Andrew Garcia

About

Andrew cut his teeth as a systems administrator at the University of California, learning the ins and outs of server migration, Windows desktop management, Unix and Novell administration. After a tour of duty as a team leader for PC Magazine's Labs, Andrew turned to system integration - providing network, server, and desktop consulting services for small businesses throughout the Bay Area. With eWEEK Labs since 2003, Andrew concentrates on wireless networking technologies while moonlighting with Microsoft Windows, mobile devices and management, and unified communications. He produces product reviews, technology analysis and opinion pieces for eWEEK.com, eWEEK magazine, and the Labs' Release Notes blog. Follow Andrew on Twitter at andrewrgarcia, or reach him by email at agarcia@eweek.com.

ClearSight Tool Keeps Close Eye on Network

ClearSight Networks Analyzer is a fine addition to the administrators toolbox, especially for companies looking to put network analysis at the fingertips of front-line support technicians. However, this intuitive, accessible interface to companies networks comes at a relatively steep cost—and does not currently support 802.11 wireless capture. eWEEK Labs tested the base version of Analyzer, […]

F5 Secures Remote Access

Although F5 Networks Inc.s initial foray into security appliances is a little rough around the edges, its FirePass 1000 has the potential to provide a flexible, powerful, SSL-based remote access solution for organizations looking to avoid IP Securitys administrative hassles albeit at a hefty price. The FirePass 1000s price starts at $9,900 for 25 concurrent […]

Build Your Own SAN

Weve been focusing a lot lately on end-user technology stories, but we felt that the large contingent of IT folks who frequent ExtremeTech and work in small to medium businesses might really appreciate this story. And for all of you tech enthusiasts who want to get a step ahead of the crowd and implement a […]

Tightening WLAN Security: AiroPeek

The holes in 802.11bs built-in security will drive any LAN administrator worth his or her salt to alternative methods of tightening wireless transmissions. But to secure a network, you have to know what its doing. Enter WildPackets Inc.s AiroPeek 1.1, an affordable and easy-to-use wireless protocol analyzer. Although somewhat lacking in in-depth comparative analysis tools […]

Tightening WLAN Security

The enthusiasm for 802.11b wireless networking has been tempered by reports of vulnerabilities in the protocols WEP algorithm. A number of new products attempt to rally support by providing additional measures of security and control. Microsoft Corp. has thrown its considerable weight behind 802.11b. The newest sitting chair member of the WiFi consortium, Microsoft has […]

Arcot for VPN Update Avoids Hardware Hassles

Authentication is the weakest link in VPN security, forcing administrators to weigh the importance of cost, ease of deployment and strength of security. Public-key infrastructure provides a robust and scalable authentication option, but the security of the remote users private key becomes paramount. Password protection for private keys, although inexpensive and easy to deploy, is […]

Tripwire Can Trip Up Trouble

Security vendor Tripwire (www.tripwire.com) has released Tripwire for Web Pages 1.0, a product designed to protect Web sites from vandalism. As an Apache plug-in, Tripwire for Web Pages creates an MD5 hash of every Web page on your server. Then, when a page is requested, the program verifies the pages hash against the database. If […]

Mirapoints MD300 Repels Spam, Nabs E-Mail Viruses

As Congress struggles to pass legislation restricting unsolicited e-mail and while security-oriented liability lawsuits loom, network administrators and service providers are left to battle spam and Trojan virus scourges at home. Mirapoint Inc. has leapt into the protection racket with the MD300, the first product in its Message Director line. The MD300 is a powerful, […]

Tape Solves Sticky Storage Issues

Network-attached storage innovations arent limited to devices such as Network Storage Solutions Inc.s ProStor system reviewed in this issue. Tape-based storage is about to get a little bit sexier. A new generation of tape appliances will hit the market later this year, promising scalable, centralized design and flexible support for a multitude of industry-standard protocols. […]

Logcasters Flexible Windows Watching

Heeding the cry for rock-solid availability of crucial corporate applications and services, Ripple Technologies Inc.s LogCaster 3.1 provides excellent centralized monitoring and alerting capabilities for Windows NT and Windows 2000 servers as well as TCP/IP hosts. NT-based networks of any size will benefit from LogCasters automation and alerting capabilities on their servers, but Ripples inflated […]