Recently in GUI Utilities Category

Netflow has always been a topic of interest to me. It allows Cisco devices to track exactly how your network bandwidth is used. For example, using NetFlow allows me to see the applications (ports) using my Internet connection, how much bandwidth they are consuming, the source and destination IP addresses that are consuming the most traffic, and so on. Handy information!

Anyhow, Solarwinds has just released a new (free) tool that allows you to chart and graph all this information. This is definitely a plug for their enterprise Orion software which lets you manage bunches of devices...but hey, a free tool is still a free tool :).

Click here to check it out.

First off, let me say thank you to all who responded to the previous post on my qualms spending $99 for SecureCRT. An extra thank you to whomever suggested Putty CM!

This utility is so cool, I thought I'd create an extra post about it for those who missed the last thread. Now, without a doubt, SecureCRT takes the cake for the number of features, smoothness, and so on...but if you're just looking for these basic features, you gotta check this program out:

- Saved connections / passwords
- Tabbed windows / session management
- Scripted logins

Here's a screencap of what I've got so far:

**Note...the black squares are mine to protect the innocent :o)

Now here's the scoop: The Putty Connection Manager essentially puts a "shell" around the actual Putty program.

I never thought a TFTP program would come along that could dethrone my freeware 3Com TFTP/FTP/Syslog/coffee maker program I've been using for years...but the day has finally come. I've found a TFTP program that does two INCREDIBLE things:

1. Overcomes the 32MB file size limit of all other TFTP programs in existance (a definite plus for the new ISR Cisco routers that have huge IOS files).
2. Has ZERO install. It's a downloadable .EXE that just runs in windows with no setup.

SWEET!

Anyone that has worked with Cisco for any amount of time knows that they're definitely not a GUI company. Their command line interface is beautiful, but for the folks who want a point-and-click setup, one look at CiscoWorks will cause them never to buy a piece of Cisco gear again.