Basic configurations on Cisco ASA Firewall - Part 1 (thenetworkdna)

 

The article “Basic Configurations on Cisco ASA Firewall – Part 1” provides a practical introduction to the essential commands needed to set up a Cisco ASA firewall in a real network environment. It focuses on the initial configuration tasks that network administrators commonly perform when deploying an ASA device, including interface setup, security levels, IP addressing, and basic management access. The goal is to help beginners understand the foundational configuration steps before moving on to more advanced firewall features. Source article

A major portion of the article explains how to configure the ASA interfaces for inside and outside networks. It demonstrates assigning IP addresses, naming interfaces, and setting security levels that determine the trust relationship between network segments. The inside interface is typically given a higher security level, while the outside interface is assigned a lower level to represent the untrusted internet. These settings form the basis for how traffic is permitted or restricted through the firewall. Source article

The article also covers management access using HTTPS. It shows how to enable the ASA’s HTTP server and allow secure web-based administration from hosts on the inside network. This section highlights the importance of restricting management access to trusted networks only, which is a common security best practice. By enabling HTTPS management, administrators can use the ASDM graphical interface to configure and monitor the firewall more easily. Source article

Overall, the guide serves as a concise hands-on reference for anyone learning Cisco ASA firewalls. It introduces the core concepts of interface configuration, security zoning, IP addressing, and secure administrative access in a straightforward command-by-command format. The article is especially useful for CCNA and security students, junior network engineers, and IT professionals who want a quick refresher on the basic ASA setup process before implementing routing, NAT, VPNs, or other advanced security features. Source article

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Network Troubleshooting: Finding Cabling Problems, Old Hubs, and 100 Mbps Connections

What would my Sunday be without a last-minute call?

A local business that I help out, called me and explains that they've had internet performance issues since day one.

They upgraded their internet service to fibre, then their local computer guy blamed the WIFI, so they put in a new WIFI mesh solution, now the same computer guy is blaming their switch. My friend is getting suspicious and asked if I had a few minutes to come by and check things out and give a second opinion.

Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch User Management

I think its important to document or learn how to administer your equipment using the GUI and the CLI.

In this example, I use both methods to add and delete a user on a Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch.

Two Factors Adversely Affecting U.S. Software and Infrastructure Security – Part 1

 

There has been attention, maybe even intense attention, paid to the security of United States civilian and government computer hardware systems over the last several years. I’m referring to the various discussions about foreign “white box” technology, the Huawei controversy, etc. But what about software security? There’s been lots of talk about hackers, malware, and state-sponsored hacking groups. However, the software powering these systems presents an equally pressing, yet often overlooked, concern.

Network Testing Tip

 

If as I mentioned in the video some of you may find this helpful.

Whenever we test, and more commonly, ping, I find that people can lose focus of the big picture.

Any type of response time tool should be used with a reference point to compare it to.

In this example I show you a simple ping tests where we get a spike. If I did not have a local machine as a reference point, I would’ve thought the spike was due to the Internet or the server.

That’s it folks, I will keep it short and sweet.

Have a great day.

Ubiquiti Edgerouter VPN Configuration

I typically encounter situations where I need to come up with a solution. Sometimes it is a temporary solution while we wait for the ‘proper one to get deployed’ other times, its more of a proof of concept to see if the client will actually use it.

A great example is when I installed a Ubiquiti Edgerouter for a client at a remote office. We had a discussion afterwards about support and monitoring. Of course, I bring that up since a majority of my work involves troubleshooting.

I respected the client’s honesty when he bluntly said “We have thought of it, but not had any time to follow-up as of yet”.  I totally understand and appreciate what he means. He then added that they are currently using the Ubiquiti cloud network management platform. After a quick chat we both realized that there are some blind spots in their monitoring and inability to easily connect to the office locally.

His face lit up when I suggested we set up a test VPN, so we can VPN into the office router and then have full access to all the local hosts and resources. He was concerned that this was going to be complicated and wondered how much this was going to cost.

When I explained that all their routers support various VPN access options and that I have done this before, he gave me the nod to proceed.  An hour later, he and the support team where VPN’ed in and happy as can be. I ended up using a LT2P configuration since it was the easiest and most compatible. i figure if he likes, and uses the VPN solution, we can change it to Openvpn or Wireguard later.

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Network Testing Tools and Techniques (NetBeez)

 

There are several tools and methodologies available to test a network infrastructure. Network testing enables network managers to monitor the performance of the network, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and identify the root-cause. Generally this network performance analysis is performed with specific test tools, including network performance monitoring tools like NetBeez.

Let’s review what network testing it, what open source tools are available in the following sections:

• Network testing definition

• Why network testing is important

• Network testing tools

• Network testing use cases

Network testing solution: NetBeez

https://netbeez.net/blog/network-testing-tools/

Manage Your Linux System Resources With These 7 Terminal Commands

 Not sure what's hogging your Linux PC's resources? There are lots of tools for getting information about your system and managing resources. Here are some that you should know about to track processes, files, memory, and disk usage.

https://www.howtogeek.com/manage-your-linux-system-resources-with-these-terminal-commands/

Its just a UPS, what can go wrong?

 

It doesnt matter if it is a simple UPS install.

I've seen all sorts of mistakes and shortcuts that comes back to bite you.

Here's a few things that I suggest you consider when installing a UPS.

The last point which I did not cover in the video, is to figure out what works best for you and either monitor the health of the UPS or set up a maintenance schedule to check it.

Creating a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter WAN PORT Filter

 Whenever you have a device facing the Internet, you should ensure you have some basic protection against script kiddies, port scanners, and pinging apps.

In this example, I show you how to create a WAN port filter for a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter.