NETWORKING

If you build Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, it’s a safe bet that you spend a lot of time integrating networking technologies. First you need to find the right technology for your customer’s use case with accurate specifications and end-to-end security. Next is testing, followed by integration, deployment at scale, and support for the solution’s life span. When you get your second customer, who probably has a similar use case but different requirements, the process…

Over Cisco’s holiday shutdown, I took the opportunity to step away from my laptop (not an easy task!) and reflect on 2020 – both the highs and the lows, the successes and the challenges. No doubt it was a monumental year for all of us. And as I reflected, I kept thinking about resiliency. No matter the challenge or situation at hand during 2020 – my team, my partner, and our clients all demonstrated a…

Every time someone picks up a mouse, they make a choice to either strengthen or lessen our security posture. The security team can impact these choices through culture. For a long time, however, it was difficult to know what had to be present to create and manage security culture. The recent Cisco Security Outcomes Study finally shed some light on these factors. Provide a user-friendly experience Culture is built one action at a time. Since…

By Gerri Hinkel, Director of Solutions and Vertical Marketing at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company Competitive pressures for retailers to gain and retain shoppers are at an all-time high due to an uncertain economy, demanding customers, and the explosive growth of e-commerce due to the global pandemic. These challenges are a constant and a forcing factor for stores that must innovate even amidst uncertainty.   In this environment, savvy retailers like Tractor Supply Company and H-E-B…

I don’t think anyone will argue that 2020 was a year of change. It was unexpected for many of us, uncomfortable, unnerving, and – yes, unprecedented. But, when I look back on the past 12-months, I realize how grateful I am for all those changes. In a time where it is so easy to be distressed, I know these changes have made me better. Last year, my team and I were focused on creating innovations…

Today, applications no longer just support the business; they are the key to a successful business. Customer satisfaction and employee productivity are directly dependent on interactions with the applications. If the applications do not perform flawlessly, it can hurt an organization’s bottom line and even put a dent in its brand value. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for applications to shine. Now more than ever, people are relying on them to get work…

There’s a lot of hype around the next Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ax, more commonly known as Wi-Fi 6. Often new technologies are built up by vendors as the “next big thing” and then flop because they don’t live up to expectations. In the case of Wi-Fi 6, however, the fervor is warranted because it’s the first Wi-Fi standard designed with the premise that Wi-Fi is the primary connection for devices rather than a network of convenience….

The Wi-FI 6 standard (802.11ax) is bringing many exciting improvements to Wi-Fi that make it an enticing option. These include speed, in the form of real-world multi-gigabit wireless connections, but also support for high-density networks like those in stadiums. However, it will take some careful thought and planning to know when to take the leap to Wi-Fi 6. Do you need the speed? To make multi-gigabit wireless speeds possible, most Wi-Fi 6 access points (AP)…

One of the most anticipated features of Wi-Fi 6 wireless routers is improved throughput over their Wi-Fi 5 predecessors, and we wanted to check whether they deliver. Four vendors – Extreme, Cisco, EnGenius and Meraki (owned by Cisco) – provided access points (AP) for our test. Since the routers support both Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), we tested them against two Wi-Fi 5 and two Wi-Fi 6 clients and recorded the average throughput…

This spring the FCC opened up a new swath of unlicensed wireless spectrum in the 6GHz band that’s intended for use with Wi-Fi and can provide lower latency and faster data rates. The new spectrum also has a shorter range and supports more channels than bands that were already dedicated to Wi-Fi, making it suitable for deployment in high-density areas like stadiums. To further understand what Wi-Fi 6E is and how it differs from Wi-Fi…