Free Tool
GSmartControl is a GUI for the smartctl query and control tool for interacting with SMART drive data. The simple interface allows you to inspect a drive’s SMART data as well as running a number of useful tests to assess drive capability. ays he “couldn’t get by without [it].”
SNMP Simulator is an open-source, pure Python tool for executing the SNMP agents simulator. Explains, it “collects data from network traffic and tcdump snoops. It also stores snapshots collected from agents for future simulation. It is a pure Python solution that is easy to deploy and is highly portable.”
Krita is an open-source graphics program with a clean, intuitive interface and pro-grade features. This powerful painting application can be useful in creating or manipulating images for documentation, presentations or other visual tasks. Appreciates it as a good “Photoshop substitute/multiplatform.”
WAMPSERVER is a Windows web-development environment for creating web applications with Apache2, PHP and a MySQL database. Designed specifically for use with PhpMyAdmin to facilitate database management.
ScreenToGif is a simple screen, webcam and sketchboard recorder that features a handy integrated editor. Suggests it for “fantastic lightweight screen recording.”
NetXMS is an open-source monitoring tool for infrastructure and networks that provides processes, reports and visual graphs for the layers in an IT infrastructure. Appreciates that “it provides automatic Layer 2 and 3 discovery features and complete support for SMNPv3. It is a vendor’s network monitoring tool that enables both active and passive discoveries using scanning probes and information capabilities.”
Snimpy is a simple Python-based SNMP tool that offers control through its console or via scripts. Explains, “It provides a simple interface and builds SNMP queries. It is one of the open-source SNMP tools to work as a MIB parser based on libs. It provides scalars based on the attributes of the sessions. It allows columns like the Python dictionary that are available as a feature. It provides features like GET and SET methods and iterates tables using GETNEXT.”
fnt is a font manager that allows Mac OS and Linux users to take advantage of the latest fonts from Debian Sid without jumping through hoops. This simple tool works for those running Debian stable as well as non-Debian Linux distributions.
Yopass helps reduce the number of clear-text passwords stored in email and chat conversations through the generation of a short-lived, encrypted link that can only be viewed once. “A client turned me onto YoPass—an online or self hosted secure method of communicating sensitive information outside email, Slack and text.”
Mibble is an open-source parser library for Java SNMP MIB. Explains, “It interprets MIB files and allows the API access to information like OIDs, types, descriptions etc. It is one of the open-source tools that offer a simple SNMP manager along with comprehensive MIBs.”
X2Go is a remote desktop solution that provides a graphical desktop of the connected computer through which you can access computers running Linux, Windows or Mac OS X. The main focus of this tool is Linux, i.e., the server must be Linux and some of the features are only available to with the Linux X2Go client. Likes it for application streaming and calls it “Very powerful.”
Seafile is a high-performance tool for syncing and sharing files. Features include markdown WYSIWYG editing, Wiki, file labeling, a drive client, privacy protection and more.
pgAdmin is a nice feature-filled, open-source administration and development platform for PostgreSQL.
Sharp SNMP Library is an open-source library that offers basic SNMP functionality on multiple platforms. “.NET and Mono. It functions as a source code repository for SNMP. Sharp SNMP Library is one of the open-source tools that can be integrated into Windows. It requires Visual Studio 2019 and .NET Core SDK for compilation.”
Context Editor is a fast, powerful Windows text editor that was originally created as a secondary tool for developers. Adds, “Lightweight Text Editor. Really good for HTML, PHP, Java, Anything with Code.”
Tutorial
Learn how Google Search organizes the world’s information is an explanation of the tech giant’s current approach to finding and suggesting relevant content. It’s a quick read to understand the various elements Google considers when it visits a page and how they are screened, so you can better position your organization’s websites to be properly indexed by their crawlers.
A beginner’s guide to writing documentation is a solid explainer for first-timers on how to create a project from scratch that will be suitable for public release. Suggests it as an introductory “theory for document writing” to help facilitate understanding of the whys behind the whats.
How to Draw Clear L3 Logical Network Diagrams helps fill a gaping void in the usual documentation for enterprise networks. Explains what goes into good L3 diagrams and why they are so important for troubleshooting and planning changes. A great way to learn how to draw a high-quality logical network diagram.
Documentation and You – How OneNote Helped Me Survive is a Reddit post that offers details on how you can use OneNote to document all your systems for everyday management. The author, AmericanStang, explains how this approach was used to successfully organize a company’s documentation starting from literally nothing. Includes example screenshots.
How to produce good documentation is a helpful guide on how to create effective documentation for an existing environment or for any new project. By following the outlined steps and pointers, you can create something that is organized, current and complete enough to allow you—or anyone competent—to rebuild the environment from scratch if needed. You’ll also find a nice companion talk here.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Optical Networking is an updated version of the popular tutorial that explains how fiber works, the best ways to work with it and more.
Introduction to Structured Data is a 4-part blog series explaining exactly what ‘Structured Data’ means and how it is useful in the context of network engineering.
Podcast
Network Automation Nerds is a show hosted by author and netdevops expert Eric Chou that is intended for those looking to enhance their networking skills and knowledge. Features in-depth technical discussions on network automation, Python and the entire subject of network engineering.
List
OWASP Top Ten is a list of the most-critical security risks for web applications that should be addressed in order to harden your website against external threats. Explains, “If you’re making a website, ensure you understand the OWASP top ten attack types. If something should be protected, put it behind authentication. Ensure everything you run is patched.”
Tip
Some sound advice for occasions when you need to ask for help from a more-experienced colleague: “[I write] a ‘here’s the situation’ email [with] exactly what’s happening… what’s broken and how, [plus] everything I have tried… I’m trying to make it look like I’m not incompetent and that I tried all the basics and the obvious things a senior tech would ask you to try. 90% of the time I don’t even send the email because… I catch something I missed before. However, if I still havent figured it out, then my senior would have an excellent write up of everything and be able to solve it faster in turn. Lastly, always ALWAYS follow up with the senior after they solve it and ask them how they came to the conclusion, not just for the fix itself. What logs did you check? how did you know to check this seeming unrelated service? What terms did you google?”
