Articles written by Steve Petryschuk

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Business skills

Weathering the IT Storm

The tech world has been on a rollercoaster since the COVID-19 pandemic. During the large-scale shift to remote work throughout 2020-21,…

Steve PetryschukMar 21, 2023
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Network monitoring

The Evolution of Network Visibility

As modern work has evolved, so too has the network end users rely on to do their jobs. Today’s network is vastly different from the…

Steve PetryschukMar 14, 2023
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Network monitoring

The Future of the Network is End User Experience. Are you Ready?

Don’t get me wrong—the world still absolutely needs all of the physical network devices, cabling, access points, etc. that connect us…

Steve PetryschukOct 18, 2022
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Network management

How to Manage a Network: 10 Essential Steps

Managing a new network? Check out this list of 10 easy to follow steps from the experts at Auvik Networks to help you get started and be…

Steve PetryschukAug 18, 2022
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Network management

Networking Automation Software: Pros & Cons

As network growth increases—and complexity along with it—we’ll need efficient and scalable ways to handle it. You simply won’t…

Steve PetryschukAug 17, 2022
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Network configuration

Networking 101: What is a VLAN?

Do you really want all of these devices on the same LAN— all having equal access to the same set of resources? Should the IoT devices…

Steve PetryschukAug 4, 2022
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Network monitoring

5 Reasons to Add Network Monitoring to Your Budget

Allocating money in your IT budget for network monitoring in 2021 may be more important than ever. Here are five reasons why.

Steve PetryschukJul 27, 2022
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Network management

What is ITAM? Guide to IT Asset Management

In the business world, information technology (IT) is everything. Without it, companies would struggle to keep track of their data and…

Steve PetryschukJun 14, 2022
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Switches

Layer 2 vs Layer 3 Network Switches: What’s the Difference?

What's the difference between Layer 2 and Layer 3 network switches and how critical are they to a properly functioning network?

Steve PetryschukFeb 18, 2022
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Network management

Will Layer 3 Switches Give Routers the Boot?

A Layer 3 switch combines the capabilities of a Layer 2 switch and a router in one device. Does this mean the death of the router is…

Steve PetryschukJan 28, 2022
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Network management

Network Discovery Tools: Pros & Cons for 2022

You can’t manage what you can’t see—when it comes to the network, you need full visibility & awareness. But you don’t need to…

Steve PetryschukJan 27, 2022
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Network configuration

Preventing Network Configuration Drift

A cynical network engineer might say, “configuration drift happens when you take the day off.” Someone changed something they…

Steve PetryschukJan 25, 2022
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Network protocols

What is an ARP Table?

Let's peer under the hood of how ARP tables help us see data similar to the "show arp" or "arp-a" command without having to open a…

Steve PetryschukJan 23, 2022
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Network management

Distributed Healthcare Network Monitoring is Possible (with the Right System)

A single healthcare network monitoring system is one of the most effective solutions for improving the management of distributed and…

Steve PetryschukJan 18, 2022
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Network management

Supporting Remote Workers with Auvik During (and after) COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, network performance needs to be rock solid so users can access the resources they need, when they need…

Steve PetryschukJan 6, 2022
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Education

The Kids are Connected: Ensuring Connectivity in Education Networks

Connectivity is more important than ever to support our education system. BYOD, remote classes, Wi-Fi, and a variety of digital learning…

Steve PetryschukNov 30, 2021
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Network configuration

How Not to Break Your Network With Updates

Given the risks, you can’t blame the paranoid network engineer that doesn’t want to change or update anything. The problem is that…

Steve PetryschukNov 18, 2021
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Network protocols

The Future of Private Addresses: Goodbye NAT, Hello IPv6

So how do we get from IPv4 to IPv6—which we all agree has to happen—when there’s still a raging debate about one of the biggest…

Steve PetryschukNov 9, 2021
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Network monitoring

The Challenge of Monitoring a Distributed Network

What exactly makes a network distributed? Is a distributed network fundamentally different from a decentralized network? And if they are…

Steve PetryschukSep 21, 2021
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Network protocols

What is QUIC? Everything You Need to Know

When I hear QUIC, my immediate reaction is, “The QUICk brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” That sentence has been ingrained in me…

Steve PetryschukSep 14, 2021
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Network management

Using DNS Filtering to your Advantage

DNS filtering is the use of DNS to block or allow access to specific content through the use of DNS requests. While technically you can…

Steve PetryschukAug 10, 2021
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Network management

Your Guide to IP Address Management

IPAM (IP address management) is critical software to help ensure seamless connectivity and much more. Learn what it is and how it can…

Steve PetryschukAug 6, 2021
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Network protocols

Classful and Classless Addressing Explained

Of course, as anyone who has studied for a networking certification can tell you, there is a significant complexity increase between…

Steve PetryschukJul 27, 2021
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Network configuration

Dealing with Rogue DHCP Servers

First, understand what a Rogue DHCP server is, how it works, and how it can threaten your network. Then, techniques to prevent them.

Steve PetryschukJul 13, 2021
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Network topology & mapping

What is Network Visualization?

Network visualization is a map of connected links, nodes, and other data points to show network paths between endpoints. Let's review…

Steve PetryschukJun 15, 2021
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Network configuration

What is Network Optimization? 8 Reliable Techniques

Maintaining an optimized network requires a set of tools and techniques to ensure efficient bandwidth management, latency, and network…

Steve PetryschukJun 1, 2021
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Network management

The What and The Why of TLS Inspection

Let’s look at what the process of a secure connection through TLS entails, how it can be used to see past “invisible traffic” and…

Steve PetryschukMay 25, 2021
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Network protocols

SNMPv2 vs. SNMPv3: An SNMP Versions Comparison Table

The most significant difference between SNMP v2 and v3 is the level of security for the user on the network. Let's look at an SNMP versions.

Steve PetryschukMay 19, 2021
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Tech industry

Careers at a Crossroad: Staying Technical vs. Heading into Management

Trying to decide between staying in a technical IT role, or moving into a management position? There might be value in either path. Let's…

Steve PetryschukMay 18, 2021
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Network management

What is Network Congestion? Common Causes and How to Fix Them

Network congestion occurs when a node carries more data than it's designed to handle. Learn how to fix common causes of network congestion.

Steve PetryschukMay 12, 2021
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Network protocols

What is 802.1X Authentication?

Want to understand network access control, and authentication 802.1X at the base layer? This article goes through all the ins and outs of…

Steve PetryschukApr 27, 2021
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Network monitoring

How to Find IP Addresses on a Network and Monitor their Usage

If you’re looking for a specific IP address, the simplest way to discover that device is to use the ICMP ping command. Typing in…

Steve PetryschukApr 21, 2021
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Firewalls

Network Firewall Security: Monitoring Firewalls 101

Configuring your firewall security manager is essential to maintaining the health and safety of your network. Learn the key routines for…

Steve PetryschukApr 13, 2021
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Network configuration

Network Design and Best Practices

There’s no one size fits all network design. With the right approach, however, you can create a design that matches your business…

Steve PetryschukApr 7, 2021
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Systems & process

Network Integration: Moving from Reactive to Proactive with Mature Processes

Learn how network integration can help you identify and solve problems quickly and move from reactive to proactive in your work. Hosted…

Steve PetryschukApr 6, 2021
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Network management

What is the OSI Model?

The OSI network model is an important conceptual reference used in network design and management. Its seven layers help IT professionals…

Steve PetryschukMar 23, 2021
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Network topology & mapping

7 Best Network Infrastructure Mapping Tools

Network infrastructure mapping helps you maintain up-to-date maps for quickly diagnosing problems. Similarly, network maps can help…

Steve PetryschukMar 19, 2021
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Network monitoring

Network Throughput vs Bandwidth and How to Measure It

Learn everything you need to know about network throughput from the experts at Auvik Networks. And while we’re at it, let’s cover the…

Steve PetryschukMar 16, 2021
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Cybersecurity

Securing Your DNS

Why does DNS security matter, and what are some security options available to help protect your network from DNS data attacks?

Steve PetryschukMar 9, 2021
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Network monitoring

11 Network Traffic Terms to Know

Monitoring network traffic is important—but first you need to understand the basic terms and concepts. Here are 11 key network traffic…

Steve PetryschukFeb 23, 2021
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Firewalls

What Are the Types of Network Devices?

Understanding the types of network devices is vital to effective network management. Here, we take a look at 11 common network devices.

Steve PetryschukFeb 17, 2021
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Cloud

What is Cloud Networking?

Cloud networking taps into network resource availability in the cloud and complements or replaces traditional networking.

Steve PetryschukFeb 12, 2021
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Cybersecurity

What is Network Security?

Network security is a variety of different resources, behaviors, software, hardware components, and policies. The priorities and elements…

Steve PetryschukFeb 5, 2021
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Network topology & mapping

11 Types of Networks: Understanding the Differences

Different types of networks enable different business and personal goals. Knowing how one network type differs from the others is…

Steve PetryschukFeb 3, 2021
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Business skills

Incident Communication Is a Key Part of Resolving Network Issues

Before you turn completely to resolving a network issue, there’s another important aspect to any resolution that you can’t forget,…

Steve PetryschukFeb 2, 2021
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Cloud

Evolving Your IT Skills in a SaaS World

Here's how to evolve your IT skills as the adoption of SaaS—and XaaS (everything as a service)—continues.

Steve PetryschukJan 26, 2021
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Trends, forecasts & research

How COVID-19 Changed Our Internet Habits

COVID-19 has us all spending more time in front of screens & has changed the way we use networks and the internet. Here's what it means…

Steve PetryschukDec 15, 2020
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Network management

How to Troubleshoot Network Connectivity Issues With Auvik

Network connectivity issues can be some of the worst to troubleshoot. But with Auvik, problems can be solved in seconds just by popping…

Steve PetryschukMay 26, 2020
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Network management

How to Keep IT Infrastructure Devices Fresh and Fit for Purpose

Old, unused network devices create security risks, eat up IT time, and bloat operating costs. Here's how to keep IT infrastructure fresh…

Steve PetryschukMay 12, 2020
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Network monitoring

VPN Monitoring: Keeping Remote Workers Connected With Auvik

Managing a lot of remote workers right now? Here’s how to use VPN monitoring to stay on top of capacity issues and keep workers connected.

Steve PetryschukApr 21, 2020
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Cybersecurity

What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Why Is It Important?

Two-factor authentication or 2FA requires a user to identify themselves in two ways—or using two different methods—before allowing…

Steve PetryschukMar 3, 2020
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Network configuration

Network Segmentation: What It Is & How It Works

Network segmentation—breaking a network into smaller chunks—improves network visibility, monitoring, security, and performance.…

Steve PetryschukApr 9, 2019
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Network monitoring

NetFlow Basics: An Introduction to Monitoring Network Traffic

You probably have support for NetFlow or other flow protocols on your client devices already. That means you can quickly and…

Steve PetryschukMar 19, 2019
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Cybersecurity

Network Device Security: Guide and Best Practices

Network device security is one of the most important elements of network management. Learn what it is and best practices to follow.

Steve PetryschukJan 29, 2019
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Firewalls

Why Your Client’s Firewall May Not Be Up to the Task of Network Security

A new Sophos report reveals IT pros can’t identify almost half (45%) of the traffic flowing through their networks. That’s a massive…

Steve PetryschukMay 15, 2018
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Network management

The Importance of Network Topology Visualization

Network topology visualization can provide instant client context to service techs, speed up training time, expedite troubleshooting,…

Steve PetryschukMar 27, 2018
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Network management

3 Minor Network Alerts You Shouldn’t Ignore

It’s obvious you need to deal with emergency and critical network alerts. But what about simple warning alerts? Your first impulse may…

Steve PetryschukFeb 13, 2018