Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

The internet is a network of networks, and how and where those networks interconnect determines the efficacy of the service. How networks exchange traffic on the internet varies. Broadly speaking there are three different approaches: A direct connection via a transit provider, a private interconnection between two networks, or peering at an internet exchange (IX) point - a co-location hub that enables members of the IX to interconnect.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an internet protocol that is used to collect information about network devices and manage them. Most of the modern devices connected to a network support SNMP, such as routers, switches, servers, printers, and more. There are three different versions of SNMP (v1, v2, and v3). It most commonly operates on UDP ports 161 and 162. The most common versions being used are v1 and v2. The data can be collected from a network device through SNMP via polling.

Wi-Fi has untangled humanity, quite literally. Those jumbled Ethernet cables with their confusing ports are banished to backstage. Now, all we need is one connection to a Wi-Fi router and voila! Internet. Wi-Fi networks simplify your IT infrastructure. WLAN networks makes an office look less like a scene from The Matrix and more like a creative workspace, but it can bring an array of difficulties as well. Unlike the sturdy Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi connections fluctuate.

Although network inventory documentation isn’t the most glamorous task, it is essential for the success of any IT department. According to Steady Networks, “Workers spend about 22 minutes each day dealing with some type of IT issue.” An accurate network inventory can greatly reduce the time it takes for internal IT to identify and solve issues.

The more clouds you use, the more security risks your business can face. Here’s what to look out for, and how to stay safe.

This fall Amazon Prime Video became the exclusive broadcaster of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football. This move continued Prime Video’s push into the lucrative world of live sports broadcasting. While they had previously aired TNF, as it is known, this is the first season Amazon Prime Video has exclusive rights to broadcast these games. As you can imagine, airing these games has led to a surge in traffic for this OTT service.

Network monitoring is ideal for getting a real-time view of your connected environment, and with reports, you can look back in time too. Logs are key to this rear-view mirror look, as they contain all the data for all the elements you are monitoring. But without network log archiving, you can only look back so far. Did you know that according to an IBM/Ponemon study, it takes an average of 287 days to discover and contain a data breach?

As you look to optimize your MSP’s growing business, it’s going to become more and more important to maintain an acceptable return on your investment. To do this, you’ll need to find services that increase your gross margin on every client engagement. Virtual CISO services can greatly help in this function. While solutions like Auvik already help MSPs have visibility inside of client networks, we want to take this a step further with the addition of vCISO services.