December 1996

• From the Publisher -
• Token-Ring: An Obituary - Robert Tipton predicts that the 100 Mbps fast Ethernet adapter, expected to be announced for the AS/400 next year, will drive the last nail in Token-Ring's coffin.
• Your AS/400's Internet Enemies Revealed - If you're thinking about connecting your AS/400 network to the Internet, you need to think about protecting your network from the Internet. Mel Beckman explains who on the Internet means you harm and how your network is exposed.
• Guard Against Internet Invaders with Firewalls - Once you understand your network's vulnerabilities, you're ready to do something about them. Mel Beckman shows that many security holes can be plugged by firewalls - learn about the four major firewall types, examine some actual firewall code, and peruse a firewall vendor list.
• SNA Server 3.0 Sets New Gateway Standard - Michael Otey reports that the most recent version of Microsoft's SNA gateway delivers increased capacity, single log-on, shared folders, printer emulation, TN5250 support, data stream encryption, and an interface patterned after Windows 95/NT. He also steps you through the configuration process.
• Four Low-Cost Ways to Speed Up Your LAN - John Enck describes using bridging and routing, switching hubs, moving to 100 Mbps Ethernet, and hybrid networks as incremental ways to increase LAN throughput without a big dollar investment.
• 100BaseT Hubs and Switches - John Enck presents a buyers guide to 100 Mbps Ethernet LAN hubs and switches.
• NetPerfector 1.5 - John Enck reviews NetPerfector, Open Universal Software's AS/400 and network performance monitor. NetPerfector provides a total view of where workstation emulation traffic spends its time, letting you pinpoint bottlenecks in your PC-to-AS/400 connections.
• NetXRay 1.1.3 - John Enck reviews Cinco Networks' NetXRay, LAN monitoring and testing software that helps LAN administrators discern what's happening inside their Windows 95 and Windows NT networks.
• Build Your WAN on the Internet - WAN technologies such as frame relay and SMDS are sometimes expensive over long distances. The world-wide Internet, however, is everywhere, and it's cheap. Mel Beckman outlines a strategy for harnessing the Internet as a low-cost wide-area network for your enterprise.
• Cultivate Your AS/400 Networks - Kris Neely examines the most common performance problems in AS/400 networks - such as bandwidth congestion, low transmission speed, inadequate channel capacity, poor network design, and segmentation - and offers tips for improving network traffic flow.
• 8 Tools for Better Network Performance - Kris Neely provides practical tips you can use to maintain a healthy AS/400 network.
• True Confessions of an IBM LAN Administrator - John Enck humorously describes a LAN administrator's recovery from IBM addiction.