler was one of the first "Wardriving" programs you could get to pick up other people's wireless networks. I use this tool on a regular basis for the opposite reason, I want to be able to check for rouge access points on my network. I simply use this little tool and walk around all of my offices and see what wireless devices pop up. I have found a couple of employees who wanted to work out side or away from their office and added a wireless AP so they could.

So those are 5 tools I believe every network administrator should have in their toolkit. For their ease of use, small size, and versatility they made my top 5 tools. Check out my other articles including 5 Tools Every PC Tech Should Have.

5 Free Tools That Every Network Administrator Should Have

Network Mapping Software

Wireless Network Set Up - Three Things You Should Know

Wireless Network Set Up - Three Things You Should Know,

There are three major settings you should be aware of when setting up a wireless home network:

Your Ssid Your encryption type Your safety key.

Related Wireless Network Set Up - Three Things You Should Know.

Once you understand the purpose of each of these settings you'll be able to fast and in fact set up a wireless home network whether setting up your router manually or using the setup Cd that came with your router.

Recommend Wireless Network Set Up - Three Things You Should Know.

Ssid

The first thing you want to do when setting up a wireless network is to give your network an Ssid or "Security Set Identifier." An Ssid is simply the name you give to your network. The more unique it is the better. Most routers come with a default Ssid which is usually nothing more than the brand-name of the device. Leaving your router with its default Ssid is like broadcasting to the world that you've done nothing to fetch your home network and you may be inherent easy pickings. Ideally you want to name your wireless home network something that's meaningful to you yet difficult to understand for others. For example if you are a New York Yankees fan you could put something like "Nyyrno1" for "New York Yankees Are whole One." Now that our Ssid is taken care of we can move on to our encryption type.

Encryption Type

The next major decision you have is what type of wireless encryption you want to use. The choices are usually Wep, Wpa or Wpa2. Wep has come to be dated and less secure. Unless you have equipment that only works with Wep you want to go with Wpa or Wpa2. Many times you'll be given the choice to use both Wpa and Wpa2 with the same safety key. The purpose of your encryption type is to garble and conceal the data on your home network to outsiders and make it available only to those who have a extra safety key to your network.

Security Key

Your safety key should not be confused with the password you use to log on to your router. They are two different things. Your safety key can be whether a password, a pass phrase or a long string of randomly generated numbers and letters. Using a password or pass phrase that you can in fact remember or look up in the dictionary is less fetch than using a randomly generated string of numbers or letters. Some routers have a built-in utility you can use to create random safety keys. Windows Vista provides a utility which creates a randomly generated safety key and gives you the opening to whether print it out or save it to a flash drive.

Now that you understand what a wireless networking Ssid, encryption type and safety key is you're best prepared to correctly configure any wireless router or wireless networking gadget you purchase.