Packets DownRange
Product and software reviews as well as Certification topics, education resources for ISP-focused and network-focused readers. New Product launches
I, due to recent SSH vulnerabilities in MikroTik, figured this series of articles would be relevant. The router may have strong passwords and firewall filters, but those services still receive constant login attempts from automated scanners. For years, the normal answer was a VPN with a management network. VPNs work well, but they require another … Read more
Let’s look at another BGP attribute, the Multi-Exit Discriminator, or MED. Two networks may interconnect in more than one location, and MED lets you attach a preference to the routes you advertise. An ISP might connect to the same upstream in Indianapolis and Chicago while advertising the same prefixes at both locations. The upstream now … Read more
AP7-Pro 3.0k and AP6* 2.4k Released
LibreQoS 2.2 ChangeLog LibreQoS 2.2: What Changed Since 2.1 LibreQoS 2.2 guides operators from a fresh install through admin creation, interface selection, network preview, and service startup in the browser. Operators can build topology visually, shape subscribers created from RADIUS sessions, and compare queued demand with traffic that actually crossed the wire. This changelog covers … Read more
Multi-core fiber places several independent optical cores inside one standard 125-micron cladding. It increases channel density, but it also requires different connectors, splicing methods, and testing procedures.
I am getting back to recording some videos, and this time I am taking a quick look at the Alta Labs AP7 Pro. This is not meant to be a full review or performance test. I wanted to get the AP7 Pro on camera, show the hardware, and give everyone a closer look at the … Read more
If you work around data centers and high-density builds, you have probably heard the term “Multi-Core Fiber” thrown around. People use it in a few different ways. Sometimes, it means a new fiber trunk that comes into a cabinet as a single cable and breaks out into dozens or even hundreds of fibers. That setup … Read more
Prefix lists define which BGP routes match a policy. Route maps use those matches to permit routes, deny them, or change attributes such as local preference.
A prefix can appear in the global BGP table and still have a routing problem. The route may originate from the wrong ASN. Its ROA may also authorize a shorter prefix but reject the advertised prefix length. Checking each part normally means pulling data from several routing tools. The J2SW Prefix Advertisement Checker, my 3rd … Read more
The J2SW BGP Community Builder selects documented provider communities and generates scoped policy fragments for MikroTik, Cisco, Junos, and FRRouting.
Being in the ISP world I see the home router and network cause a majority of the problems blamed on the ISP. Most home networks put the router, switch, firewall, and Wi-Fi radios into one do-it-all box. This can be underpowered in terms of both processing power and Wi-Fi signal strength. In this post, I … Read more
