Networking Archive

Rack mounted servers have been around for years, and will probably be with us indefinitely. They’re simply the most convenient way to organize large quantities of processing power. You can swap individual machines in and out with ease, and power and cable management are simplified. That said, a well set-up server rack contains more than just servers and switches. It should also include an uninterruptable …

In the world of computing, it seems like nothing ever stays the same. In the course of a decade, generations of hardware and even entire protocols can come and go. And while change is slower than it was in the past, a ten-year-old computer is still woefully obsolete. In this constantly-shifting landscape, it’s comforting to know that server racks have been around for decades. Why …

Nowadays, we almost take it for granted that internet will be available wherever we go. If you’re standing in line for coffee, for instance, you simply expect there to be free WiFi. This is also becoming increasingly true in our own homes. It used to be that the average family had one computer. Then, we all started getting laptops. Then came smartphones, followed soon after …

As the most common type of cable used in hard-wired Local Area Networks today, the demand for Ethernet is higher than ever. However, most routers have a limited number of available ports. Ultimately, this restricts how many devices can be plugged-in simultaneously. This is an issue in offices or homes that need to connect many computers and other network devices, without the use of WiFi. …

Nowadays, we expect our connected devices to work just about everywhere. But this wasn’t always the case. In the year 2000, for instance, wireless internet was a novelty, and smartphones were nonexistent. Even as recently as 2010, you might have had three or four online devices in your home. A PC, a laptop, and a handful of smartphones were about all the average family was …