Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

VPNs: not just sponsors of YouTube tech videos! If you think of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as data privacy tools or a way to access geographically restricted content, then the idea they’re dying out probably seems far-fetched. But if we’re talking about internet-based VPNs, the kind that enables access to corporate networks, there’s been plenty of prognostication that the last days of VPN may be upon us.

Broadcast storms are a major pain point for network administrators. Let’s talk a bit about what they are, what causes them, and what steps you can take to eliminate sources of broadcast storms on the networks you manage.

When network hardware vendors issue device recalls, field notices, or security alerts, the implication can be massive for MSPs. Take the 2017 clock signal issue, for example. That huge recall of Intel microchips was a large-scale vulnerability for tons of devices—and left MSPs scrambling to figure out which devices were affected on which client sites.

Routing problems tend to emerge when you’re first setting up a new piece of network equipment, and when something has failed. Usually, routing problems are caused by some sort of configuration or design error. Troubleshooting routing problems is tricky because the usual tools like ping and traceroute don’t always tell you what you need to know.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework of best practices for providing various information technology (IT) services, including service and asset management. The main goal of ITIL is to improve the quality and efficiency of IT service management.

From 300 baud to multiple gigabits per second, it’s time to celebrate the history of the modem. It occurs to me that we will soon be entering a period where no one will remember the ear-shredding screech of a dial-up modem connecting their computers to the internet—all the while hoping no one picks up the phone and wrecks it. The humble modem is, at least as a device sitting on your desk alongside your computer, largely consigned to history—and more than a few recycling centers.

It’s no secret that edge networks, edge computing, and IoT are some of the biggest current trends in IT circles. In fact, Gartner projects that 75% of data will be created and processed outside of traditional centralized locations by 2025, up from about 10% in 2018.

The last few years have thrown about everything they could at the status quo. Shifting climates, political instability, and a global pandemic have all contributed to a broad host of network device supply chain issues. Consumers all over the globe are still affected by computer chip shortages and many other items delayed by supply chain issues. And it’s not expected to end anytime soon.

In the years that I’ve worked with large technology vendors and an MSP provider, there were a few common denominators between the ones that were successful. Partners that were consistently at the top of the food chain were the ones consistently providing value to their customers in some area other than just one specific product or service that was being offered.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, network failures happen. And when downtime means lost productivity, fast troubleshooting becomes an integral part of IT operations. So with the addition of OID (object identifier) monitoring history, Auvik providing users an archive for troubleshooting, analysis, and planning. When it comes to managing network issues, diagnosing the root cause is the first step. And often, there’s a gap between when an incident occurs, and when it’s reported.