Tag Archives: Networking

NetSpot PRO and Enterprise for Windows Released!

NetSpot just announced that NetSpot PRO and NetSpot Enterprise for Windows are now available! In addition, NetSpot made all purchases universal. You can activate NetSpot on both platforms (Mac or Windows) with the same code!

How Does NetSpot Work?

NetSpot is a professional app for wireless site surveys, WiFi analysis and troubleshooting. It is also available for FREE if you just want to do WiFi analysis to improve your home or office WiFi performance.

Best of all, you do not need special equipment to use it. All you need is an Apple MacBook running Mac OS X 10.10 or better, or a laptop running Windows 7 or better. The NetSpot app works with any 802.11 network, whether it’s the old 802.11b standard, or the latest 802.11ac standard.

Analyze your Wi-Fi Coverage

NetSpot is the easiest native wireless site survey software for Mac and Windows. You need just a few clicks to load your office plan or area map before starting a network site survey.

To begin, just point to where you are on the map and NetSpot starts measuring wireless signal right away. You can move around and collect Wi-Fi data of the entire area.

That’s it! Now you have all the needed info to analyze radio signal leakages, discover noise sources, map channel usage, locate effective access points, etc.

Visualize Your Wireless Network

Efficiency-wise, your Wi-Fi network needs hotspots placed correctly and wireless channels assigned properly.

The visual Wi-Fi map you get with NetSpot lets you see all dead zones without coverage and optimize hotspots’ placements. You can adjust channels’ load and decide how to use them better.

Wireless Network Planning

NetSpot is also an amazing wireless survey tool for Wi-Fi planning: load a map, collect some wireless site survey data, and build a comprehensive heatmap of your network.

Now viewing each channel separately is as easy as making a pie. Once you locate an empty channel with no wireless networks – it’s the optimal selection for a new Wi-Fi network. NetSpot also lets you easily select channels for new Wi-Fi hotspots with minimal signal-to-noise ratio.

Troubleshoot Wireless Networks

Thanks to new Troubleshooting visualizations, you can easily and quickly identify connectivity and wireless interference issues, find sources of excessive noise, resolve Wi-Fi configuration problems, and get automated professional advice on every issue visualized by NetSpot PRO.

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NetSpot PRO & Enterprise for Windows

NetSpot PRO and NetSpot Enterprise used to be available for Mac OS X, but both versions are now available for Windows as well. Here are the four versions that are currently available for both Mac OS and Windows :

NetSpot made all purchases universal. You can activate NetSpot on both platforms (Mac or Windows) with the same code!

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LAN Boot ROM – The BIOS Optimization Guide

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LAN Boot ROM

Common Options : Enabled, Disabled

Quick Review of LAN Boot ROM

Newer motherboards has Gigabit LAN controllers that boast throughputs of up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). However, the newer Gigabit LAN controllers are only supported by newer operating systems. If you use older operating systems like MS-DOS or operating systems that do not have driver support , the Gigabit LAN controller will only operate in the 10/100 Mbps mode.

This is where the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option comes in.

When enabled, the motherboard will load the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM when it boots up. This allows the LAN controller to operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with operating systems that do not have proper driver support.

When disabled, the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM will not be loaded when the motherboard boots up. The LAN controller will only operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with proper driver support. Otherwise, it reverts to the 10/100 Mbps mode.

If you have multiple operating systems installed (and at least one do not have driver support for the LAN controller), enable this BIOS option to ensure the Gigabit LAN operates in its full 1000 Mbps mode in all operating systems.

If you are using only operating systems that have driver support for the Gigabit LAN controller, then you should disable the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option. This reduces the boot time (slightly) and frees up memory that would have been taken up by the boot ROM.

Details of LAN Boot ROM

Many motherboards have integrated LAN controllers with 1 or 2 LAN ports. Older motherboards come with 10/100 LAN controllers but newer motherboards has Gigabit LAN controllers that boast throughputs of up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). However, the newer Gigabit LAN controllers are only supported by newer operating systems, using either a native (built-in) driver or a driver provided by the Gigabit LAN controller’s manufacturer.

Older operating systems like MS-DOS or operating systems that do not have driver support will not be able to utilize the Gigabit LAN controller’s full capabilities. If you use such operating systems, the Gigabit LAN controller will only operate in the 10/100 Mbps mode. This is where the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option comes in.

When enabled, the motherboard will load the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM when it boots up. This allows the LAN controller to operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with operating systems that do not have proper driver support.

When disabled, the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM will not be loaded when the motherboard boots up. The LAN controller will only operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with proper driver support. Otherwise, it reverts to the 10/100 Mbps mode.

Note that even if the LAN controller’s boot ROM is loaded, the driver will take over when you boot into an operating system with proper driver support. So, if you have multiple operating systems installed (and at least one do not have driver support for the LAN controller), enable this BIOS option to ensure the Gigabit LAN operates in its full 1000 Mbps mode in all operating systems.

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I/O Interface Security from The Tech ARP BIOS Guide

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I/O Interface Security

Common Options : Locked, Unlocked

Quick Review of I/O Interface Security

The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is mainly found in mobile PCs like laptops and netbooks. It gives you direct control over the availability of various interfaces in the computer.

The interfaces you can control with this BIOS feature include :

Audio Interface – when locked, it disables the onboard audio interface and prevents the use of microphones or earphones.
Modem Interface – enables or disables the onboard modem
LAN Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard LAN functionality
Wireless Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard WLAN functionality
SATA ODD – when locked, prevents data from being burned into CD/DVD (using a CD/DVD writer)
eSATA Port – when locked, prevents data from being copied out to an external eSATA hard disk drive or an external CD/DVD writer.
Express Card Interface – enables or disables the built-in Express Card interface
Card Reader Interface – enables or disables the built-in flash memory card reader
1394 Interface – enables or disables the built-in IEEE1394a (Firewire) interface
USB Interface – enables or disables the built-in USB ports

To enable or disable those interfaces, you can select between the Locked or Unlocked options. By default, all available interfaces are unlocked. Of course, the BIOS must be secured using a password for the locks to work. Otherwise, anyone can simply unlock these interfaces using the same BIOS feature.

In addition, the I/O Interface Security BIOS feature can only lock onboard devices. It cannot lock external devices. In the case of a desktop PC, this BIOS feature cannot be used to lock extra interfaces provided by add-on cards.

Details of I/O Interface Security

The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is mainly found in mobile PCs like laptops and netbooks. It gives you direct control over the availability of various interfaces in the computer. The interfaces you can control with this BIOS feature include :

Audio Interface – when locked, it disables the onboard audio interface and prevents the use of microphones or earphones.
Modem Interface – enables or disables the onboard modem
LAN Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard LAN functionality
Wireless Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard WLAN functionality
SATA ODD – when locked, prevents data from being burned into CD/DVD (using a CD/DVD writer)
eSATA Port – when locked, prevents data from being copied out to an external eSATA hard disk drive or an external CD/DVD writer.
Express Card Interface – enables or disables the built-in Express Card interface
Card Reader Interface – enables or disables the built-in flash memory card reader
1394 Interface – enables or disables the built-in IEEE1394a (Firewire) interface
USB Interface – enables or disables the built-in USB ports

To enable or disable those interfaces, you can select between the Locked or Unlocked options. By default, all available interfaces are unlocked.

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The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is useful in many ways. For example, the USB, SATA ODD, eSATA, Express Card and card reader interfaces can be locked to prevent users from copying out any data from the notebook. Companies that wish to prevent their employees from surfing the Internet can use this BIOS feature to lock the WLAN, LAN and modem interfaces.

Of course, the BIOS must be secured using a password for the locks to work. Otherwise, anyone can simply unlock these interfaces using the same BIOS feature.

In addition, the I/O Interface Security BIOS feature can only lock onboard devices. It cannot lock external devices. For example, if you do not lock the Express Card interface, it would be possible to insert a flash card reader into the Express Card slot and use it to copy out data even if you had already disabled the card reader interface.

In the case of a desktop PC, this BIOS feature cannot be used to lock extra interfaces provided by add-on cards. For example, locking the USB interface will not disable the USB ports provided by an add-on PCI USB card. It will only disable the motherboard’s built-in USB ports and headers.

For those who are wondering what SATA ODD means, ODD is short for Optical Disk Drive. It refers to any SATA optical disk drives that uses the ATAPI command set. This includes both read-only and writeable optical disk drives.

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TP-Link TL-WPA9610 Powerline Kit Announced

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2 September 2016 – TP-Link, a leading global provider of consumer and business networking products, announced the AV2000 Gigabit Powerline AC Wi-Fi Kit TL-WPA9610. With the first powerline product in the world to deliver both AV2000 via powerline and AC1200 via Wi-Fi, it fulfills the most demanding networking tasks throughout the home. Along with the latest innovations in their home networking portfolio, the AV2000 Gigabit Powerline AC Wi-Fi Kit TL-WPA9610 was unveiled at this fall’s IFA, which will run from September 2-7 in Berlin.

Today’s typical home looks something like this: a living room television streaming the latest season of a hit drama series, a bedroom laptop broadcasting a video chat with family abroad, a family room game console deep in another live multiplayer matchup, and several smartphones and tablets browsing, sending and posting as they move from room to room. Simply put, the modern home needs a faster network for more devices at the same time. Luckily, the TL-WPA9610 delivers exactly that, supporting any router with a host of industry-leading features.

Wired and Wireless Speed Like Never Before

The TL-WPA9610 connects the network to the world’s first product with both AV2000 and AC1200 speeds. For wired devices, it takes advantage of the HomePlug AV2 standard to support data transfer rates of up to 2000Mbps. At such high speeds, wired devices such as consoles, computers and digital media players can effortless stream 4K video. For the home’s wired devices, dual band ac Wi-Fi delivers up to 1167Mbps. 300Mbps 2.4GHz is ideal for web browsing, emailing and social media posting, while 867Mbps 5GHz enables HD streaming and lag-free gaming.

Designed for Stability and Ease

The TL-WPA9610 is meant to open your entire home to the network, so it features technologies to achieve this with peace of mind. 2×2 MIMO with beamforming establishes simultaneous connections to enjoy higher powerline speeds and greater stability, so rooms farther away from the router can finally connect through its power outlet. Wi-Fi Clone automatically copies the network name (SSID) and password of the router with the touch of the Wi-Fi Clone button, making for quick and simple setup, while Wi-Fi Auto-Sync applies all Wi-Fi settings across the powerline network with the Pair button.

“Our Powerline devices are well-received for their impressive performance in delivering wired and Wi-Fi data throughout the home’s electrical wiring, and the TL-WPA9610 is our latest advancement,” explained Kevin Wang, Head of TP-Link Europe. “By combining the fastest powerline speeds and robust ac Wi-Fi, it gives every device in the home access to make full use of the network.”

TL-WPA9610 Key Features

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AC1200 dual band delivers up to 1167Mbps* Wi-Fi speeds over 2.4GHz (300Mbps) and 5GHz (867Mbps) bands
HomePlug AV2 standard supports high-speed data transfer rates of up to 2000Mbps, supporting all your online needs
Gigabit Ethernet ports enabling lightning-fast wired connections
2×2 MIMO with Beamforming establishes multiple simultaneous connections for you to enjoy higher powerline speeds and greater stability to hard-to-reach power outlets
Wi-Fi Clone button automatically copies the network name (SSID) and password of your router with a single touch
Wi-Fi Auto-Sync allows you to automatically sync your Wi-Fi settings across your Powerline network by pressing the pair buttons
tpPLC utility allows easy management of powerline devices and the powerline network through an intuitive web interface, while the tpPLC app enables management through your mobile device (Android, iOS)
Supports 802.11ac and backwards-compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n

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TP-Link New Look & Brand Identity Unveiled

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23 August 2016 – TP-Link, a global provider of reliable networking solutions, today unveiled a complete transformation of its brand, aligning itself with consumers’ connected lifestyles. Celebrating more than 20 years of leadership in the networking space, TP-Link has evolved beyond wireless technology, offering new products in the smart home, smart phone and smart accessory categories. With this evolution and corporate strategy in mind, TP-Link felt it was important to invigorate its brand with a fresh look.

“Over the past 20 years, TP-Link’s R&D team has consistently evolved to meet the needs of our tens of millions of customers. Now, we’re embarking on a new journey to meet the needs of today’s connected lifestyles,” said Jeffrey Chao, chairman and president of TP-Link. “As our product portfolio continues to grow, it is time for our brand to follow suit. We’re excited to introduce the new TP-Link to the world in the coming months and we can’t wait to bring our customers more dynamic products and enhanced experiences.”

To align with this new corporate strategy, TP-Link is making a number of updates to its corporate identity and the visual representation of its brand. The company’s new tagline, “Reliably Smart,” follows the heritage of the former tagline, while emphasizing TP-Link’s move into smart products. The new company logo features an arrow pointing to the center, indicating the company’s commitment to a customer-centric culture that align with the needs of today’s modern customer.

The company has also updated the logo design to all lowercase and the spelling of its name to TP-Link, instead of TP-LINK, bringing it in line with a simpler, more approachable persona. The company will also be releasing new product packaging that improves shopability and a refreshed website for enhanced product clarity. Finally, the new color palette of the brand has been updated to become energizing and inviting, synchronizing with the brand’s new tone.

“Customers today are overwhelmed with a fast-paced, ever-changing technology landscape. They need greater performance to keep up, but are confused by increasing claims about features and functions,” said Brian Meyers, associate strategy director at FutureBrand. “We saw an opportunity to simplify in a way that would empower customer productivity and achievement. The new identity and packaging are meant to build on the reliability of TP-Link in a way that is smart, progressive and human. We believe this new look and feel will help TP-Link take the step from networking homes to connecting consumer lifestyles.”

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TP-Link Availability

Starting today, brighter colors and bolder prints will appear on TP-Link.com, social media channels, product packaging and in-store displays. The company’s latest products, like the Talon AD7200, are an outward expression of these changes, which will bring forward more innovative, compelling products that provide the highest standard of quality for its customers. The new brand will also be visually showcased for the first time at IFA (Hall 17, Booth 111) in Berlin, taking place on Sept. 2–7.

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New Dell Campus & Data Center Networking Solutions

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April 27 2016 – Dell Networking has introduced new capabilities for campus and data center environments, including the launch of new cloud-managed wired and wireless solutions powered by Dell and Aerohive, Operating System 10 milestones and in-rack platforms for the data center.

“Major trends such as cloud and software-defined create a dynamically changing IT landscape, both on campus and in the data center,” said Mak Chin Wah, general manager, Enterprise Solution, South Asia, Dell. “These new Dell Networking solutions help our customers navigate these changes with future-ready architectures, open technology and hyper-scale inspired efficiency.”

Expanding Dell One Network vision

Building on its One Network campus vision, Dell Networking has collaborated with Aerohive to deliver a new cloud-managed solution that integrates and manages wired and wireless infrastructure. The co-branded solution incorporates Dell N-Series switches and Aerohive access points into Aerohive’s HiveManager NG – a next-generation cloud-based management solution. This solution greatly simplifies end-user access, setting a new standard for wired and wireless network convergence by bringing enterprise-class management to the public or private cloud.

With a customizable user-focused interface, HiveManager NG allows for high-level or in-depth views of all facets of Dell and Aerohive networking devices including applications, users, policy management and switch port status. Further simplifying wired and wireless converged network management, Dell has expanded its industry-leading ProSupport to provide users with a single point of contact for unified network support. Through SupportAssist technology, ProSupport offers proactive and predictive automated support for issue prevention and resolution.

These milestones demonstrate Dell and Aerohive’s shared vision of cloud-managed IT, providing streamlined operations, configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting for all elements of customers’ networks. “We believe cloud management has the opportunity to transform the way our customers serve their customers,” said David Flynn, CEO, Aerohive Networks. “We are proud to extend enterprise-class cloud management that Aerohive customers use to manage our access points to Dell’s switches. HiveManager NG sets the standard for building and managing networks.”

Dell pushing the envelope in Open Networking

As a leader in Open Networking, Dell is driving ahead with its Operating System 10 (OS10) development with community building and integration projects including Open Compute Project’s (OCP) Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) and partners Ansible, F5 and Silverpeak. These new new OS10 collaborations and use cases demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of Open Networking software:

Dell OS10 and OCP SONiC– Dell, in conjunction with Microsoft Azure and other industry leaders, made foundational contributions to the newly-announced SONiC effort. The goal is to open source all the components needed to build fully-functional networking software. SONiC is a collection of software packages/modules that can be installed on Linux on a network hardware switch which makes it a complete, functional router. Dell has successfully integrated its OS10 base software to serve as a foundational element for SONiC.
Ansible – From app deployment to multi-tiered orchestration, Ansible Tower by Red Hat powers enterprise automation by adding control, security and delegation capabilities. “Since OS10 runs in a native Linux environment, integrating it with Ansible Tower is quite straightforward. Customers can now easily and rapidly deploy Dell switches into their automated IT environment, helping to reduce operational costs while also enabling server-like agility in configuration management.” – Tim Cramer, Senior Director of Ansible Engineering, Red Hat

F5 – F5 with OS10 delivers load balancing over active-active clusters across network services for scale out deployments. “Dell OS10 programmability enables unique partner solutions for datacenter network fabric. Optimizing OS10 for F5’s Application Delivery Controller infrastructure not only offers tighter integration between network and compute, but also reduces power and cooling related operating costs.” – Jeff Bellamy, Senior Director Business Development, F5 Networks
Silver Peak – Silver Peak provides leading, optimized SD-WAN interconnects between the data center and branch offices across public and private clouds.“OS10 represents the future of open networking in the data center. Direct integration of Silver Peak’s Edge Connect SD-WAN with OS10 illustrates the value of open software and the ease with which customers can combine best-of-breed solutions into their network infrastructure.” – Rolf Muralt, vice president, Product Management

New in-rack platforms for the data center

Dell announced new in-rack platforms optimized to accelerate 10G deployments to harness the latest silicon-based features. Industry analysts forecast a significant migration to 10G in the next four years as enterprise customers begin to retire 1G speeds in the data center.

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Built for different needs, the S4048T-ON and S6010-ON share common attributes including:

Designed to meet enterprise, mid-size and high-performance computing requirements;
ONIE-compliant to provide cloud and Web 2.0 customers an Open Networking environment with fully-tested and validated third-party operating systems;
Advanced features for VXLAN, larger tables and expanded buffering compared to other Dell models;
Both switches will begin shipping in June.

Dell S4048T

The Dell Networking S4048T is purpose-built 10GBase-T switch for copper-based server and storage connectivity to offer customers investment protection.
The switch supports numerous, high-capacity port configurations in a compact, 1RU form factor.

Dell S6010

The Dell Networking S6010-ON is designed for demanding data center environments to provide optimum density and price point.
The Dell S6010-ON delivers line-rate performance with a non-blocking switching fabric, improved packet buffering and reduced oversubscription.

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SonicOS 6.2.5 For Dell SonicWALL Released

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April 1, 2016 – Dell Security today announced the release of SonicOS 6.2.5 for Dell SonicWALL SuperMassive, NSA and TZ Series firewalls. This new firmware extends security to Dell switches, wireless access points and firewalls by consolidating the management of the converged network infrastructure.

The release also significantly advances capabilities associated with inspecting encrypted traffic, a major threat vector in today’s malware economy, and meets strict certification requirements of the US Department of Defense.

Making Network Management Simpler and More Efficient

SonicOS 6.2.5 simplifies support for Dell Security partners by providing one version of firmware to handle the majority of Dell SonicWALL products. The new SonicOS also increases connection counts on encrypted HTTPS sessions, enabling stronger encryption support and expanding government certification for high security applications.

It simplifies network management for both distributed enterprises and managed service providers by allowing management of the Dell Networking X-Series switches by SonicWALL TZ series firewalls and SonicWALL Global Management System, enabling central management of distributed converged networks. This release also improves performance, increases flexibility and makes systems more secure against today’s more sophisticated attacks.

“The life of a security officer in any sized organization is not easy, no matter what the industry. With the introduction of SonicOS 6.2.5, Dell Security has made strides to make their lives easier. The new OS has features designed to enable a converged infrastructure across switching, wireless, and security, allowing organizations to do more with less and reduce the complexity of network management,” said Han Chon, director, Security and Endpoint Systems Management, Dell Asia Pacific & Japan. “This is yet another innovative offering we deliver to help our customers navigate today’s rising threat landscape, keep their network secure and workforce productive.”

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Highlights Of SonicOS 6.2.5

New Dell Networking X-Series Switch Integration: Organizations now can effectively manage Dell X-Series switches as an extension of the Dell SonicWALL TZ series firewall functionality, providing single-pane-of-glass management of all network infrastructure, including SonicWALL TZ firewalls, Dell X-Series switches, SonicWALL SonicPoints and SonicWALL WAN Acceleration devices. The ability to centrally manage all of the switches, firewalls and wireless access points in an increasingly dispersed network is a significant benefit for organizations in all industries. Dell SonicWALL TZ Series integration with the Dell Networking X-Series switches delivers the necessary security and expandability without the burden of having extra management consoles that increase complexity, overhead costs, and result in the potential for misconfiguration and non-compliance issues.
DPI SSL Enhancements: The recently published 2016 Dell Security Annual Threat Report shows a 50 percent surge in encrypted traffic ‒ including encrypted malware ‒ affecting millions of users in 2015. Continuing Dell Security’s commitment to deep packet inspection (DPI) on encrypted traffic, multiple DPI SSL enhancements to SonicOS 6.2.5 provide more efficient inspection of DPI SSL traffic, as well as improved troubleshooting, better scalability and better certificate support. Key enhancements include:
- CFS category-based exclusion/inclusion of encrypted connections for efficient standards compliance (PCI, HIPPA)
- Strengthened Encryption Methods (TLS 1.2, SHA256)
- Increased default Certificate Authority (CA) database
- Improved troubleshooting for encrypted connection failures
- Finer granularity for encrypted connection exclusions based on alternate domain names (excluding youtube.com vs. *.google.com)
- Refreshed GUI for easy-to-use configuration of encrypted connection processing

Dell SonicWALL Products Approved for use by the Department of Defense

Dell Security has achieved prestigious Department of Defense certification for Dell SonicWALL next-generation firewalls. Based on stringent Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) testing, designated Dell SonicWALL firewall products now are certified for the DoD Unified Capabilities (UC) Approved Products List (APL), and qualified for use by Department of Defense (DoD) agencies in the United States.

SonicOS 6.2.5 Availability

SonicOS 6.2.5 is available on Dell SonicWALL SuperMassive 9600/9400/9200, NSA6600/5600/4600/3600/2600 and TZ600/500/500 W/400/400 W/300/300 W/SOHO W next-generation firewalls worldwide, through the channel.
A complete list of the new features found in SonicOS 6.2.5 is available in this datasheet.
The Dell SonicWALL TZ600/500/500 W/400/400 W/300/300 W next-generation firewalls with integrated Dell X-Series switches running SonicOS 6.2.5 are now generally available through the channel.

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QNAP Double Server TDS-16489U Launched

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Taipei, Taiwan, March 21, 2016 – QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the release of the powerful Double Server TDS-16489U that integrates an application server and storage server into one chassis. Distinguishably powered by dual Intel Xeon E5 processors with up to 1TB RAM, the server-grade TDS-16489U supports Qtier Technology, 12Gb/s SAS and 10GbE/40GbE networks to provide unrivaled performance for Big Data computing and to assist enterprises in mission-critical tasks as a one-device solution for applications, storage and virtualization.

“The TDS-16489U resolves the difficulty of building virtualization environment infrastructures for businesses,” said David Tsao, Product Manager of QNAP. “Its unrivaled power from its dual processors also facilitates Big Data computing to process the data deluge created by Internet of Things applications.”

The Double Server TDS-16489U

With its server-grade hardware design, the TDS-16489U features two Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 processors (with 4-core, 6-core and 8-core configurations), up to 1TB DDR4 2133MHz RDIMM/LRDIMM RAM (16 DIMM) and three independent SAS 12Gb/s controllers that deliver outstanding performance for data transmission and applications.

The four PCIe slots allows diversified expansion: PCIe Gen.3×16 supports AMD Radeon R7 and R9 Series graphics cards for GPU passthrough to virtualization applications; and the other slots can be used for a 40GbE card, a 12Gb/s SAS HBA for connecting 12Gb/s SAS-enabled expansion enclosures (REXP-1620U-RP and REXP-1220U-RP) for up to 1PB total capacity, and a PCIe SSD NVMe for cache acceleration.

The TDS-16489U supports IPMI, offers an extra four 2.5” disk trays at the rear to provide SSD caching, and has four built-in 10GbE SFP+ ports, all of which can further optimize system performance and increase productivity.

The TDS-16489U combines outstanding virtualization and storage technologies as an all-around Double Server. With Virtualization Station and Container Station, computation and data from the guest OS and apps can be directly stored on the TDS-16489U through the internal 12Gb/s SAS interface, saving more money and space as a one-device solution with exceptional application performance and lower TCO of storage.

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Coupled with Double-Take Availability to provide comprehensive high availability and disaster recovery, backup virtual machines can support failover for the primary systems on the TDS-16489U whenever needed to enable data protection and continuous services.

QNAP Virtualization Station is a virtualization platform based on KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) infrastructure. By sharing the Linux kernel, GPU passthrough, virtual switches, VM import/export, snapshot, backup & restoration, SSD cache acceleration and tiered storage: Virtualization Station empowers the TDS-16489U to utilize its utmost potential and to create virtualization environments suitable for server computing.

“Software frameworks for Big Data management and analysis like Apache™ Hadoop® or Apache Spark™ can be easily operated on the TDS-16489U using virtual machines or containerized apps, and with Qtier Technology for Auto Tiering the TDS-16489U empowers Big Data computing and provides efficient storage in one box to help businesses gain further insights, opportunities and values,” added Tsao.

The Double Server TDS-16489U features the latest QTS 4.2 operating system, and provides comprehensive virtualization applications:

Users can run multiple applications on Windows/Linux/UNIX/Android based virtual machines on the NAS with the Virtualization Station.
Operate multiple isolated Linux systems on the NAS as well as download apps from the built-in Docker Hub Registry by using the Container Station which integrates LXC and Docker lightweight virtualization technologies.
Simplify storage management for VMware, Microsoft and Citrix virtualization solutions.

The Double Server TDS-16489U is also compliant with DataCore SANsymphony-V software-defined storage infrastructures.

The Double Server TDS-16489U includes rich business applications and is ideal for enterprises and organizations to build a secure private cloud. The cross-platform file sharing for Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX users makes the TDS-16489U an excellent centralized storage solution for organizations with a large number of users. The support for Windows AD, LDAP directory services and Windows ACL improves the efficiency of permission settings. It also acts as a domain controller for Windows, and offers flexible backup solutions for Windows and Mac and disaster recovery solutions with RTRR, rsync and cloud storage backup.

QNAP provides numerous apps to improve work productivity, including QPulse for discovering, mapping, monitoring and managing every critical computing device (servers/PCs/thin clients etc) on the network as a Centralized Remote Server Management solution; Q’center for centrally managing multiple QNAP NAS units; Qsync for improving team collaboration with cross-device file synchronization; and Gmail Backup for archiving important business and personal emails in the NAS.

Key Specifications

Double Server TDS-16489U : 16-bay, 3U rackmount unit; 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 Family processor (with 4-core, 6-core and 8-core configurations), 64GB~1TB DDR4 2133MHz RDIMM/LRDIMM RAM (16 DIMM); 4 x SFP+ 10GbE ports; hot-swappable 16 x 3.5” SAS (12Gbps/6Gbps)/SATA (6Gbps/3Gbps) HDD or 2.5” SAS/SATA SSD, and 4 x 2.5” SAS (12Gbps) SSD or SAS/SATA (6Gbps/3Gbps) SSD; 4 x PCle slots; 4 x USB 3.0 port

Availability

The new Double Server TDS-16489U is now available.

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QNAP QTS 4.2 Now Available For Download

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Taipei, Taiwan, February 4, 2016 – QNAP, Inc. today officially released QTS 4.2, the smart NAS operating system, for the QTS-Android Combo NAS TAS-168 and TAS-268. Now users can enjoy the streamlined UI design and enhanced new features on TAS-168/268 for rich multimedia entertainment and for smarter, smoother and more spectacular cloud experiences with stronger security.

“QTS 4.2 introduces a new interface design for its desktop, Storage Manager, and multiple other applications for an improved user experience. The TAS-168/268 combines QTS 4.2 and Android™ dual systems to further enrich users’ needs for multimedia applications,” said Hanz Sung, Product Manager of QNAP, adding “The system core of QTS 4.2 is more streamlined and efficient compared with previous versions, providing the Android system with additional resources to run apps smoother, bringing better home entertainment experiences.”

TAS-168/268 is the world’s first NAS-Android Combo. Supporting QTS & Android dual systems that share the same storage database, the TAS-168/268 allows users to simultaneously access media files and documents from either system. With a compact mini-tower design, the TAS-168/268 comfortably fits in homes and small offices/workspaces. Coupled with up to terabytes of storage capacity and 4K (H.264 & H.265) HDMI-out, the TAS-168/268 is the optimal budget-friendly multimedia NAS with unlimited app applications for modern digital lifestyles.

QTS 4.2 Availability

QTS 4.2 is available from the QNAP Download Center. Please note that some features may not be available for all models.

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QNAP QTS 4.2.1 Beta Now Available For Download

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Taipei, Taiwan, February 3, 2016 – QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced that the QNAP QTS 4.2.1 beta is now available for download. QNAP sincerely invite users to install QTS 4.2.1 beta to experience the evolution of QNAP QTS and extend the possibilities of the QNAP NAS.

Users can also activate the live update function to receive any new firmware update notification by installing QTS 4.2.1 beta.

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Dell OS10 Disaggregates The Network OS Stack

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January 22, 2016 – Dell today extended its reach in Open Networking with the announcement of the Dell OS10 (Operating System 10) from Dell Networking. This next-generation networking software is designed to introduce new levels of software flexibility and programmability in large-scale data center environments.

Dell OS10 Disaggregates The Network OS Stack

The Dell OS10 software environment advances the functionality of modern data centers by disaggregating network software, so customers have more choice in how software is used throughout IT operations.

Disaggregating the Network OS Stack

The Dell OS10 platform is designed around new benchmarks for open software modularity so users can create the most efficient and flexible paths across networked systems. OS10 is comprised of a base module and various optional application modules. Now, what had formerly been bundled into tightly-integrated, vendor-specific stacks, has been separated to enhance customer choice, control and programmability.

OS10 Base Module – The Dell OS10 Base Module is available for free and runs a fully-open, unmodified Linux distribution. Linux is one of the most widely-used operating systems and can provide a common language across multiple IT layers including networking, storage and compute. The OS10 Base Module can leverage the Linux community-based benefits which can help enhance its programmability, portability, and flexibility for the application layer above it.

Below it, the Dell OS 10 Base Module employs the Open Compute Project Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) that enables a common, programmer-friendly language between vendor network operating systems and the particular silicon residing on the physical switch. Today, SAI helps web-scale companies and cloud providers take advantage of the latest silicon innovation by enabling them to program the switches more granularly.

Dell OS10 Application Modules – On top of the base module, OS10 can support traditional networking functions (L2/L3 protocols) from Dell as well as numerous third-party, native Linux, and open source applications such as IP, fabric and security services combined with management and automation tools. This allows customers to tailor IT operations for different use case and operational processes.

From Network Operations to Development Operations

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Dell OS10’s unmodified Linux base provides distinct advantages as customers increasingly look to design applications and data centers across server, storage and networking – not just one silo.

While OS10 will have appeal for traditional network operators seeking conventional programming means, the software will also appeal to DevOps communities seeking a consistent, common development environment across server, storage and networking elements.

Dell OS10 Availability

In March, Dell expects OS10 base module will begin shipping and Dell-developed application modules will enter beta testing for release later in the year.

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QNAP Reveals Upgraded Qsirch 2.0 Search Engine

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Taipei, Taiwan, January 11, 2016 – QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced their exclusive Qsirch 2.0 has been updated to include file distribution features to enable displaying search results by file categories, including photos, music, videos or documents, and users can customize the display of file distribution in order of date modified, file size or other criteria.

The newly-released Qsirch 2.0 now runs file indexing as a background task and allows instant file sharing to enhance the user experience. Qsirch 2.0 also adds support for the ARM-based TS-531P QNAP NAS.

Qsirch 2.0 simplifies and quickens file searching on a QNAP NAS and helps users to find out specific files from a massive data pool by using content keywords. Qsirch 2.0 adds further improvements to optimize the overall experience based on extensive user responses and positive feedback.

“Through customer behavior analysis, we learned that searching tasks require detailed and particular settings and display modes. Qsirch 2.0 has been updated with comprehensive searching enhancements to achieve more precise search results, and to enable instant file sharing and smooth downloading.” said Cherry Chen, product manager of QNAP.

Qsirch 2.0 Availability & Compatibility

Qsirch 2.0 is available from the QTS App Center for all x86-based NAS models that have a minimum of 2GB RAM. The ARM-based TS-531P requires at least 4GB RAM. Additional RAM is recommended for optimal performance.

System Requirements : x86 models require 2GB RAM. The TS-531P requires 4GB RAM.
Firmware Requirement: QTS 4.2.0 (or newer). File sharing function requires QTS 4.2.1 (or newer).

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ASF Support – BIOS Optimization Guide

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ASF Support

Common Options : Automatic, Enabled, Disabled

Quick Review

ASF is short for Alert Standard Format. It is a remote client management technology born out of the simpler Alert on LAN (AoL) standard. Note though that Alert on LAN is quite different from the Wake on LAN (WoL) feature found in many network interface cards.

This BIOS feature serves to control the ASF functions in your system.

When set to Automatic, the ASF controller will be activated and allowed to communicate with a remote management server, if and when one queries it.

When enabled, the ASF controller will be activated and allowed to communicate with a remote management server. When disabled, the ASF controller will be disabled. The system will not communicate with any remote management server.

Please note that ASF support does not end at the BIOS level. It must be properly configured on both the client and server end to function properly. Therefore, there is no need to enable this BIOS feature unless you want to configure ASF for this system, as part of a remote client management network.

Details

[adrotate banner=”4″]Residing with the Ethernet controller, the ASF controller collects information about various components and sensors in the system. This ranges from POST alerts, operating system failure notifications to fan speeds and CPU temperature.

It continuously sends these information to a remote server running a management console. Essentially, it serves to keep the remote server informed about the client system’s health. If necessary, the server can send instructions to the ASF controller, ordering it to perform corrective or maintenance tasks on the system. For example, if the client is not responsive, the server can remotely attempt to power it up, reboot the client or power it down.

It is even possible to change the boot sequence of the client system to switch to a different operating system, or run a diagnostic routine. The ASF is independent of any operating system. In fact, it can even work in the absence of an operating system.

This BIOS feature serves to control the ASF functions in your system.

When enabled, the ASF controller will be activated and allowed to communicate with a remote management server.

When disabled, the ASF controller will be disabled. The system will not communicate with any remote management server.

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