An Ethernet or network isolator is a type of galvanic isolator used in copper-based Ethernet systems. It protects devices and users from possible differences in ground potentials of the voltages in two or more different circuits or circuit components. Ethernet isolators depend on electromagnetic induction to bridge a physical isolation gap within Ethernet systems and do not require any external power supply other than the energy being transferred across the Ethernet cable itself. How Ethernet Isolators Work An Ethernet isolator separates the electrical currents of multiple devices, circuits, or circuit Read More

A Rogue Access Point is a Wi-Fi Access Point which is setup by an attacker for the purpose of sniffing wireless network traffic. 802.11 (Wi-Fi) utilizes SSIDs (Service Set IDentifiers) to authenticate NICs to wireless access points. There is no similar protocol for authenticating wireless access points. It is possible to place a rogue wireless access point into an 802.11 network. This rogue wireless access point can then be used to hijack the connections of legitimate network users. When a legitimate network user turns on his computer, the rogue wireless Read More

A cable modem is a type of modem used to allow computer systems and networks to communicate over cable television infrastructure networks. These networks use coaxial cable media currently defined by the rg6 cable standard in the United States. RG6 cable is usually triple or quadruple shielded, is generally available in 500 or 1000 foot lengths, and has a sweep test range of 1Ghz (1000Mhz). Belden makes specialized and high end coaxial cable that far surpasses the normal standards, including cables that sweep test to 3Ghz or even 4.5Ghz. Cable Read More

Fixed/Mobile Mobile Circuit/Packet Packet/Circuit Max Bandwidth 384Kb Range Coverage area of host network Frequency Frequency of host network Host Network GSM Definer ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) URL http://www.etsi.org/ EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution) is a specification for data transfer on GSM networks. EDGE features both a packet capability, EGPRS (Enhanced General Packet Radio Service), and a circuit switched capability, ESCD (Enhanced Circuit Switched Data). EDGE packs up to 69.2Kbps into eight timeslots, for a total theoretical bandwidth of 473.6Kb. GERAN (GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network) is the name Read More

Cisco uses a proprietary cable pinout for their serial console cables. Note: Pinout or pin-out is a term used in electronics to describe how an electrical cable is wired, or the function of each wire (pin) in a connector. Given below are the pinout details for a Cisco cable. 9-pin Cisco Cable Cable Pinout Signal DB9F RJ45 Receive Data 2 3 Transmit Data 3 6 Data Terminal Ready 4 7 Ground 5 4 Ground 5 5 Data Set Ready 6 2 Request to Send 7 8 Clear to Send 8 Read More

The MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) is the size of the largest datagram that can be sent over a network. If a datagram is larger than an MTU, the datagram must be fragmented into multiple smaller datagrams. Default MTU Sizes Most network technologies have default MTU sizes which may be changed by the network administrator. Network Default MTU PPP 296 X.25 576 IEEE 802.3 1,492 Ethernet 1,500 FDDI 4,352 4Mb Token Ring 4,464 16Mb Token Ring 17,914 Hyperchannel 65,535 The term PMTU (Path MTU) is sometimes used to describe the MTU Read More

With the growing ubiquity of wi-fi access, finding a hotspot is becoming easier by the day. However, users who are travelling or have changed equipment may encounter difficulty in finding a hotspot. There are several directories and apps that users can look to for solutions. Users should first check their device settings, to ensure that the device is set to search for all local Wi-Fi signals available. Many merchants, restaurants, and hotels now provide complimentary and/or free Wi-Fi access to their patrons and adjoining public spaces, as well as most Read More

Belkin brand routers are capable of a hardware reset if there are any problems with the current settings or if access to the router has been disabled inadvertently. The hardware reset function can be performed on Belkin routers by following these steps: Note: Resetting a Belkin router will remove all of the current settings and return it to the factory default settings. Do not perform the reset unless you have the information needed to setup the router to the correct settings needed once the reset has been completed. Manual Hardware Read More

A wireless network key is an encryption key for that prevents unauthorized users from accessing a specific wireless network. The user creates wireless network keys, which either a wireless router or a computer that is connected to that wireless router can manage. Wireless network keys can be any length greater than eight characters and can be used with both WEP and WPA encryption methods. A wireless network key serves as a password for a specific wireless network and prevents unauthorized users from accessing it. Wireless network keys can be used Read More

GBE stands for Gigabit Ethernet, which is a general term for a group of standards which allows for networking at speeds of up to one billion bits (one gigabit) per second between devices on a Local Area Network. Gigabit Ethernet can also be abbreviated as GbE or 1 GigE. Gigabit Ethernet is one of the latest implementations of the Ethernet standard, a frame-based computer networking technology originally developed at the prolific and creative Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970’s. The name is derived from the late 19th century Read More