Increased mobile device use and the rise of Internet of Things devices (Gartner estimates there'll be 25 billion by 2020) has led to greater demands on wireless networks with increased volumes of traffic.

Network specialist Xirrus is introducing Xtreme Density (XD) Wi-Fi access points to meet this need. The Xirrus XD4 is the only 4-radio all 802.11ac access point currently on the market.

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Quality routers are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned. A shoddy Wi-Fi connection is enough to drive you insane. I've bought budget routers that have been absolute nightmares; many dropped connections and needed reboots. Do yourself a favor and buy something from a reputable manufacturer.

Linksys is one of those reputable manufacturers, offering many wonderful networking products. Today, the company begins shipping the EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 router. What makes this notable? It is the world's first MU-MIMO router to ship to consumers. In other words, this thing is likely to be awesome. Will you buy it?

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According to the latest quarterly threat report from network security specialist Black Lotus the frequency of DDoS attacks fell by 44 percent in the last quarter of 2014.

However, the average packet volume of attacks increased 340 percent to 4.36 million packets per second (Mpps), and the average bit volume swelled 245 percent to 12.1 gigabits per second (Gbps) over the same period.

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Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) has become one of the leading products form managing large groups of computers, whether or not they're running Windows.

In order to improve its usefulness still further, add-on provider Adaptiva is launching the latest version of its flagship SCCM solution. OneSite 4.5 is focused on enhancing visibility and security while optimizing the speed at which enterprises can perform server-less software deployments.

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If you've been around the PC world for a while you’ll no doubt have encountered Diskeeper, the unattended defrag tool. With modern server storage using RAID controllers and SSDs you may think that the need for this kind of software is over, but Condusiv, the company behind Diskeeper, believes otherwise.

It's launching Diskeeper 15 Server, a fragmentation prevention solution for storage area network (SAN) systems connected to physical servers to keep both servers and storage running like new.

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According to a new survey by the CyberEdge Group although IT security spending is increasing, confidence is falling, with the majority of respondents expecting to be breached in the next 12 months.

The survey of more than 800 security decision makers and practitioners finds that more than 70 percent of respondents' networks had been breached in 2014, which is a 62 percent increase from the previous year.

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Ethernet has become not just the dominant standard, but the universal technology of local area networking. If you plug a networking cable in at work or at home, it’s almost certainly going to be using Ethernet. Over its 40-year history, Ethernet has risen from contender to unopposed winner in the LAN.

But its abilities now stretch well beyond the building at hand. In this feature we look at how Ethernet is far from having a mid-life crisis now that it’s past 40, and could be about to enter an even more dominant era than it has enjoyed over the last few decades.

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Managing networks is a tedious, time-consuming business, and if your needs are simple then it might be best not to bother. If a network device goes offline, so what? You can just deal with any problems as they crop up.

If several others are using your network, though, you might want to take a more proactive approach, and keep an eye on your hardware. Enter PingView, a free tool for monitoring selected devices -- or domains -- and checking they’re still online.

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In 2014 we saw many data breaches which were often due to a direct attack on a company’s network in which human error played a part.

Big data security specialist Exabeam has produced an infographic showing how hackers can penetrate a network and remain difficult to spot.

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With every new breach, network security hits the news, yet many people and companies still don’t get the basics right.

UK-based wireless network specialist Exigent Networks has produced an infographic that looks at the importance of network security and offers tips and expert advice.

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As businesses increasingly turn to the cloud to store their data the weak link in the chain remains the use of the public internet to transfer information.

To overcome these concerns enterprises are looking for secure and scalable ways to directly connect data centers across the globe. Now IIX (International Internet Exchange) has acquired a platform that fully automates the buying and provisioning of network connections in under five minutes, replacing a manual process that can take as long as 30 days.

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Samsung has made good progress on its 5G cellular technology, increasing transfer speeds to a whopping 7.5 Gbps from a tad over 1 Gbps in April 2013. To put things into perspective, the next-generation cellular networks are now more than 25 times faster than the fastest 4G (LTE Advanced) networks in use today.

The 7.5 Gbps transfer speed represents a new record for 5G cellular networks; it was achieved during the first successful outdoor test. Samsung says that stable transfer speeds of 1.2 Gbps were registered while traveling at 100 kph (62 mph), which is a more accurate representation of how fast the current 5G technology is in actual practice.

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Whenever something in tech is new, I generally get pretty excited about it. In other words, I tend to be an early adopter. Unfortunately, upgrading to the latest and greatest is not necessarily worth the cost; sometimes throwing money at things isn't the best option. I remember upgrading my optical burners at every single small increase in speed. Ultimately, I probably wasted thousands of dollars to save myself seconds in CD and DVD burning. So why did I do it? Other than stupidity, we nerds like to brag about our computers. Hell, even on IRC (Internet Relay Chat), where no one can even validate your claims, it is fun to boast about new PC components.

Wi-Fi can be a rather tricky subject when it comes to upgrades; sometimes it is worth upgrading to a new standard and sometimes not. You see, it really depends on what you are doing. If you are simply using Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, a faster router and card won't make a difference if it is exceeding the speed that your ISP supplies. It does make sense however, if you are sharing files with a home network or streaming from a desktop to a media box. Currently, the best home wireless gear you can get is 802.11ac, and that standard starting to grow in adoption. According to  ABI Research, by the end of 2014, the amount of worldwide access points is predicted to reach over 176 million, and 18 percent will be 802.11ac.

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The firewall is usually the first line of defense for any network, but most offerings are focused on access policy and application control which makes it hard for them to respond to zero-day and more advanced attacks.

Now networking company Cisco is launching what it calls the first threat-focused Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW). Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services provides the contextual awareness and dynamic controls needed to automatically assess threats, correlate intelligence, and optimize defenses in order to protect networks.

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Wireless access points are basically magic. Well, it is actually science, but to early users, it was like something out of a fantasy. When I worked at CompUSA, people would buy a router and laptop and seem unable to grasp the concept of internet being everywhere in their home, including the front porch. Don't forget, at the time, we were not far beyond the days of dial-up and widespread AOL use.

Today, Wi-Fi is second nature to many people -- it is an expectation and no longer an interesting invention. This is no different than other mind-boggling technologies that turned mainstream, like the refrigerator or television. Today, the Wi-Fi Alliance celebrates 15 years of Wi-Fi; this technology deserves praise and thanks from all internet users. Hell, I love that I can access Netflix and my favorite websites while sitting on the toilet.

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