Network Hardware and Software Manufacturers

Cisco Systems

www.cisco.com

The name of this manufacturer is known to just about every network administrator who operates a network. Cisco's Web site is a treasure trove of information relating to routers, switches, wireless devices, and so on. If you want a detailed explanation of Cisco operating systems and software, this is the place to go. If you just want to learn about a particular networking technology, you will likely find educational material here using the search function. There is so much information to be found at this vendor's site that it would take years to read all of it. A highly recommended site.

IBM

www.ibm.com

This is the site of the largest computer manufacturer in the world today. For reference purposes, however, IBM has a series of informational documents called "Redbooks." These cover a wide range of computer and networking technology. You can use the search function on the main page to find hardware, software, and some articles. For Redbooks, use the following URL:

www.redbooks.ibm.com/pubs/ pdfs /redbooks/

Juniper Networks, Inc.

www.juniper.net

Juniper is a manufacturer of high-end network switching equipment, and its products are geared toward a large enterprise network, as well as larger entities, such as Internet Access Point providers. Unless you have limitless amounts of cash, you won't be using this site to purchase hardware for a SOHO network. Juniper offers technical books, training, and certifications.

HP

www.hp.com

In the past few years HP has acquired Compaq Computer Corporation, which acquired the venerable Digital Equipment Corporation. You can use the search function at this site to find informational articles and documentation for hardware manufactured by all three of these companies. And, as with most vendors , this is the place to visit to download new drivers, as well as patches for operating systems and other applications.

Microsoft

www.microsoft.com

This name is known around the world. Microsoft dominates the desktop today, and its office suite is also the most widely used product of that sort . You can use the search function available at the preceding URL to find home pages for all of Microsoft's main products. Additionally, Microsoft offers a service for developers called the Microsoft Developer's Network (MSDN). This is a paid service that you should consider subscribing to if you want to do a lot of in-house support for applications, operating systems, and development tools relating to Microsoft products. You can also subscribe to another service, called TechNet, which gives a smaller subset of the information available from MSDN. MSDN also enables you to receive betas of operating systems as well as 120-day evaluation copies of finished products. In an enterprise network, both of these can be very important sources of information.

However, for those who cannot afford an MSDN subscription (and it is not inexpensive for a single person), you can find a great deal of content available online at

http://msdn.microsoft.com

Additionally, you can use the following URL to keep up-to-date on recent new projects that Microsoft is working on:

www.research.microsoft.com

You can download some of the software for new projects from this link, and for those who are interested, you'll also find a jobs link here.

NETGEAR

www.netgear.com/

This site, along with the next one, is a good place to check out hardware such as routers and switches, including wireless devices. If you operate a SOHO network, you are probably familiar with these manufacturers, because a lot of their equipment is readily available at computer and electronics stores. One good reason to visit this Web site, and the next two, is to compare products before you make a purchase. Another good reason is that you can download drivers for some hardware.

LinkSys

www.linksys.com

This is another manufacturer that produces everything from consumer-level routers and switches to some high-end devices, such as gigabit Ethernet hardware. One caveat, however, is that Cisco has entered into an agreement to acquire LinkSys. Still, the URL listed here should still work for quite some time because LinkSys will be a subsidiary of Cisco.

Anixter

www.anixter.com/

This is one of the largest distributors for cables, connectors, computer racks, patch cords, and so on. To assist customers, Anixter has a technical library that contains information on standards, such as the ANSI/TIA/EIA-569 standard for wiring a network in your building. Many white papers written by Anixter and various vendors are also found here. If you are upgrading an older network, or starting from scratch, Anixter can not only sell you the products you need, but tell you how to use them.

RedHat

www.redhat.com

RedHat is one of the more popular Linux variants used by commercial organizations. You can download the current version or purchase a packaged copy of the software. There is a searchable database of articles that can be useful for learning about Linux, or for diagnosing problems. You can also sign up to receive email from RedHat. And if you want to be a beta tester for new versions of RedHat, you'll find a link at this site. You will also find documentation for current and past copies of their documentation.

Samba.org

www.samba.org

Samba enables Unix/Linux computers to easily connect to Windows platforms. At this top-level site you can select the country you live in, and then read documentation and recent news, as well as download the software. Samba is discussed in Chapter 35, "File Server Protocols." Most of these sites enable you to download both compiled versions for your operating system and binary code that you can examine and compile for your own system.