Routers vs. Firewalls
Microsoft Geek
Review of the Basics We’re often asked at SmallNetBuilder what the advantages are of using a “high-end” or “enterprise” grade firewall, such as a Cisco PIX, Juniper Netscreen, etc., over…
November 2011
Adding a Switch to a Router for more ports
I often see questions in the forums from people struggling with one of the most basic tasks in creating a home network: what to do when you run out of…
How Fast Is Your Network? Five Ways To Measure Network Speed
Knowing how fast your network can move data is a question for more than just tweakers and speed demons. It’s a key skill to have when testing out wireless, powerline,…
Powerline FAQ
Our Essential Wireless FAQ gets a lot of regular use. So we figured why not try the same thing for powerline networking? If you don’t see your question here, let…
How To: Setting up File and Printer sharing between two routers
Introduction We often hear from people who have two (or more!) routers in their LAN and are trying to get Microsoft File and Printer sharing running among all their computers.…
VLAN How To: Segmenting a small LAN
Introduction What is a VLAN? Is it some sort of highly expensive technology or virtual reality? Not at all. VLANs are relatively simple, yet they offer a wide variety of…
Upgrade OS paths
Upgrade Paths Existing OS Upgrade to Windows 2000? Upgrade to Windows XP? Windows 95 Yes No Windows 98 Yes Yes Windows ME No Yes Windows NT 4.0 Workstation Yes Yes…
Types of Memory
Type of Memory Description DRAM (Dynamic RAM) Memory that must be refreshed. SRAM (Static RAM) (L1, L2, L3) Does not require refresh. Used for cache memory. SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM)…
Tools Useful to the A+ Technician
Tool Description or Purpose Compact Tool Box I like to have as small a toolbox as I can that can still carry my most essential tools to work on a…
SCSI Specifications
SCSI Standard Number/Name Bus Width Throughput (MBps) Cable Pin Count Signaling Max Devices (Incl. Host Adapter) Max Length (M) SCSI-1/ “Regular” SCSI 8 5 50 SE 8 6 HVD 8…