HP Simware - Comware OS Simulator

HP recently released “Simware”, a Comware network simulator that lets you create test networks of emulated Comware switches and routers. This can be used to create “virtual” networks, ideal for...

SolarWinds DPI - Looks Interesting

[UPDATE 26/6/14] This code is now available as a Release Candidate.

CCIE Preparation: How Deep Do I Go?

This article is Part 6 in a 7-Part Series. Part 1 - CCIE Preparation: Commitment Part 2 - CCIE Preparation: Study Processes and Scheduling Part 3 - CCIE Preparation: Vendors...

Meraki AP Trial

Cisco Meraki offers a free wireless AP to anyone who registers for a webinar about their products. I had given up on receiving my AP, but after a moan on...

HP VSR Portal Redirection

When implementing HP IMC UAM, you may need to redirect users to the IMC webserver, for device registration & configuration, and obtaining user 802.1x certificates. One method of doing this...

Network Automation - Stop Fighting It

Network Engineers should be embracing the idea of automating away the drudgery of running a network. They should be looking for ways to ensure the network can dynamically change its...

War Stories: Switches Lying about Duplex Mismatches

This article is Part 2 in a 12-Part Series. Part 1 - War Stories: Loops that Permanently Broke the Network Part 2 - This Article Part 3 - War Stories:...

Software Support - Are You Getting Value?

Companies pay a lot of money for software support. But do they always get value for it, and do vendors sometimes prolong the “supported” life of a product simply to...

Can't Start HP IMC on Linux?

I was recently asked about how to start IMC on a Linux server. After the initial installation, the system had been restarted, and now IMC wasn’t running. How to start...

HP Restricting Access to Server Firmware Updates

HP has announced that they will only provide firmware updates to customers with a valid warranty, Care Pack or support agreement. HP says:

HP Wireless Future: Reading the Tea Leaves

Recently I posted some speculation about where HP is going with their Comware and ProCurve networking lines. But what about the wireless gear? Where’s that going? As before, I have...

HP Comware vs ProCurve: Reading the Tea-Leaves

HP acquired 3Com in 2009. This added a large range of routing, switching and wireless networking to HP - but they already had existing ProCurve wired and wireless hardware. Clearly...