One of the most widely used network topologies (and the one most often used in medium to large Local Area Networks) is the bus network. A bus network uses a cable to which are attached all the network devices, either directly or through a junction box of some sort. Each device uses a transceiver to connect to the backbone. The manner of attachment depends on the type of bus network, the protocol in use, and the speed of the network. The main cable that is used to connect all t....

In mid-2002, an unprecedented series of major security flaws were uncovered in Windows 2000, Internet Explorer 6.0, and IIS 5.0, which are some of Microsoft’s most strategically important products. The resulting media backlash resulted in a now-famous "trustworthy computing" internal memo from Bill Gates to all Microsoft employees. The gist of the memo was this: Stop programming and take a look at what you’re doing from a security perspective. For two mon....

An SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server is a machine that transports mail, just like a Web server is a machine that displays Web pages when requested. An SMTP server is sometimes referred to as an outgoing mail server, which brings me to the point—you need one in order to complete the exercises in this chapter. On Linux/UNIX, Sendmail and Qmail are popular packages. On Windows, the SMTP service in the Windows NT Service Pack, or the service built into....

The type of cabling used in a network is called the network medium. Today, networks use many types of cables, although only a few types are in common usage. Some of the more exotic types of cables are very expensive. The type of cabling can have an influence on the speed of the network, although for most small- to medium-sized local area networks this is not a major issue. Twisted pair cabling is one of the most commonly used network mediums because it is cheap and easy to wor....

I believe that organization starts in UNIX. If your system is not well organized or you have not followed a consistent method, you may want to consider why this is a good idea. Many new administrators take simple organizational methodologies, such as the location of added software, for granted. A few months later the result is that changes, such as upgrades, require additional time to install and troubleshoot. In the end, you may save a considerable amount of time by doing thr....