Protocols - few is better
How many protocols does your LAN use?
Best Practice (Litmus Test)
Professionals: Use TCP/IP as their only protocol
Amateurs: Insist on installing NetBEUI
How many Protocols does your LAN use?
Professionals realize that the best practice is to only install TCP/IP, adding other protocols is just duplication. TCP/IP is wonderful, it does everything you would ever need a protocol do to. Moreover the more protocols you have the more network traffic there will be. In particular avoid protocols like NetBEUI that broadcast.
Some network managers get upset when I suggest they remove NetBEUI. What is fascinating is their reasoning. They say: 'It is so much faster. We have applications that only work with NetBEUI'. I say: 'What about all that broadcasting?' Then I challenge them to just run TCP/IP on their network.
There are always exceptions to any rule, and I would allow NWLINK if you have old Netware servers. Also, I did once see a convincing case for using a second protocol for RAS. The client wanted a fix to secure and isolate clients dialling into his network. However, I would have preferred to :
a) Decommission those Netware servers
b) Implement a firewall as a RAS solution.
Challenge: Check out some of the Protocols in Windows 2003
- LDAP
- IPSEC and IPSECMON
- Kerberos (Kerbtray in the resource kit)
- L2TP and PPTP
- CHAP and EAP
- BAP and PPP
- OSPF in the Routing and RAS snap-in
Another of Guy's
Litmus
Tests - Performance Monitoring
Professionals install
ipMonitor (40% off until Sept 26th)
Consequently they can see instantly which servers are short of
resources, and which are running smoothly.
Amateurs
Keep their fingers crossed that the
servers have enough memory and disk space.
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