[AdvisorBits] GilbertWalker Group AdvisorBits - February 2002

[John Walker]

This is the February 2002 edition of AdvisorBits, an informational newsletter published monthly by GilbertWalker Group. Our intent is to raise your security consciousness, and begin to expose you to new resources to manage and to help you secure your networks. To this end, each month we will present recent technology issues that are of interest to people responsible for technology in small and medium sized companies.

To find out more about GilbertWalker Group, please visit our web site: http://www.gilbertwalker.com

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             -- This Month's Headlines --

  ** How much is enough?:           Making sense of bandwidth numbers
 
  ** First impressions:             To XP or not to XP?

  ** Networking tool of the month:  The consultant's mistakes. 

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How much is enough?: Making sense of bandwidth numbers

One thing we are frequently asked about is how much bandwidth to the Internet a client may need. Bandwidth measurements may be fairly alien, for most computer users. This short discussion seeks to clarify some of the terminology, and to give these users a frame of reference from which to evaluate various bandwidth related decisions. 

In networking terms, bandwidth refers to measurement of a circuit's capacity to transmit data over a given period of time. It is typically measured in bits per second. (b/s) Modern networks are fast, and we are most often concerned with kilobits or megabits per second. (Kb/s or Mb/s)

(n.b. File sizes are measured in bytes, and there are 8 bits to a byte. Here's a link to some other definitions of bandwidth: http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=bandwidth)

Many users may be surprised to find they already have an understanding of the extremes of ordinary bandwidth measurements. Those bounds are the slowest of network connections, a modem, which operates around 53Kb/s in ideal circumstances. At the other end of the spectrum the fastest of common network connections, the 10 or 100 Mb/s LAN. 

The first thing to consider is how many users will share the connection, and what kinds of uses your company will make of the circuit. Many of GilbertWalker Group's clients with 6 to 25 users connect to the Internet via a DSL link or T1 circuit configuration rated at between 256Kb/s and 384Kb/s. 

Transport method is an additional consideration. A given level of bandwidth may be less expensive if it is delivered via DSL. This is probably fine for many small businesses, given two pretty significant limitations. First, the service must be available. DSL is more likely to be available in urban areas, but even in these areas there are sometimes other limiting factors.

More importantly, if your company needs to do more that be users of the Internet, DSL is probably the wrong choice. If your company wants to run their own Internet servers, you probably need a dedicated connection over some sort of T1 circuit. Next month, this column will look at the difference between dedicated point-to-point T1 circuits and converged T1 circuits, what this distinction has to do with bandwidth, and which is right for your company.

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First impressions: To XP or not to XP?

Many administrators will resist the change, and still more users will complain. Never-the-less Windows XP will probably be in your network one day. So we've started working with it in order to be up to speed when you're ready. Here are three things we found in Windows XP that you may find useful once you make the transition.

1) Windows Update Service: Its right there when the user opens the Control Panel. Users are notified by a tiny balloon on that pops up down by the clock when there are critical updates. CONSIDER THE FLIP SIDE: Windows update service tried really hard to get us to say "Do it automatically", something we never recommend.

2) Updated and expanded "Folder Menus": Users who work with folders on the desktop will appreciate the additional options available in the "Menu area" on the left part of folder windows. CONSIDER THE FLIP SIDE: Power users will probably go ballistic the first time the try to explore their C: drive and Windows XP tells them: "These Files are Hidden. This folder contains files that keep your systems working properly. You should not modify its contents."

3) The Activation thing everyone is so worried about: No personally identifying information was required. We installed the operating systems several times on several different machines in order to determine where to use it. Once we had everything the way it will be we activated the product. In a couple of quick mouse clicks, everything was set. Will it be a problem to transfer this license in the future? Probably. But if Microsoft forces us to plan a little more carefully, is this a bad thing?

Over the next months, expect to see Windows XP tips and tricks in the tools column. You know there's one coming about remote desktop support requests. In the mean time we still recommend the Windows 2000 platform for LAN workstations where some flavor of *nix is inappropriate.

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Networking tool of the month:  The consultant's mistakes.

Lots of times, if one asked our client's why they hired GilbertWalker Group they might say, "Because we wanted the job done right." But think about this: We are probably equally valuable for the things that we have done wrong over the years.

Mistakes generally cost money, and what makes us experts is that we've already made most of the mistakes you can make. Imagine buying 12 times as much telecommunications as you need. (Been there.) Imagine buying thousands of dollars of incompatible equipment, and having to get it all replaced. (Done that.) Imagine saving a few hundred dollars on a wiring job, only to spend thousands figuring out why there are still problems. (Got the T shirt.)

So, next time you're planning a project, remember that even our mistakes save you money. (Oh, and we do the job right too.) 

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A word from our sponsors:

At GilbertWalker Group, we work with our clients to empower them to manage their own digital voice and data networks.  While we don't sell hardware or software, we are actively engaged in all phases of network consulting, which includes working with our clients on bandwidth provisioning and selecting telecommunications providers. For more information or to schedule an introductory meeting, please contact Tom Gilbert at (413) 637-8858 ext. 11 or drop him a line at info@gilbertwalker.com.

If you have comments, questions or suggestions about AdvisorBits, please send them to John Walker- comments@gilbertwalker.com