• The network is a real foundation of an organization, as it is useful in connecting on-premises servers to the public cloud and edge data centers.
• SDN or software-defined network infrastructure has a clear significance in providing a continuous network and robust security policies.

In this century, businesses are expanding rapidly and quickly adapting to the dynamic nature of digitalization. Technology is unveiling new ways for businesses to evolve and modernize. We, as a business, need to be up-to-date with new technological trends and avenues that are likely to benefit us. Regarding network modernization and cloud applications, in particular, there are several connections between them. The speed at which information is set to be delivered is also crucial to success. Data is needed to move at the right pace, but it will be possible when there is a profound network setup. Let’s dive deeper into these terms separately and then collectively to understand the subject better.

What is Network Modernization?

The network performs a critical function in reviving digital transformation. The network is a backbone of any enterprise, as it connects on-premises servers to the public cloud and edge data centers. Employee working remotely or in a branch can work properly with a strong network.

According to Insight, 37% of top executives had set modernizing networking technology as a primary objective for 2022.

A modernized network is capable of shaping the demands of the modern world. It will then be easier for organizations to achieve digital transformation goals. An organization’s advantages after moving to the cloud are impossible without modern networking. It enables the organization to meet its demands or needs in a complex environment; applications and services are accessible 24/7/360 days without any connectivity issues.

The modern network considers all the critical facts while working on remote locations, high bandwidth consuming video applications, cloud services, traffic patterns, and business application landscape.

A modern network can respond swiftly to the changing expectations of customers or users. It has come up with more modern and adaptable solutions.

What are Modern Cloud Applications?

The web-based application needs a continuous internet connection. On the other hand, a cloud-based application can be stored over the cloud and are accessible offline. Cloud-based applications are more advanced as it ensures uptime, security, and integration with other systems. These are the basic difference between the two.

Modern cloud applications are deployed across private cloud, public cloud, data centers, and edge-data centers, sometimes delivered as SAAS as well. Modern application has become the cornerstone of an organization’s digital strategy.

What are the Functions of Cloud Strategies:

A company’s cloud strategy is a plan where particular technical activities are directly proportional to the business outcomes. Business priorities and cloud adoption efforts are the active elements that validate and define the strategy.

An organization’s cloud strategy looks after the following:

• Finance
• Line of business
• Human resources
• Operations
• Enterprise architecture
• IT Infrastructure
• Application group

Cloud strategies facilitate the effective management of corporate operations, business processes, consumer interactions, and product development cycles. A well-versed cloud strategy provides means for involving key participants in a more organized way which is a need of an hour.

To fulfill the imperatives of cloud and multi-cloud strategies, following pointers need to be considered and implemented:

• The data center network needs to be modernized.
• There is a need to be the automation of networks.
• The software-defined network is necessary to provide continuous network and security policies.
• SDN or software-defined network infrastructure provides operational simplicity, elastic scale, and ubiquitous visibility and supports traditional and cloud-native applications spanning on-premises environments and clouds.
• SDN helps add a level of abstraction to the functions of network nodes like switches, routers, bare metal servers, etc., beneficial to manage globally.

• Simplification of the network is needed—Data-centre network to be more agile and open.
• The network needs to be easy to deploy, easy to manage, easy to support, and easy to consume.

To satisfy the future networking needs of an industry and to provide portable application layer networking, the below functionality needs to be followed.

• Service meshes: A service mesh is an infrastructure layer that controls service-to-service communications over a network. It enables application components to interact with one another. Service meshes appear with microservices, containers, and cloud-based applications.
• Ingress Controller: Ingress Controller is used for fulfilling the ingress, is a good load balancer, and helps in configuring edge routers to handle the traffic loads.
• Microservices: It improves performance as teams handle particular services more than a whole application. However, it accelerates the functions like greater accountability, good compliance, and enriched data security.
• Visibility into workloads: Automatic tracking of workloads helps in good visibility, control, and compliance. Application controllers assign a unique identifier to every workload, which leads to more effective monitoring and policy controls for any particular workload. It is useful in dealing with dynamic traffic patterns. It is also valuable for creating asset inventory reports. In addition to this, it will also provide an updated representation of enterprise applications.

Winding Up:

The demands of IT administrators and network users with network modernizations are enormous and overwhelming. Organizations face skill gaps to keep up with the fluid and fast-paced cloud domain. The cloud community demands full automation at every level to attain great agility, scalability, flexibility, and compliance. AI-tailored virtual network with actionable insights to create a good user experience is needed at this point in time.

Nonetheless, workflow simplification through automation is necessary. AI-tailored network incorporated with micro-services helps save time and money. The challenges are extensive concerning IT processes and staff productivity. Besides this, there is a continuous threatening security challenge for hybrid IT and multi-cloud application landscape.

• Even if it is about analyzing a large amount of data, a network audit is significant for maintaining the network’s health within the company.
• But before that, understand what the types of it are, its benefits, and the steps involved in conducting the network audit. There might be a slight alteration to the steps depending on the requirement.

A network audit is a comprehensive review and assessment of an organization’s networking infrastructure. It involves examining the hardware, software, and configuration settings to ensure that the network functions efficiently, effectively, and securely. In this blog, we will delve into the different aspects of a network audit, including the benefits, the different types of audits, and the steps involved in conducting one.

What are The Benefits of a Network Audit?

There are several benefits to conducting a network audit. Here are just a few:

Improved security: A network audit can help identify vulnerabilities in your network and provide recommendations for securing it. This is especially important in today’s digital landscape, where cyber threats constantly evolve.

Increased efficiency: A network audit can help identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your network. By addressing these issues, you can improve your network’s overall performance and speed.

Reduced costs: By identifying and addressing issues with your network, a network audit can help reduce costs associated with troubleshooting and maintenance.

Compliance: Depending on your industry, you may be required to adhere to certain regulations and standards. A network audit can help ensure that your network complies with these requirements.

Types of Network Audits

There are several types of network audits that organizations can conduct. Some common types include:

Security audit: A security audit focuses on the security of your network and aims to identify vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit.

Performance audit: A performance audit assesses the efficiency and speed of your network. It can help identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies that are impacting performance.

Compliance audit: A compliance audit ensures that your network complies with industry regulations and standards.

Capacity audit: A capacity audit assesses your network’s capacity to handle your organization’s current and future needs.

Steps Involved in Conducting a Network Audit

Conducting a network audit can be a complex process, but it generally involves the following steps:

Planning: The first step in conducting a network audit is to plan the scope and objectives of the audit. This includes identifying the systems and devices included in the audit and determining the specific areas that will be examined.

Data collection: The next step is to gather data about your network. This can include hardware and software inventory, configuration settings, and network diagrams.

Analysis: Once the data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed to identify any issues or areas for improvement. This can be done manually or using specialized software tools.

Reporting: The results of the audit should be documented in a report that summarizes the findings and provides recommendations for addressing any identified issues.

Remediation: Based on the audit findings, appropriate actions should be taken to address any identified issues. This can include making changes to configuration settings, upgrading hardware or software, or implementing additional security measures.

Conclusion

A network audit is an important process for any organization. It can help improve your network’s security, efficiency, and performance and ensure compliance with industry regulations. By following the steps outlined above, you can conduct a thorough and effective network audit that will provide valuable insights into the health and performance of your networking infrastructure.

• VPNs provide several benefits for individuals and businesses. VPNs enable safe, anonymous Internet connections.
• Open VPN, which has been a fan favorite for over two decades, WireGuard, a new competitor on the market, is creating ripples in the VPN sector.

The word “virtual private network” (VPN) may seem frightening, but these gadgets are more user-friendly than you may expect. There are several benefits to utilizing a VPN, whether for an individual or a huge organization. VPNs employ technologies to provide an anonymous and secure Internet connection.

It is imperative that we defend ourselves online in the modern day. OpenVPN and WireGuard are the area’s most widely used VPN protocols. In contrast to OpenVPN, which has been a fan favorite for over two decades, WireGuard, a new competitor on the market, is creating ripples in the VPN sector.

However, the question afloat is, which one is better? Here is an article detailing WireGuard vs. OpenVPN that aims to give you the answer.

According to Security, the Asia-Pacific area is the VPN industry’s fastest-growing market. This market is anticipated to expand by 16% from 2020 to 2027, two percentage points more than the expansion of the global population.

How effective are VPNs?

During certain time intervals, VPN use increases. When previous President Donald Trump ordered a ban on TikTok, consumer interest in VPNs soared by 74% on average. Additionally, interest surged by 78% after the Olympics were postponed and by 55% when Trump withdrew his vacation plan. As the danger of internet restrictions and stay-at-home orders grew, individuals spent more time online and utilized VPNs than ever before.

You may conceal your IP address and secure internet data using VPN technology. And this is accomplished via a remote server. How does this server function? When you transmit internet traffic through our server, it is encrypted and, as a result, unreadable by anybody who desires to access it.

Without a VPN, everyone from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to government authorities and cybercriminals may read your data. There is no question that your internet data is valuable to someone, regardless of their intentions. Consequently, VPNs have grown so widespread in the present day.

However, many protocols are available, such as Open VPN and WireGuard. So, let’s explore; how does this work? Which is better, WireGuard or OpenVPN?

While a significant portion of this revenue comes from the commercial VPN industry, the consumer VPN market is projected to be worth USD 834 million by 2024. (Source: Grand View Research)

What is OpenVPN?

James Yonan created OpenVPN in 2001. Due to its flexibility, reliability, and capacity to bypass firewalls and restricted networks, it has been the gold standard connection type for the past two decades.

OpenVPN establishes a secure tunnel between two connection points so data may be securely sent back and forth. This technology is used chiefly for VPNs and transfers data over TCP or UDP.

The finest VPN service providers utilize it, including ExpressVPN, SurfShark, CyberGhost, and NordVPN. In terms of pricing, OpenVPN might be completely free. This is the situation if only one or two secure connections are required—most reputable VPN providers offer a flat rate or a monthly membership fee.

OpenVPN is compatible with most operating systems, including Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. OpenVPN can be rather sluggish by today’s standards. Therefore, there may be better options than OpenVPN if you demand consistently fast Internet connections.

This does not imply that OpenVPN is a poor security option. This protocol can keep your data extraordinarily secure and out of the hands of unauthorized parties.

What is WireGuard?

OpenVPN is significantly older than WireGuard. WireGuard was created by Jason Donenfeld in May of 2021 and debuted in the VPN industry. Free and distributed under the GPLv2 license.

WireGuard’s primary advantage is that it is substantially quicker and more efficient than most competing protocols while preserving high data security. WireGuard is in development and still needs to be wholly integrated with systems such as OpenBSD and FreeBSD, despite its fast acceptance.

Compared to OpenVPN, WireGuard has significantly less code. While OpenVPN has around 70,000 lines of code, WireGuard only contains 5,000. It employs efficient cryptographic protocols such as BLAKE2, Poly1305, ChaCha20, and Curve25199 and is also open-source software. In addition, it uses TUN drivers by default, which manage traffic routing, encryption, and logic, such as split tunneling.

OpenVPN vs WireGuard: Take Your Call

Remember that neither OpenVPN nor WireGuard can ensure your online security 100% of the time. A competent attacker might access your data in several novel and inventive methods, but the usage of VPN protocol makes this process difficult.

A few considerations will help you choose between OpenVPN and WireGuard. The moment has come to compare them! Below, we’ve compared WireGuard vs. OpenVPN in several critical operational areas and emphasized the differences.

OpenVPN vs. WireGuard speed

You should be aware that your introductory internet rates will limit the speed of your VPN connection. Additionally, each VPN service has a unique configuration. When the discussion emerges about OpenVPN vs. WireGuard speed, then without any doubt, WireGuard dominates OpenVPN on the performance front.

WireGuard is intended for high-speed applications. It creates a connection in 100 milliseconds, compared to 8 milliseconds for OpenVPN. In several testing, WireGuard was 58% quicker than OpenVPN. In optimum conditions, its speed exceeded 500 Mbps.

Several factors contribute to WireGuard’s lightning-fast delivery. Its code base was far more simplified, with around 4,000 lines. OpenVPN has approximately 70,000 lines of code after more than two decades of development. WireGuard supports multithreading, allowing it to handle data simultaneously using several CPU cores.

Conclusion: WireGuard is faster than OpenVPN.

OpenVPN vs WireGuard security

OpenVPN vs. WireGuard are comparably suited, but for distinct reasons. OpenVPN has an advantage over WireGuard due to its versatility in supporting numerous encryption schemes. However, this same flexibility comes with additional complexity and implementation hazards, which might have the opposite impact and result in vulnerabilities.

Below is the table highlighting the features of both

WireGuard offers benefits over OpenVPN, despite its long history and vast developer community. WireGuard has fewer vulnerabilities than OpenVPN because security experts accept its contemporary encryption algorithms. It has a smaller attack surface than OpenVPN since it employs less code. More crucially, if a weakness is detected in any encryption or algorithm, all endpoints must update instantly, preventing anybody from using the compromised WireGuard code.

WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: Encryption

Encryption is a crucial component of VPN systems. When comparing OpenVPN vs. WireGuard encryption, it is essential to realize that OpenVPN employs various encryption techniques courtesy of the OpenSSL library.

OpenVPN may utilize any authentication technique and encryption cipher without modifying the code. WireGuard uses a restricted variety of ciphers and algorithms, and it is required to update the device’s code if any are identified as unsafe.

OpenVPN is the superior alternative since it uses OpenSSL libraries for authentication. And OpenSSL libraries have existed for decades. WireGuard, in contrast, employs ChaCha 20 for authentication.

In addition, OpenVPN employs RSA and AES for its data and control channels. Consequently, passwords and encryption keys are less susceptible to attack. However, OpenVPN has a huge code base, which provides hackers with a broad attack surface. And WireGuard contains less code, making it less complicated and presenting a smaller attack surface.

Point taken: If you’re new to VPN protocols, you should test OpenVPN’s encryption, but if you prefer more streamlined code, WireGuard is the superior choice.

WireGuard vs OpenVPN: Mobility

It is typical for internet users to switch between mobile and wifi networks when using their mobile devices. A protocol should facilitate a seamless and efficient transfer.

In the case of mobility, WireGuard is the victor. As WiringGuard efficiently handles network switching. But OpenVPN doesn’t enable a seamless transition. When changing networks while using OpenVPN, several people disconnect and rejoin.

In the matchup between WireGuard vs. OpenVPN, though, WireGuard is superior because its stateless structure allows it to adapt to frequent network changes.

Conclusion: WireGaurd is the ideal choice.

Conclusions on the WireGuard vs OpenVPN

OpenVPN and WireGuard are complimentary since each VPN protocol excels in a particular area where the other falls short. WireGuard and OpenVPN have distinct distinctions. One protocol may be more suitable for you due to differences in encryption ciphers, code lengths, cost, and more. Before selecting, examining what you hope to achieve with your VPN is essential.

The preceding information will assist you in deciding whether WireGuard or OpenVPN is superior.

• A single service provider can streamline your operations and manage your networking, connectivity, hardware maintenance, security, and other IT requirements.
• When an issue arises, you may depend on their expertise for a speedy resolution, relieving your IT personnel so they can focus on other responsibilities.

Network modernization can streamline IT with scalable solutions. The right partner has the expertise to design, install, and maintain the unique requirements of your network. One provider can offer seamless connectivity, access, and security. It also provides personalized support and a financial relationship to maximize your tech investment.

Multiple providers service legacy components and systems. Knowing which vendor to call for troubleshooting or advice on growing network challenges is difficult.

Complexity increases performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and inefficient IT spending. Most organizations use lean IT teams to meet user demands. 52% of IT leaders say a lack of trained IT professionals is a problem. Their organizations struggle to self-manage a complex, evolving network with limited resources. Hence, businesses are demanding more from their service providers.

This blog throws light on how an ideal technology partner can create and integrate complete solutions that meet your unique business objectives. A single service provider can streamline your operations and manage your networking, connectivity, hardware maintenance, security, and other IT requirements.

Simplifying network management

Consolidating service providers improves network visibility and performance. When multiple vendors provide internet, Ethernet, routing devices, and Wi-Fi, none of them understand your network as a whole. Each of them has its security, service, and issue-resolution processes. Then, the limited IT resources must coordinate maintenance and end-user performance.

On the other hand, a single partner can monitor the entire network, improve its settings, and reveal efficiencies across components. This approach decreases network downtime risks. Routine monitoring can keep your company ahead of any problems, as a skilled team is ready to respond if something goes wrong. Frost and amp; Sullivan estimates network downtime costs mid-market companies USD 4,000 each outage, which shows how important comprehensive assistance is.

Cybersecurity concerns are easy to address with a supplier who knows your network. The proper partner can tailor solutions for site-to-site Ethernet, guest and employee internet access, firewalls, unified threat management, private cloud connections, and other safeguards that isolate critical data and protect the firm from online dangers.

IT can rely on one vendor to identify security threats and respond quickly across numerous network components. The specialists who simplify and secure your daily IT management can also help you plan. A provider who offers multiple networking services understands your needs, goals, and obstacles. As your company grows, you’ll have a partner to create or extend network architecture and support services.

Capabilities for successful network modernization

Network modernization drives digital transformation and better performance. Look for a partner with comprehensive capabilities to consolidate various services. These services should handle your most time and risk-intensive IT concerns and the connectivity between them. Choose a collaborative partner with the newest technologies to help your company innovate. Here are a few capabilities you need to look for –

Agility

Modern IT avoids one-time hardware purchases and scalable service contracts. Rapid shifts to cloud computing, remote work, and bandwidth-heavy applications like video streaming highlight the need for an agile network. McKinsey estimates the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital operations adoption and customer interactions by three to four years and changed executives’ perspectives about the role of technology.

Business organizations and their partners must be more agile to compete. Your network should be able to adapt to changing usage patterns, application requirements, connections, and devices with the proper service provider. IT teams with minimal staff will also be able to optimize routine maintenance and offload network component management. Evaluate potential partners’ flexibility, range of technologies, and capacity to drive network design and management so your team can focus on innovation.

Security

IT teams need to prioritize cybersecurity. Remote work and virtual apps have significantly increased network footprints and attack surfaces. The biggest fear of 60% of IT personnel is exposure to client data. A modernized network controlled by a single service provider can offer peace of mind with reliable security solutions, access management, and network device visibility. Automated firewall upgrades, UTM, and 24/7/365 network monitoring help protect your network with minimum IT effort.

Keeping up with patches and upgrades is a challenge for most enterprises regarding network security. Ever-changing security risks tax IT teams’ internal resources. Sixty-two percent of CISOs expect a global cybersecurity skills shortage will worsen in five years.

A network service provider with 24/7 monitoring and support can help protect your data. Having specialists engineer monitor your network can prevent data breaches and cyberattacks. When an issue arises, you may depend on their expertise for a speedy resolution, relieving your IT personnel so they can focus on other responsibilities.

Operational Efficiency

Toggling between isolated platforms to run a network is costly. A single partner simplifies and improves network management. Better operational efficiency can streamline operations, promote IT sustainability, improve end-user quality, and lower network operating costs.

Collaboration with a qualified network service provider can simplify numerous IT chores. These include patching and firmware updates, network traffic management, proactive security measures, and adding locations to Wi-Fi networks and WANs. Consolidating systems with a single partner makes software-defined networking easier to execute across multiple hardware and software components.

Consolidating networking and connectivity services saves administrative burdens. Working with one partner speeds up billing and service contracts. Plus, managed services can remove upfront capital investments for hardware maintenance and lifecycle planning.

Conclusion

Your organization’s success depends on an agile, secure network. You need IT resources that can handle today’s demands and bend to meet tomorrows. Your network benefits from consolidation and modernization. McKinsey said companies who kept up with digital transformation earned operational and financial benefits. Executives in digitally agile companies reported twice as much revenue growth as their less agile rivals.

A proper partner can deliver comprehensive network upgrading that adapts to your business. Collaborating with a qualified service provider can help you defend against growing security threats. Consolidation saves money and time compared to maintaining several service providers.

End-users often complain about poor network performance that may arise due to varied reasons. What’s concerning is that despite all efforts to ensure they run fine; some issues still crop up. But if an organization knows about such network problems and how they can affect their network, those issues can be rectified faster.

Here are some of the most common network issues faced by organizations.

1. Slow or no network

Employees and other users often complain that their network is running too slow. The network may typically be down due to congestion or some other reason. For example, a new application, such as video conferencing or an online video training module, may have been added. There can also be a case where a failing switch port or a link keeps the traffic stuck around the failure port and, thus, overload the other link.

There can be another speed issue wherein employees try downloading HD movies or heavy files while at work, keeping the network engaged for other important office tasks.

How to fix it?

One right way to fix this problem is to install a network monitoring tool. Other times, one can use the services of speed test websites that help conduct tests from remote servers. This can help spot congested areas on the ISP’s network.

An often-overlooked aspect of internet performance is DNS servers. When using incorrect DNS servers, one may face routing congestion or load balancing issues. Typically, one should use the ISP’s DNS settings at all possible times, but the chances are that they may be routing traffic through overloaded web caches. One can temporarily adjust the DNS settings to use OpenDNS instead.

2. Slow DNS Lookups

The DNS matches the common name used to match the server or service names with the Internet address through a network request. The matchup is stored in the system’s DNS cache for commonly used names, and the lookup also happens quickly. The matchup is preserved in a distant cache for the less commonly used names. It can be stored under the root server of the top-level name, such as .org, .com, or .uk.

Each DNS server along the path checks the cache before sending the request to the next server. The next server then checks its cache, which is a repetitive process. If the lookup process is slow, there could be a slow link along the path or an overloaded or slow server.

How to fix it?

Here comes the role of the local administrator. They are supposed to reconfigure the local router and shift all the requests to the faster chain of servers. Alternatively, one can ignore the server assigned by DHCP and configure the network devices to use their DNS servers.

3. Duplicate and static IP addresses

On a network, no two systems can share the same internet address. If there are duplicate internet addresses, neither of the two systems will be able to work reliably. The addresses for most network devices are assigned when Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) boots up the systems on the local network. It allocates different addresses from its pool to each system. Workstations receive addresses for a limited time frame and are not assigned a permanent address.

Before the time runs out, systems need to re-send a request and usually receive the same address. And in case the system shuts down without having sent the re-request and the time to do the same is over, it may not receive the exact address once it restarts.

Some network devices may also be allotted a static IP address by the DHCP administrator as external systems won’t be updated if there’s any change in the address. One issue is that users sometimes set up a private web server to support a hobby, allocating a static address without informing the network administrator. Both share a DHCP server in either an organization or a home network. In case the static address matches one assigned by DHCP, it disrupts the network.

How to fix it?

Often, the blame comes on the router’s default DHCP configurations. This DHCP is trying to assign a new device an address at the starting of the subnet, and another device can already occupy the low-numbered addresses with static IPs. Any new device or server within the network will have its DHCP server. To fix the problem, disable the DHCP server on the device to restore the sanity within the network.

4. Exhausted IP address

There is a limited supply of Internet addresses. Every service provider is given a limited number of addresses. The most familiar are IPv4 addresses because they were considered to be the most adequate for every system. But with the emergence of cell phones and other such devices, it’s been necessary to move IPv6 with 128-bit addresses for some networks.

How to fix it?

A widely used method to increase the supply of addresses is also Network Address Translation (NAT). It is a feature built into the routers. Each user is given a single Internet address allocated from a worldwide set of addresses. The internal DHCP server provides private addresses to the connected local network systems – generally Ethernet or wireless networks. This is how you create your local pool of Internet addresses that can be used numerous times and, thus, help save addresses.

5. Excess CPU use

When there is network trouble, one of the first things to use is the task manager. It is a great tool that can depict which application uses a high proportion of system resources such as CPU, memory, or disk space. This basic troubleshooting process may not reveal a problem as some of the applications may perform complex calculations, receive high-speed video, or interact with large databases. It is time to update the anti-virus software as viruses can also consume resources.

How to fix it?

The fastest way to improve performance is to stop and restart the application. It may also sometimes necessitate stopping and restarting the entire system. Improving the device drivers can also improve performance. And when Task Manager highlights the applications, you may as well discover some applications you did not know were running in the background; you can stop them. Editing startup files can eliminate this problem easily.

6. Poor physical nodes

One of the most common problems that break the network connection is physical connectivity issues. It happens when a network cable becomes damaged or knocked out loose. Cables might be added or removed from a switch, or chances may also be that other cables might accidentally get disconnected.

How to fix it?

It is easy to recover in any situation by discovering the problem. At first, it needs to be identified which cable is damaged. The segment of the network may clear this. Finding the problem along a cable stretching across the ceiling is a time-consuming process. Once the problem is identified, the user can easily fix it by connecting it again or getting it replaced by the networking professional.

Conclusion

There are several resources and methods to troubleshoot network issues, and many of them are free and built into most operating systems. There are also many networks monitoring tools available for user access.

Above all, it is good to be armed with a deeper knowledge of how the network works, and this is how you can be prepared inevitably. You can also take these points to train the end-users and help them troubleshoot the network problem themselves.

Let me talk about this in detail. Topology is a broader term used to define how a network is connected and how information flows logically within the network. Topology mainly defines the structure of the network, how devices are interconnected, and the way they interact using communication links.

Out of all the physical topologies, there are two fundamental architectures: Star and mesh networking. These are the basic architectures denoted for IoT wireless networking.

Selecting the right IoT wireless network solution is difficult. One needs to pay attention to various factors such as range, rate, security, power consumption, complexity, security, and scalability. Organizations need to understand which topology is the most relevant for their IoT applications and requirements. This must be done before they choose or implement a communication technology.

In this blog, we will discuss star and mesh networking in detail and their distinct supporting factors.

Star Topology

This is one of the most common network setups. In this kind of topology, all nodes are connected directly or indirectly to a central network device like a switch, hub, or computer. Here, the switch becomes the central point from where all communications are passed. A star topology is typically used by large networks that are controlled by one or multiple servers. Usually, the client-server model uses this topology. However, peer-to-peer networks can also have a star network topology. Even though no single computer controls the network, all communications still pass through the central switch.

Below, we have listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of star topology.

Advantages

• All the nodes are separately connected and, therefore, a failure of one node or link will not affect any other node.
• With the help of the switch, new nodes can be added to the network.
• Star network topologies tend to have higher performance as a message is passed to its intended recipient only.

Disadvantages

• If the switches fail, the whole network fails because no node will be able to communicate.
• A wired star topology requires plenty of cables, and in the case of large networks, this can be expensive.

In use

Star topologies are mostly found and used by large organizations such as educational institutes and MNCs, where high performance and unbreakable connectivity are a must. They are also the go-to topology for home networks, especially wireless ones. In that case, a router with a Wireless Access Point (WAP) provides a central connection for all the nodes.

Now that we have enough knowledge about star topology, let’s get some insights on mesh topology and make a valid comparison.

Mesh Topology

In the case of mesh topology, there is no central point connection. Instead, each node is connected to at least one other node, usually to more than one. Every node is capable of sending and receiving messages from other nodes. They all have the capacity to pass on the message to its destination. There are majorly two types of mesh topology.

They are –

• Full mesh topology
• Partial mesh topology

In the case of full mesh topology, all the nodes are connected to each other. This enables a message to be sent along many individual routes. On the other hand, with partial mesh topology, not all of the nodes are connected directly to one another. A partial mesh has fewer routes for a message to travel, whereas a full mesh allows easily passing of any message.

Below, we have listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of star topology.

Advantages

• Messages can be received more quickly if the route to the recipient is very small.
• The chances are that message will reach the destination as there are many routes to travel.
• Multiple connections mean that there no node remains isolated.
• It is easy to add newer nodes without interruptions or interference with other nodes.

Disadvantages

• It can be impractical to set up because it requires a high number of connections.
• Also, when so many connections are needed, it comes with a greater amount of maintenance.

In use

Mesh topology networks are used where networks should be highly reliable. Military organizations often use mesh topologies to eliminate communication problems. They are also used to control traffic issues, sewage problems, and street lighting. Public or emergency services, such as police and fire services, also use wireless mesh networks as it comes with reliable communication.

How to decide?

The answer is simple; it depends on which IoT application you are using.

Mesh topology is a great solution to extend the reach of legacy Wi-Fi networks without the need for sophisticated network management. It can also be used to provide high-quality audio and video calls to various applications. High bandwidth usage in many consumers applications like video calls and streaming, voice control, etc. makes mesh more feasible when your focus is towards an integrated home network.

On the other hand, star topology is the best solution if you want to connect a number of sensors distributed across geographies and various facilities such as mines, factories, and commercial buildings. It provides a reliable, cost-effective, and easy way to implement the solution. Configuring and optimizing mesh networks can be a daunting task in such cases.

It is recommended to look within your system, understand all supporting factors, calculate the advantages and disadvantages of each, and then decide which type of networking is suitable.

But why has VPN become so popular today?

When the Internet was initially launched, its focus was to be able to send packets (chunks of data) as reliably as possible. Networking across the country at this time was relatively new, and the nodes used to get down very often. Most of the Internet’s core protocols were designed more to tackle failure than secure data.

Be it any kind of application one is using – email, web, messaging, Facebook, or any other – they are all built on top of Internet Protocol (IP) core. Since then, some standards have been developed, but not all internet apps are secure. Many apps still send their information without any security or privacy protection whatsoever.

Internet users are, hence, left vulnerable to criminals who might steal vital information. Other Internet users might want to spy on you for various nefarious reasons.

This is where a VPN comes to the rescue by creating a private tunnel over the open Internet. The motive is to encapsulate everything in a private communications channel and encrypt them so that they can’t be deciphered. VPNs are an essential tool to protect yourself and your data, but they have limitations.

VPNs allow individuals as well as organizations to transfer data to an external server, the VPN server, via an encrypted, secure connection. Your data will then be sent onward to its destination on the Internet.

Due to increased cybercrime issues, the demand for VPNs is expected to grow in the next few years. According to a report, the VPN market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.39% to reach USD 50.153 billion by 2024, from USD 34.591 billion in 2018.

This security feature can be used to access various online services. Since VPNs store the user’s data on a different server, people can experience slow speed and performance issues compared to other types of Internet services.

Let me help you know some VPNs use cases to make you know more about them –

1. Geo restriction

Geo restriction is a method or a service to restrict the usage of specific content based on the user’s geographic location. The technique is also called geo blocking. Regular or casual browsers encounter geo restrictions too often while accessing streaming platforms as they contain different content for different countries. A few Governments, too, implement geo restrictions to block some sites and online services.

How does this service function?

All devices have a separate IP address provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). This means your ISP very well knows your IP address. And while you visit a website, your network’s IP address is sent to the server, so it knows where it has to send the content. With the help of specialized software, one can effortless track your activities and online behaviour. It’s also easy to identify the geographical location of your device. Then, the website administrators apply geo-blocking based on the information they receive.

There are many tools to get your geo-location, VPN being the most common one. It has several benefits. Importantly, it’s easy to use; even for those who are not tech-savvy can use it at ease. With the use of local VPN servers, one can quickly change location and access any website quickly and unrestrictedly. You can choose your desired location.

Thus, VPNs give internet freedom to people to manage data if it is to be revealed or not. Also, it saves data from the prying eye of the snoopers.

2. Remote workforce working

With the pandemic, a lot many companies were forced to function with a remote workforce wherein some employees were working from different geographic locations. Monitoring their work and granting them secure access to the IT network has been a difficult task.

Here, remote access VPN made things simpler by facilitating access to data and computer resources available at a physically distant place to the employees.

It was possible to create a secure connection between an employee’s device and the company’s private network with the help of login credentials, and certificates that help authenticate a secure connection. With all of the data encrypted and strict security protocols in place, data exchange between two nodes can be done securely.

3. Employees travelling overseas

Often, employees are needed to travel to client locations to close a specific deal or carry out after-sales work, which necessitates them to be present on-sight. An employee may also be required to visit another country to represent the company at an annual conference. Employees need to have access to a private business network for all such reasons.

Replacing the real IP address with your VPN may be a necessity. Many countries restrict what one can access, so to stay connected to the office and, hence, you’ll need a VPN to complete your work. Moreover, many clients do not trust an email that appears to be sent from overseas. A VPN can help ensure genuine representation of your company emails, posts.

4. Secure surfing

Public Wi-Fi is convenient but has limitations as well. While you may be answering an email or scrolling through social media at the airport, your activity may be tracked by someone.

VPN can, however, protect your data while you are surfing on other networks. It may also help you hide your browsing history, banking information, account passwords and more from ill-intentioned internet strangers.

Benefits of VPN

Some of the common benefits of VPN are mentioned below:

1. Data security

VPN improves the security of web sessions by passing data through a secure tunnel and encrypting it. It can also detect malware in files downloaded from the Internet very easily and provide warnings.

2. Online privacy

A major issue today is privacy while using the Internet. A VPN helps mask identity by facilitating new IP addresses when browsing online. Encryption of transmitted data strengthens data privacy by ensuring that prying eyes on the Internet cannot read your data.

3. Affordability

VPNs are the security tools that help make the Internet experience safer and that, too, at lower costs, approximately USD 10 per month. Companies can also opt for a multi-year plan, making it a lower rate for the month.

Final Comments

While using VPN has become essential for the reasons stated above, drawbacks with such a network remain. It might not be legal to use in some countries, some VPNs also limit Internet usage, and some VPN service providers may also slow down your desktop or computer.

Check on the VPN service provider that you opt for, your home office or your organization. The most suitable service providers are NordVPN, Norton Secure VPN, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, IPVanish VPN, and SurfShark. In short, be vigilant during your selection process, and you can land up doing safe and secure browsing.

To learn from our list of credible whitepapers, click here.

Perimeter Firewall is one of the perimeter security devices that limit the inward and outward movement of traffic and connections based on the network.

This blog will dive deep into the top five risks of perimeter firewalls and suggest some ways to overcome them.

What are the top five risks of perimeter firewalls?

It is proven that all successful attackers exploit the weakest link to invade an organization’s space. The purpose of the network perimeter devices is to protect your enterprise from constantly evolving threats resulting from internet use.  Some of the most common risks include:

1. Large attack surface area.
2. Choking application performance.
3. High operational complexity and costs.
4. Lateral threat movement.
5. Data loss.

A security invasion can have devastating impacts on your business, like service disruption, fraud, theft, loss of intellectual property or data. Every organization needs to adequately secure its network perimeter to prevent security breaches.

What are the best five ways to overcome the perimeter firewalls risks?

It should be a top priority for every organization to protect their privacy, integrity, availability of the internal network, and other information dependent on it. Following should be the primary objective of every organization:

1. Secure the network.
2. Minimize the system and application vulnerability to external threats.
3. Secure your data while switching to the external network.

We have made a list of the best five ways to reduce the risks involved in network perimeter security while delivering an optimum level of data accessibility.

Implement Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewall:

Implementing a robust firewall like a new generation Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewall is crucial.

Compared to traditional firewalls,  UTM firewalls deliver advanced and integrated services on a single platform such as:

• Single out websites with malicious content.
• Protect your network against internet viruses and other malicious software trying to invade your network.
• Threat prevention tools analyze network traffic flows to spot internet vulnerabilities and protect them from invading your network.

You can choose to configure these devices as per your business requirement. Following are the most common actions that are usually applied:

• Grant access to just what’s necessary and secure.
• Implement a constant audit process to check if any doors are left open to close them.

If your organization has multiple networks, you need to implement a firewall on all the networks to manage integrally.

Design a computer security charter:

Along with implementing a firewall, one must also design a security charter signed by your workforce. This security carter should have all the dos and don’ts for the employees to protect your network. With the network rules defined, there will be zero space for loopholes. Even after laying out all the rules and regulations, if employees surpass limits, managers will get to know if they are doing it intentionally.

Additionally, one can also set up a system that filters website access based on whether it is commercial or not. This access authorization function is optional and can be integrated into the unified firewall.

Both the cases represent an agreement on the behavior of external and internal users on the network. One should put this designed security charter in a document and get it signed by all the users on the computer network.

Concentrate on VPNs:

The Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have data encryption that allows users outside the network to access the internal network on the go through the internet. Hence, there needs to be a stringent network protection policy for these networks.

VPNs can override the firewall controls by granting direct access to the network. Therefore, each user must validate their identity to connect to the network. Furthermore, it is crucial to carefully select those who have been given access control. This is why one must restrict access to ex-employees who have been laid off.

Additionally, it is essential to set secure passwords with two-factor authentication, for example, using certificates. According to data, two-thirds of security breaches result from weak passwords or password theft.

Certificates are one of the most significant ways to enhance data protection by assigning keys with unique codes to each device to identify which device is being used by a particular employee. Since the user will have to enter a password and a key to access the system, this double protection will minimize computer hacking risks.

Separate the web applications:

Organizations must separate the web applications on their network instead of on the central network. One can implement a demilitarized zone, or DMZ, managed by the firewall to separate the firewall.

Hence, the user can log in as a user-administrator of the device and bypass the application without accessing the other system when the servers are unstable. It is the most efficient way to protect any public server.

Additionally, one must install an application firewall or WAF to protect the isolated web applications.

Know the extent of computer security:

Information security aims to deliver strategic protection to digital data and assets, which will ensure their availability, integrity, and privacy.

This also pertains to network and information systems security, data protection, and a wider perception of asset management.

Conclusion:

Network perimeter security should be your primary step to protect your data from external threats. It is similar to how antivirus protection was a basic requirement for PC security since the inception of the internet. However, today analysts agree that a multilevel defense mechanism with advanced firewalls is the most effective way to minimize internet attacks on your internal networks.

With the growth of connections enabled by 5G, the amount of data created, collected, and stored, too, will see a steep rise. This explosion will create several opportunities for organizations. Alongside, the need will also be felt to establish ways that can secure consumer data. Several firms are collecting and maintaining huge amounts of data for individual customers, but many do not have the proper knowledge, skills, and capital to leverage the new data that becomes available.

Ultimately, this will drive demand for next-generation data infrastructure, analytics tools, and AI/ML techniques that can accelerate decision-making and reduce the time lapse between detection and mitigation. The benefits of the 5G network are many: It offers more flexibility than 4G or 3G and brings impressive innovations to the ecosystem, among others. But there’s a flip side to it, too. Let’s discuss this in detail.

The other side of the coin

While these techniques and innovations bring convenience and practicality to the consumers, they can also invite larger risks of data breaches. These days, developers are concerned about data privacy that is a result of customer demands. Learning from past mistakes, they are producing devices capable of protecting sensitive consumer data and avoiding common things such as DDoS attacks.

How does the 5G network drive a threat to consumer data?

Location threat: In the 4G world, cell phone towers are generally positioned at about a mile from each other. It means that carriers can locate the general area of a person, but they cannot get the precise address or detailed one. The 5G towers have a much shorter range, and thus, their signals cannot perforate inside the buildings. Because of this, they are smaller and spaced together. They sit inside buildings and rooftops. Because of the proximity, phone companies can track a person’s location in detail.

The corporate threat: In the case of old centralized 5G set-ups, physical protections are very much there, but with Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), servers are not centralized. This makes it essential for organizations to keep a track on individuals who have been given necessary access. Running a private network does not mean that data never leaves it. Private networks keep exchanging information with public infrastructure. This is why organizations must ensure complete isolation to prevent data leaks. In such cases, they should establish ‘data in motion’ security that can meet the ultra-low latency and high-throughput requirements of 5G networks.

The analytical threat: The architects of 5G wanted to improve the analytical data available. They created the Network Data Analytics Function (NDAF) to make collecting data easy based on past and future events. User consent may not be relevant for the network data, and it is undoubtedly considered while collecting data based on user behavior.

The machine threat: 5G networks will connect more machines than people. The IoT network will include all kinds of devices – from autonomous cars to dumb devices. But why dumb devices?  As a matter of fact, IoT machines will form ‘nodes’ on a vast connected grid, thus providing billions of potential access points to hackers. Companies can, hence, build profiles of people. They can gather sufficient information about customers’ behaviors, offline and online both. For sure, this will allow the personalization of services consumers demand, but it must be done with consent. People must know who processes their data, for what purposes and for how long.

Despite threats, why should we remain optimistic about 5G?

Plenty of threats have been identified. Yet, the succor is that the 5G era is different from those that came before. For this reason, industry insiders are working hard to counter the threats.  Let us see how.

1. 5G networks are built in a privacy-aware era

When 4G and 3G networks were being built, there was little debate about data privacy. But today, people have become suspicious of scandalous corporate hacks and books about surveillance capitalism. Laws have been changed as well. Some of the major shifts have been the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that limits processing of a person’s data without consent. The impact was limited not just to EU citizens; it inspired laws in several countries such as India, Brazil, Japan and elsewhere.

Such laws have put pressure on corporations and carriers to protect personal data across 5G networks and seek customer consent before processing the data.

2. 4G sim had privacy flaw. 5G fixes it.

The 4G SIM had a security hole: While communicating its identity, it does so in plain text.  This allows attackers to intercept the communication. Attackers use a device known as an IMSI Catcher (also called Stingray) to get hold of IMSI, harvest user data, do location tracking and even perform a denial of service.

With the mobile standards body 3GPP defining the 5G security architecture, the issue was resolved. It created a new identifier, the Subscription Permanent Identifier, for mobile networks.

Instead of sending the SUPI over the air, devices send an encrypted identity known as the Subscription Concealed Identifier, a ciphered version of the SIM. Once the attacker intercepts the SUCI, the information uses useless.

3. Zero trust approach by 5G eliminates issues

The 5G network is more heterogeneous than its 4G counterpart. It features many discrete private networks that are run by autonomous entities. This makes it hard to protect network resources with traditional perimeter-oriented security measures.

To prevent unauthorized access to 5G networks, security experts believe that implementing the Zero Trust model can do wonders. Zero Trust ensures that every access request is fully authenticated and encrypted before it is granted.

Takeaway

5G will open new opportunities for people, but as with any new technology, there will be many changes in how we collect and use personal data. This is why, to minimize risks, implementing wise data privacy laws is essential. Evaluating the risks associated with 5G will require various stakeholder interests to be balanced. It is also expected to be an open and inclusive discussion.

So, organizations can take a cue from the steps mentioned above to ensure data responsibility, data transparency, and privacy-by-design solutions. We should not see data privacy as a blocker, but 5G must be seen as a building block that challenges privacy concerns compared to its previous counterparts. It gives users peace of mind, HD graphics, virtual reality applications, the safe usage of autonomous cars, and other convenient solutions that come our way.

To know more about the unmatched reach of 5G networks, click here.

Someone rightly said that successful technologies evolve each day and are the process is continuous – the evolution never stops. Today, we are at the edge where Wi-Fi 6 has just been launched, but Wi-Fi 7 is already making headlines as the next generation of Wi-Fi. This is in line with technological innovations introduced over 20 years ago.

While Wi-Fi 6E routers are still a novelty, MediaTek, a Taiwanese chipmaker, has already performed the initial live demos of Wi-Fi 7, calling it “a true wireline/Ethernet replacement.” However, technologists believe it’s too early to dream about WiFi7, which promises a wire-free home.

Liam Dawe, Owner of GamingOnLinux, said, “We should always take new announcements about Wi-Fi beating Ethernet with a pinch of salt, as it’s been said before many times and never is it true. It sounds interesting, but real-world applications need to be seen.”

I am sure there might be many questions running the mind by now –

• What is Wi-Fi 7?
• What new capabilities and features will Wi-Fi 7 deliver?
• Why do we need Wi-Fi 7?
• When will it hit the market?

So, to clear the air, we would present a story: “All about Wi-Fi 7.”

What is Wi-Fi 7?

As you might have guessed, Wi-Fi 7 is all about higher speed, so hardware supporting the standard will be able to shuttle data via the air at a faster rate than ever. Wi-Fi 7 or IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT) is the next version of the IEEE 802.11 standard. It is the successor to 82.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E/6) and will offer outdoor and indoor Wireless LAN (WLAN).

This next generation of WLAN aims to enhance the performance and services offered by Wi-Fi6/6E. The technology is still a work-in-progress and will be launched soon.

What new capabilities and features will Wi-Fi 7 deliver?

Wi-Fi 7 will use the same 2.4 GHz (2.400 to 2.495 GHz), 5 GHz (5.170 to 5.835 GHz), and 6GHz (5.925 to 7.125 GHz) frequency bands as WiFi 6E but can still provide 2.4 times its speed. It intends to encourage a transmission rate of up to 30 Gbps that is three times faster than Wi-Fi 6/6E (9.6 Gbps) and almost 10 times faster than Wi-Fi 5’s 3.5Gbps.

Key features of Wi-Fi 7 are:

• 320 MHz bandwidth and more effective use of non-contiguous spectrum
• 16 spatial streams and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) protocols developments
• Cost-efficient
• Multi-channel/multi-band aggregation and operation
• 4096-QAM (4K-QAM)
• Combining Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) extensions for low-latency real-time traffic (IEEE 802.11aa)
• Multi-Access Point (AP) Coordination
• Higher area capacity

Wi-Fi 7 can deliver massive throughput gains, thanks to a broader channel and capacity gains from the 6GHz spectrum. Wi-Fi 7 can produce peak rates of over 40 Gbps, four times more than Wi-Fi 6E.

Application scenarios

These new features of Wi-Fi 7 will significantly advance the data transmission rate and offer lower latency. These high points will promote the development of evolving applications, including –

• Interactive telemedicine
• Video stream
• Immersive AR/VR
• Video/ voice conference
• Industrial IoT
• Online gaming
• Real-time collaboration

Why do we need Wi-Fi 7?

With the invention of WLAN technologies, enterprises and homes have become more and more dependent on Wi-Fi for network access. In recent times, developing applications have higher requirements on latency and throughput. Common examples of these applications comprise 8K and 4K videos, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), cloud computing, online gaming (needs latency less than 5 ms), online video conferencing, and remote office.

Most importantly, Wi-Fi 7 will enhance user experience in high-density scenarios.

When will Wi-Fi 7 hit the market?

It is intended to be completed by May 2024. It is estimated that the Wi-Fi Alliance will support Wi-Fi 7 on 802.11be and introduce a certification plan as soon as the standardization process is adequately mature.

Efficiency features to drive Wi-Fi 7

The first release of IEEE 802.11be will comprise other features that contribute to higher aggregate throughput by enhancing the efficacy of access, such as:

• Restricted Target Wake Time (TWT) – Allows an access point to assign exclusive access to the medium at specified times, developing on a feature that was first defined in IEEE 802.11ah (also termed as Wi-Fi Hallow) and subsequently incorporated into IEEE 802.11ax.
• Multi-Link Operation – Enables a user device to be linked to an access point utilizing two or more radios simultaneously; for instance, a 6 GHz radio, 5 GHz radio, or 2.4 GHz radio.

Final take

Yet IEEE 802.11be EHT is not here, and various new elements are yet to be defined. The development toward the latest specification shows us the path of Wi-Fi’s technological progression – where Wi-Fi is traveling, what we can expect from it, and the pace of change.

The invention aims to fulfill the requirements of modern-day internet users who spend more time dabbling in AR and VR, streaming video, gaming online, and making video calls. How can we forget that it also fulfills the requirement of connecting dozens of devices to the same wireless router in the corner of the home?

Points to remember –

• In comparison to Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 is 2.4 times faster on 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz
• Lower latency and wider bandwidth even in congested environments
• Up to 40Gbps speed

Wi-Fi 7 brings extreme data speeds, higher network capacity, and lower latencies, thanks to novel abilities that are intended to support several users and devices in bandwidth-intensive environments.

Takeaway Wi-Fi 7 – the future is bright for Wi-Fi!

• The Wi-Fi 7 specification is still in progress and will get finalized by 2024.
• As per experts, Wi-Fi 7 is too much of a good thing for many users, believing the reality that the initial devices will be too expensive.
• Wi-Fi 7 will use a maximum of 320MHz of wireless spectrum.

Andy Davidson, Sr Director Engineering at Qualcomm, said, “Immersive, realistic XR (extended reality) experiences require exceptionally high-quality video with very high refresh rates that demand very high speeds and bandwidth.” He added, “Cloud gaming, social gaming, and Metaverse are additional applications that will test the boundaries of wireless technology and for which Wi-Fi 7 will deliver ample performance.”

For more such information download our latest whitepapers on networking.