210-060 Implementing Cisco Collaboration Devices (CICD)

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QUESTION 1
Which two services define cloud networks? (Choose two.)

A. Infrastructure as a Service
B. Platform as a Service
C. Security as a Service
D. Compute as a Service
E. Tenancy as a Service

Answer: A,B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 2
In which two situations should you use out-of-band management? (Choose two.)

A. when a network device fails to forward packets
B. when you require ROMMON access
C. when management applications need concurrent access to the device
D. when you require administrator access from multiple locations
E. when the control plane fails to respond

Answer: A,B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 3
In which three ways does the TACACS protocol differ from RADIUS? (Choose three.)

A. TACACS uses TCP to communicate with the NAS.
B. TACACS can encrypt the entire packet that is sent to the NAS.
C. TACACS supports per-command authorization.
D. TACACS authenticates and authorizes simultaneously, causing fewer packets to be transmitted.
E. TACACS uses UDP to communicate with the NAS.
F. TACACS encrypts only the password field in an authentication packet.

Answer: A,B,C

Explanation:

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QUESTION 4
According to Cisco best practices, which three protocols should the default ACL allow on an
access port to enable wired BYOD devices to supply valid credentials and connect to the network?
(Choose three.)

A. BOOTP
B. TFTP
C. DNS
D. MAB
E. HTTP
F. 802.1x

Answer: A,B,C

Explanation:

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QUESTION 5
Which two next-generation encryption algorithms does Cisco recommend? (Choose two.)

A. AES
B. 3DES
C. DES
D. MD5
E. DH-1024
F. SHA-384

Answer: A,F

Explanation:

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200-601 IMINS2 Managing Industrial Networks for Manufacturing with Cisco Technologies

200-601 IMINS2
Managing Industrial Networks for Manufacturing with Cisco Technologies

Exam Number 200-601 IMINS2
Associated Certifications CCNA Industrial
Duration 90 Minutes (65 - 75 questions)

This exam tests concepts and technology commonly found in the automated manufacturing environment. This exam tests candidates on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and ProfiNET industrial protocols and the underlying support network infrastructure design to maximize efficiency within Industrial Ethernet.

Exam Description
The exam Managing Industrial Networks for Manufacturing with Cisco Technologies (CCNA IMINS2) certification exam (200-601) is a 90 minute, 65 – 75 question assessment. This exam tests concepts and technology commonly found in the automated manufacturing environment. This exam tests candidates on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and ProfiNET industrial protocols and the underlying support network infrastructure design to maximize efficiency within Industrial Ethernet.

The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.

1.0 IP Networking 20%
1.1 Describe the difference between enterprise environments and industrial environments
1.2 Describe the components for making the data flow highly available and predictable in an industrial environment (QoS, IP addressing, protocol, and hardware resiliency)
1.3 Interpret and diagnose problems that are related to QoS
1.4 Describe the differences between redundancy and resiliency requirements / approaches between the Enterprise and the plant floor
1.5 Differentiate the capabilities of switch types
1.6 Describe the life cycle of a multicast group
1.7 Describe and configure the operation and use cases for NAT
1.8 Describe and configure the operation and use cases for static routing
1.9 Describe and configure VLAN trunking to a virtual switch
1.10 Describe and configure Layer 2 resiliency protocols (Spanning Tree, REP, Flex Links, and Etherchannels)
1.11 Configure switch ports ( macros, threshold alarms)

2.0 Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Knowledge and Configuration 19%
2.1 Explain the CIP connection establishment process
2.2 Explain producer/consumer models and implicit/explicit message models
2.3 Recognize communication abilities and capacities in different hardware/hardware generations (revisions)
2.4 Identify and describe the technologies that enable CIP Motion and CIP Safety
2.5 Identify the applicability, limitations, and components of a DLR implementation
2.6 Implement multicast features for CIP within a LAN
2.7 Optimize RPI on a CIP connection given a set of parameters
2.8 Enable and configure IEEE 1588 PTP at the system level
2.9 Configure the Stratix using the Add On Profile (AOP) in Studio 5000

3.0 ProfiNET Knowledge and Configuration 19%
3.1 Describe the differences in ProfiNET support between Cisco catalyst and Cisco Industrial Ethernet (IE) switches
3.1.a Support for VLAN 0
3.1.b Support for ProfiNET LLDP
3.1.c Support for GSDs (integration into SIMATIC STEP 7)

3.2 Describe the operation and purpose of ProfiSAFE
3.3 Describe the three basic ProfiNET devices and conformanceclasses
3.4 Describe the ProfiNET application classes and communication channels
3.5 Describe DHCP and how it can be used for IP addressing of devices and configuration pushes
3.6 Describe ring network requirements for ProfiNET
3.7 Enable ProfiNET on the switch
3.8 Enable Layer 2 QoS to ensure ProfiNET is prioritized
3.9 Integrate the Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switch in SIMATIC STEP 7
3.10 Configure and monitor ProfiNET alarm profiles on IE switches

4.0 Security 12%
4.1 Describe the defense in-depth approach to securing the industrial zone
4.2 Identify how a security component (hardware/software) applies to a network device to meet the network security definition of defense in depth
4.3 Describe network device hardening
4.4 Describe the concept and mechanisms of implementing logical segmentation
4.5 Identify possible options to control traffic between zones (ACLs, firewalls, VLANs)

5.0 Wireless 10%
5.1 Describe the differences between 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
5.2 Describe the components that you need to build multiple wireless networks on a single access point
5.3 Describe the difference between autonomous and controller-based access points and wireless workgroup bridges
5.4 Demonstrate a typical switchport configuration for autonomous and controller-based access points
5.5 Describe the limitations of using a workgroup bridge with a control communication

6.0 Troubleshooting 20%
6.1 Troubleshoot advanced Layer 1 problems such as mechanical deterioration, electromagnetic noise issues, and infrastructure mismatches
6.2 Troubleshoot VLAN trunking
6.3 Troubleshoot an error disabled port
6.4 Troubleshoot basic spanning tree port state and root priority problems
6.5 Troubleshoot Layer 3 problems by inspecting route tables and NAT tables
6.6 Troubleshoot Layer 3 problems in a VRF-lite enabled environment
6.7 Demonstrate the ability to find the location of a device within a multi-switch network given an IP address
6.8 Identify methods for troubleshooting a communication problem in a CIP environment
6.9 Troubleshoot CIP using an Ethernet/IP browse tool, command line, and a web browser
6.10 Troubleshoot device communications performance
6.11 Identify the source of cable and device faults in a DLR
6.12 Identify methods for troubleshooting a communication problem in a ProfiNET environment
6.13 Troubleshoot ProfiNET using SIMATIC STEP 7 to view network topology, use the switch command line

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5 dead operating systems, and what their ghosts can tell us

We conduct a séance of sorts to call forth the souls of operating systems past—not so we can gaze upon their ghastly interfaces, but to learn from their tragic demises.

Tremble, mortals! Halloween is upon us. Ghosts, ghouls, and other undesirable creatures are prepared to slink out of their domains and into ours—it’s said that even the dead can rise on Halloween.

In that spirit, let us light some candles, cover the mirrors, and conduct a séance of sorts to call forth the souls of operating systems past. Not so we can gaze upon their ghastly interfaces, but to see if we can learn anything from their digital carcasses and signs of a life well-lived—or not. Who knows, perhaps they bring secrets from beyond the grave.

Windows XP
Windows XP proved to be a hit since its inception. Sure, it took Service Pack 2 to create the operating system we call XP today, but at the operating system’s launch in 2001 the basics were already there. It’s a good thing too, as Windows XP was destined to live long past its shelf life.

Windows XP’s extended life started with Microsoft’s Sisyphean effort on project ‘Longhorn,’ which included ambitious hopes for new features. As due date after due date slipped for Longhorn, more people became invested in the familiar and near-universal XP, and to disdain change of any kind.

When Longhorn finally emerged from its 5.5 year development in 2007 as Windows Vista, users were shocked and appalled by Microsoft's proposed XP replacement. It took another two years of development and the release of Windows 7 before Windows XP would finally begin to lose ground. Yet it was another four to five years (depending on whom you ask) before Windows 7 would replace XP as the most widely used operating system in the world.

Today, four iterations of Windows after XP, the 14 year-old OS still claims more than 12 percent of online PC usage worldwide, according to Net Applications. This is despite the fact that Microsoft ceased delivering security updates for XP in April 2014—a year and a half ago.

Lesson learned: Don’t let your software live on too long, or it will grow up to be a dangerous zombie.

Windows RT
When Microsoft announced Windows RT, originally known as Windows on ARM, people were excited about the possibility. Finally, the energy-efficient ARM processor architecture—ubiquitous on mobile devices—would earn its own version of Windows.

What became Windows RT, however, was a terrible joke of an OS. Like Windows 8, RT offered a dual-identity desktop interface and modern UI. The desktop was hobbled, because it couldn’t run any other traditional Windows software—just Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. Windows RT users didn’t have much to do on the touch-friendly side of Windows either, due to Microsoft’s poor efforts to convince developers to build Modern apps for the Windows Store.

Toward the end of its life, RT was no better than a glorified web browser with a smattering of ho-hum apps. Meanwhile, Intel’s Atom chips quickly closed the gap with ARM’s energy efficiency, leaving little reason to opt for Windows on ARM.

Microsoft was never clear enough on what it wanted to do with Windows RT. The result was a poorly thought-out ecosystem that led to death by indifference. Windows RT tablets aren’t being upgraded to Windows 10, and even Microsoft’s own budget Surface line ditched Windows RT for Windows proper in its third iteration.

Lesson learned: Ghosts of Windows RT linger on in Windows 10’s universal apps and Windows Phone compatibility, but Windows RT was nothing short of a disaster with consumers—understandably so, given its radical new interface and limited software capabilities. Even if you’re trying to move an ecosystem forward, don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Mac OS in all its graphical interface glory.
One of Apple’s founding principles is that PCs—and technology in general—should be a delightful, even magical, experience. That vision came to the fore with the original Macintosh operating system. The first Mac OS was a revelation that popularized the visual PC interface and mouse navigation for home users.

The downside, however, is that a lot of what made Mac OS so magical required technological trickery and clever solutions to help a constrained system perform beyond what was expected. Original Macintosh users were forced to constantly swap out disks constantly because of RAM restrictions.

It was a pain to do—sometimes literally—but many people didn’t mind because the user experience on the screen was simply so much better than anything else out there.

os2box
During the early days of computing, IBM was a dominating force with its line of personal computers. When the company began producing the operating system OS/2 with Microsoft, the plan was to use the new OS to push even more sales of IBM hardware. That worked for a while, but the end of the line for OS/2 took shape once Microsoft produced Windows 3.0. After that, Microsoft ceased co-development of OS/2 to focus on Windows, and IBM was chasing Microsoft ever after. Pundits still argue over whether early Windows or OS/2 was better.

Regardless, OS/2’s undoing was that Microsoft outflanked IBM at every turn.
Microsoft bundled Windows with all kinds of hardware, as it does today, while OS/2 was sold separately and designed to push IBM machines. That approach just didn’t work when faced with the juggernaut that was Microsoft—it also didn’t help that Microsoft cheated. Once Windows 95 came out, OS/2 was all but done. IBM’s operating system faded out by 2000, but just like with Windows XP, you can probably find the odd ATM or small business inventory system still running on OS/2.

Lesson learned: Even juggernauts can fall. Adapt—which is exactly what Microsoft’s trying to do with Windows 8 and 10—or die.
The ghosts of Linux past

In 2015, we officially bid goodbye to Mandriva, a once-popular Linux distribution. This version of Linux started out life as Mandrake until the company running the distro merged with Conectiva in 2005 to become Mandriva. Many veteran Linux users cut their teeth on Mandrake or Mandriva, including PCWorld’s own Linux watcher, Chris Hoffman.

Get it? A penguin skeleton?
Mandriva lost its spot as the “easy Linux” distro after Canonical’s Ubuntu appeared in 2004. Seven years later, development ceased. Mandriva is just one of the many Linux distributions that have faded into oblivion—CrunchBang, supported by a single developer, is another one we recently covered.

Linux may be a force in the server world, but it has never succeeded at winning over masses of desktop users. Its openness encourages many developers to create their own Linux distributions and then fight with the hundreds of other distros for a slice of a tiny user base. Unsurprisingly, there’s a healthy amount of churn among distributions, even the popular ones.

Lesson learned: Like your Linux distro, but don’t fall in love. You may wind up leaving the party sooner than you think.

That’s the end of our ghoulish walk through the graves of operating systems past. Now we close the PC crypt for yet another year…until the ghouls of dead PCs past rise again.

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How emerging technology is changing K-12 classrooms

While students in K-12 classrooms are building robots in their makerspaces, IT professionals are building the infrastructure needed to keep up with the latest technologies in the 21st century classroom.

Though implementing one-to-one initiatives such as having a laptop for every student continues to be a primary focus for many school systems across the country, those who have already a 1:1 program are discovering new ways to shape student learning. Impressive technology trends are transforming traditional classrooms for students at every grade level.

Robotics, makerspaces and wearables will be a few of the trends that join the ranks alongside teachers and students in the fall. “Research shows that this group of kids learns very differently from past generations,” says GB Cazes, vice president at Cyber Innovation Center recognized, Cazes says.

“The use of cyber as a way to provide a context for the content is rapidly growing. We are putting them on a cyber-highway and providing them with on and off ramps,” says Cazes, who added that this is especially true in science and math. One exciting new tool, the Boe Bot robot, allows students to build a robot with a microcontroller. “There are no textbooks for the Boe Bot. The Boe Bot is the textbook, so you provide teachers with all they need and the students are learning programming and coding as they build,” Cazes says.

Some schools may have the ability to provide a Boe Bot for every classroom, but for those who can’t, makerspaces – high-end craft rooms with access to 3D printers – are a trend that make technology available for students to learn and create all on their own.

Jason Valade, customer success manager at TechSmith described the makerspace as “a place where students need very little direction. It’s trying to give students space to be creative and let them explore and develop.”

Eileen Lento, Intel Education’s director of strategy and marketing says, “Microscopes and databased software,” are new technologies that will give 21st century learners more authentic educational experiences.

“There are holographic technologies, coding is becoming a valuable skillset in the world we live in. There are goggles for virtual reality and wearables for physical education classes that are more usable and kids can analyze their own data more easily,” Lento says.
Improvements have to happen at both ends

Changes need to happen at both the front end and the back end, Lento says. “We don’t want devices to be expensive typewriters.” The tools need to do more than exist, which means there needs to be matching improvements when it comes to infrastructure.

“The role of the CIO as enabler comes into play,” says Lento. “The job has grown from supporting services to enabling learning. They need to be asking, ‘How do I set up the infrastructure?’ and ‘How do I protect the students’ privacy?’”

The role of the IT professionals has become even more demanding because, “There needs to be innovations on the backend from servers to storage. All of the edge devices on the front-end need to exist within a secured fabric,” says Lento.

The role of the IT professional has also grown to include mediator, and even educator. Procuring the funds to build the infrastructure, especially in public schools, can be a formidable obstacle, and Valade recommends a multi-tiered approach. It’s important to consider where the desire for technology and devices falls in line with the greater priorities of a school’s mission.

Moving too fast might slow things down
Knowing how to effectively communicate the value of investing in technology will help a school system develop a comprehensive plan for continued success. Schools need to think about if they want to delay tech improvements for a year or two, or, as Valade cautions, “get devices in hands now but end up with a poor experience.”

Even if finding funding for technology isn’t an issue, the physical structure of the school can create complications. Many schools were built in the 1940s–1970s, and they were not designed to run new Cat 5 cables.

From the students to parents, school boards, teachers, administrations and IT professionals, there are a lot of players to consider, and a lot of stakeholders who want to see the success that educational technologies are promising.

It’s important not to be driven by ego in the race to bring more technology into the classroom. While all of these tools and gadgets are intended to meet today’s students where they are and prepare them for the work force, rushing in too quickly can backfire.

“Technology is leaping and bounding itself so fast. How do you keep up? How do you plan for replacement costs?,” Cazes says, It’s the nature of the beast to get excited, so it’s easy to raise more for the initial investment, but how do you get support for strategically sustaining and replacing the technology?”

Investing in technology is not a single line item in a budget. IT professionals need to communicate with school boards and the community to change the mindsets of people who remember the classroom as one thing and are challenged by conceiving the ways in which technology is reshaping schools.

Lento agrees that schools need to “start at a focus of improved student outcomes. What does student success look like? Most parents are still in the space of, ‘I went to K-12 and this is what it looked like, and it worked.’”

Consider the integration of technology not as a race but a journey. “Through the journey, the leadership team needs to evaluate what they said student success will look like, how they said they would measure it, and then look at the data they are using to measure it,” Lento says.

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Top 10 technology schools

Interested in going to one of the best colleges or universities to study technology? Here are the top 10 schools known for their computer science and engineering programs.

Top technology schools
Every year, Money releases its rankings of every college and university in the U.S., and not surprisingly, a number of those top schools are leaders in the tech space. Here are the top 10 technology schools, according to Money's most recent survey of the best colleges in America.

Stanford University
First on the list for not only technology colleges, but all colleges, Stanford University has an impressive 96 percent graduation rate. The average price for a degree is $178,731 and students earn, on average, $64,400 per year upon graduation. Stanford's global engineering program allows its 4,850 students to travel around the globe while studying engineering. There are nine departments in the engineering program: aeronautics and astronautics, bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, management science and engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located in Cambridge, Mass., is the second best technology school in the country, with a 93 percent graduation rate. The average net price of a degree comes in at a $166,855, but students can expect an average starting salary of $72,500 per year after graduating. As one of the top engineering schools, it's ranked number 1 for chemical, aerospace/aeronautical, computer and electrical engineering. The top employers for the 57 percent of graduates that enter the workforce immediately include companies like Google, Amazon, Goldman Sachs and ExxonMobil. Another 32 percent of students, however, go on to pursue a higher degree.

California Institute of Technology
Located in Pasadena, Calif., the California Institute of Technology has a graduation rate of 93 percent. The average cost of a degree is $186,122, and students earn an average starting salary of $72,300. CalTech, as it's often called, has departments in aerospace, applied physics and materials studies, computing and mathematical sciences, electrical engineering, environmental science and engineering, mechanical and civil engineering, and medical engineering. The prestigious college is also home to 31 recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. has a strong technology program, putting it at number 4 on the list of top technology schools. The cost of tuition is also one of the highest on this list, at $196,551 for a degree. Graduates of Harvey Mudd earn an average of $76,400 early on in their careers and the graduation rate is 91 percent. The engineering program at Harvey Mudd College focuses on helping students apply their skills to real world situations. Students can also get professional experience and help solve design problems outside of the classroom through an engineering clinic.

Harvard University
Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Mass., technically ties with Harvey Mudd for top technology schools, and top overall colleges. The graduation rate is 97 percent and the average price of a degree is $187, 763 while graduates earn an average annual salary of $60,000 when starting their careers. At Harvard's Jon A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which goes back as far as 1847, undergraduate students can study applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, engineering sciences and mechanical engineering.

University of California at Berkeley
The University of California at Berkeley has a graduation rate of 91 percent, and students can get a degree for around $133,549. After graduation, the average salary for students starting out their careers is $58,300 per year. The electrical engineering and computer science division of the University of California at Berkeley has around 2,000 undergraduate students and is the largest department within the university.

University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Penn., has a graduation rate of 96 percent and the average cost of a degree is $194,148. Students graduating from UPenn and beginning out their careers earn an average annual starting salary of $59,200. The UPenn engineering department focuses on computer and information science. Students can study computer science, computer engineering, digital media design, networked and social systems engineering, computational biology as well as computer and cognitive science.

Rice University
Located in Houston, Rice University has a graduation rate of 91 percent and the average cost of a degree is $157,824. Upon graduation, the average starting salary for students comes in at $61,200 per year. Rice University has a Department of Computer Science where students can work in faculty research programs and describes the perfect computer science student as a "mathematician seeking adventurer," a quote from system architect Bob Barton. In the electrical and computer engineering department, students can prepare for a career in oil and gas, wearables, entertainment, renewable energy, gaming, healthcare, space industry, security and aviation.

Brigham Young University-Provo
Brigham Young University-Provo, located in Provo, Utah, has a graduation rate of 78 percent, but students won't have as many loans as other colleges on this list. The average price of a degree is a moderate $80,988 and the average starting salary for graduates is around $51,600 per year. Brigham Young University-Provo offers degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science. With a wide array of programs to choose from in each degree, Brigham Young University-Provo boasts a rigorous course load with an emphasis on gaining practical skills for the workforce.

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas is home to Texas A&M University where 79 percent of students graduate and the average cost of a degree is $84,732. Students can expect to earn an average starting salary of $54,000 per year after graduation. The Texas A&M computer science and engineering program boasts an "open, accepting, and compassionate community that encourages the exploration of ideas." Students should expect to leave the program prepared to help solve real-world challenges in the technology industry through applied research.

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Back to school on a budget: Choosing a cheap laptop to fit your needs

We reviewed eight mainstream budget laptops—because "cheap" doesn't have to mean "awful."

Bargain back-to-school laptops exist for a reason: Not everybody can afford a $2,000 laptop. Honestly, most people don't even need a $2,000 laptop.

For this set of reviews, we're looking at the other end of the spectrum—basic laptops that let you work and browse without crippling your budget. We asked a number of the biggest PC manufacturers (HP, Lenovo, Acer, Dell and Toshiba) to send over their best laptops costing $500 and lower. There's no need to point out that we're pitting an Atom-based machine against one with a Core i5. This is about price point, not conformity. If we missed your personal favorite in this tier, let us know and we can try to take a look at it.

Some people spend more on a single computer than the total cost of these eight budget laptops.

1) If you can spring for a $750 laptop, do so. We took a look at some laptops in that range also, and the difference is palpable. A $500 laptop is all about trading off one important feature for another. You tend to get one standout feature amidst a bunch of compromises. We've found that $750 laptops are generally more well-rounded.

2) On the other hand, you can get a surprisingly competent laptop for $500. These machines aren’t going to make a power user swoon. For basic web browsing, office work, and movie streaming, however, a $500 machine nowadays is a much better proposition than it was ten years ago.

The range of laptops on display here is also pretty interesting. On the high end we've got a handful of fairly traditional (albeit low-end) full-sized laptops with Core i5 processors:
The HP Pavilion x360 11t features a Core M and SSD.

The bloatware is free
We also examined what third-party software/bloatware came with each laptop. One way manufacturers push down costs on these low-end machines is by laying out deals with software companies: "We'll put your software on our machine so you get more customers, and in return you subsidize part of the cost of the laptop itself." It's a purely profit-driven practice, and as Lenovo learned last year it can get you in quite a bit of trouble if you're not careful.

Another thing to keep in mind: You may or may not be better off buying a refurbished unit if you're in this price range—though that depends on how the previous owner treated the machine.

As for methodology, we analyzed these laptops the same way we'd take a look at any other set. Our primary benchmarking tools were PCMark 8 and 3DMark—and yes, we took a look at gaming performance on budget $500 laptops. Spoiler: None of the machines did a particularly great job. Don't buy any of these machines and expect it to run anything more intensive than a 2D indie game or (if you're lucky) something like League of Legends. On low.

We also took a look at disk speeds with CrystalDisk Mark—important because some of these laptops are running standard (and slow) mechanical hard drives, while others are packing speedier storage options.
05 toshiba 2
Rob Schultz

This Toshiba offers a surprising amount of performance for its price.

And finally, we did a more specialized test—a Handbrake transcode of a 30GB Master and Commander file down to a 1GB-ish Android Tablet size.

That's in addition, of course, to looking at the laptops themselves—the build quality, screen quality, keyboard, and trackpad are just as important as the specs. This is a device you'll most likely use every day, and for a while. Even if you only paid $500, we want to make sure you're getting a machine that feels like a quality laptop, not two sheets of veneered plywood held together with a rusty door hinge.

And believe me: It can be done. I've seen it. In fact, let's start with one of the most impressive of the bunch as far as case quality goes—the Dell Inspiron 5000.

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FREE COURSE: Learn basic Cisco networking

In partnership with tech training provider Pluralsight, Network World offers a free online course on CCNA routing and VLANs

In partnership with Pluralsight, Network World presents a free course on CCNA routing and VLANs. In this course, the student will learn the fundamental concepts of networking, and then immediately apply this knowledge to the configuration of a router and switch.

By the end of the course, the student will have enough knowledge to set up a network environment that has multiple subnets over multiple virtual LANs (VLANs), use network address translation (NAT) to connect to the Internet, and hand out IP addresses automatically. Additionally, the student will take a deep dive into IP addressing, using binary, to really gain a fundamental understanding of how endpoints are addressed. All you need as a prerequisite is a willingness to learn and basic computer skills.

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