Stories by Wayne Rash

  • Gigabit Wi-Fi? Not so fast.

    The newest Wi-Fi technology -- 802.11ac -- promises blazing speeds of up to 1.3Gbps, according to claims made by the leading vendors.

  • Four Wi-Fi tools deliver mixed results

    During our review of 802.11ac routers, some of the vendors sent along additional products that they thought we might be interested in. Here are short reviews of four WiFi tools that you might find useful in your network.

  • Linksys prevails in dual-band duel

    Wireless routers are always something of a mystery. They combine a number of features into a single box and are usually complex to set up, but require little attention after that. 

  • How we tested dual-band routers

    We used two platforms. One test platform was the Fluke Networks <a href="http://www.networkcomputing.com/wireless/229501964?pgno=2">AirCheck WiFi tester</a>. The AirCheck contains a 2 x 2 antenna system, and thus can support only two spatial streams.

  • Hands-on review: Xoom battles iPad 2 to a draw

    We got our hands on the two hottest products in the tablet computing market -- the Motorola Xoom and the iPad 2 and put them to the test. This was a 15-round heavyweight fight and in the end, the Xoom stood toe to toe with the reigning champ, iPad 2.

  • IBM unleashes 3U power on the enterprise

    IBM continues to produce new servers that deliver greater value. The new xSeries 365 is clearly the next step in IBM’s strategy, offering more performance, convenience and scalability in a smaller package than its predecessor. The result is a server that can meet nearly any imaginable departmental need and fit well into many enterprise applications that once required more expensive servers and more resources to operate.

  • Forget specifics: focus on general security

    In light of recent high-profile attacks from viruses such as MyDoom, TruSecure’s chief technologist, Peter Tippett, has some refreshing advice to IT managers charged with securing the enterprise: focus more on general risks not specific vulnerabilities. IDG senior analyst, Wayne Rash, spoke to Tippett about the security maze and challenges facing IT today.

  • SECURITY ADVISER: Harder than you think

    Once more I sat at the control console and went through the D-Link wireless access point’s forms to enable WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption. I knew it wasn’t exactly the best encryption on the planet, but it was better than nothing at all, and the network I was working with didn’t handle much sensitive information anyway. I entered the key in hex and clicked the submit button. Next, I went to a laptop computer that already had 802.11g built in.

  • SECURITY ADVISER: One lump or two?

    IN a recent review of several enterprise antivirus packages, the use of multiple antivirus engines was something that was considered an important characteristic. In fact, the antivirus solution that got the best score, GFI’s MailSecurity, can use multiple antivirus engines to beef up virus scans. While working on a companion piece for that review, I noticed that the antivirus market leaders, Symantec and Network Associates, didn’t follow this practice. They used one engine for their email server products — their own.