The Technology Firm

• Troubleshooting skills don't just happen
  I remember a while ago when I was presenting and told the group "if you do your job right, you will always find something to fix, tune or tweak" .
  After an install, I always go online the next day or two and check logs, port stats, etc..  I would say I will find something odd that is worth investigating about 30% of the time.
  

• Stop Packet Hoarding: Why Enabling DHCP Logs Will Save Your Sanity
  If you’ve ever fired up a packet capture to troubleshoot a DHCP issue, you know the feeling. Suddenly you’re drowning in thousands of packets
  

• Packet Sleuthing on the Edge: How tcpdump Saved My DHCP Sanity
  When a DHCP issue strikes, it tends to do so with the subtlety of a brick through a window. Devices suddenly stop obtaining addresses, clients complain that “the network is broken,” and the logs seem to be playing hide-and-seek

• When Your Tools Don’t Agree: The Ubiquiti Wave Pro Headache
  There’s nothing quite as frustrating as trusting your monitoring tools—only to find out they’re telling two completely different stories
  
  

• The Unsung Hero of Install Day: Ubiquiti Wave Pro’s Cable Test Feature
  When deploying a Ubiquiti Wave Pro wireless link, one of the most underrated yet invaluable tools is the built-in cable test feature.  https://thetechfirmblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-unsung-hero-of-install-day-ubiquiti.html

• Crimp, Click, and Connect: Building a Custom Outdoor Ethernet Cable from Scratch
  There’s a certain satisfaction in crafting your own Ethernet cable—especially when it’s built to last in the great outdoors. I recently purchased a complete RJ45 kit from Amazon that came with everything I needed: connectors, protective boots, a crimper, and a compact cable tester. Instead of relying on pre-made patch cords, I decided to put the kit to the test using a roll of outdoor-rated Ethernet cable, built tough for weather and UV exposure.

• Why Every IT Troubleshooter Should Carry a Portable LCD Display

• Trust, But Verify

• A Breath of Fresh Air Why Blowing Out Dust Keeps Your Computer Alive Longer

• From the toolbox: What is HFS ?
  If you’re looking for a powerful yet lightweight solution to share files directly from your computer, check out HFS (HTTP File Server).

• How $3 saved the day
  Have you ever spent an embarrassing amount of time troubleshooting your troubleshooting tools? 

• When in Doubt, Update: How a Fresh Copy of PuTTY Saved My Sanity

• WAN-na Test Your Network? Just Copy Some Files, Dude!

• The Screws of Doom – A DIY Network Horror Story

• When the Camera Isn’t the Problem: How Bad Cabling Fooled Everyone

• Why You Should Double-Check an Electrician’s Network Cabling Work

• Lost in Translation: A Tale of a Tricky VLAN Mismatch

• Why a Handheld Tester Like the NetAlly LinkRunner is Essential .

• Cabling: The Silent Speed Killer

• Why You Should Never Use Indoor-Rated Cabling Outdoors

• How my NetAlly LinkRunner Saved the Day

• Validating Switch Trunk Ports With My @NetAlly LinkRunner

• Do Unmanaged Switches Break Trunk Ports? Lab Testing the Myth

• What Happens When IPs Run Out? Why You Should Test Your Network Gear to Find Out and free @NetBeez wi-fi seminar

• Know Your Tools What I Learned from the LinkRunner in my lab

• Ubiquiti Geo Ip Blocking Follow up

• Why Reviewing Router Logs After Firewall Rule Changes Is Crucial for Network Security

• Mastering EdgeRouter Security: Why Command Line and GeoIP Blocking Are Game-Changers

• PSA: Outdoor Rated Tie Wraps

• The Importance of Auditing and Cleaning Up Firewall Policies

• Ubiquiti Edgerouter Reset and Setup

• Avoiding Water Damage on Outside Cameras

• Testing Ethernet Couplers and Debunking a Myth

• Why Not tcping It?

• Why Is My 1 Gb Really 100mb?

• Learn Your Recovery Processes - Ubiquiti Router Example

• Test or check your cables - layer 1...

• Port Flapping –Layer One At Its Finest

• Spend a bit of Time with Tony and Mike

• Fibre cutover and site walkthrough

• Monitoring - Step 1 of Visibility

• Spot Checks and Logs

• Ubiquiti WAN Balancing And Failover Part 2

• Cabing woes. A local business that I help out when they need a hand, calls me and explains that they've had internet performance issues since day one.

• 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.  #Ubiquiti

• Network Testing Ping Tip

• Ubiquiti Edgerouter VPN Configuration

• Its just a UPS, what can go wrong?

• Creating a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter WAN PORT Filter

• Google Search tip "site:"

• Determine Your WAN IP with one Powershell command

• Testing Edgerouter load balancing

• How to Setup TCP Tunneling with Rustdesk

• Marco Polo at Work? I think every technician should be required to perform a simple exercise of installing equipment remotely with a non-technical person. 

• Why Should I Care About A Bootup

• Routing Cleanup

• Use your tools

• Why not TCPING??

• Tony Onsite: Cable Placement

• Tony onsite: final walkthrough

• Tony on site: Documentation Progress

• Rack Mounting A Switch On My Own

• Layer 1, Layer 1, Layer 1, ...

• Deciphering the Cabling Code

• Photoshoot ??

• Access Point and Ghost SSID’s

• Tony Onsite - Initial Impressions

• WiFi Site Survey and script

• Bootup Tip or Trick

• Drive Testing and Ventoy

• Measuring IOTA Tool Behavior

• Baselining Session – Network Throughput

• Automating a Speedtest in Windows

• Kali Linux – Getting Started – Updating Linux

• Multiple Macs and Network Flooding?

• Baselining Session – Network Throughput

• Outdoor Troubleshooting

• Site Visit: Checking The Drops

• Ever try to use some heat shrink and its just a bit too small..??

• Ubiquiti Router Configuration

• Free Ubiquiti WiFi Design Tool

• iperf2 Bandwidth Option

• Quick Peek at Cports

• Can’t Manage To Get Your Management Port?

• Free Packet Generator - Packet Sender

• WIFI Testing - Know your Tools

• For Cryin Out Loud, DOCUMENT!

• Using A Printer for A WIFI Survey

• Add Value !! I

•  wanted to see how much dust accumulates in the computer in 6 months.

• Free WiFi Tool To Consider

• Cabling Tip

• Network Flooding, Really?

• Measure Task Time With Timer

• Tip When Making cables

• Http ping and tracert ipv6/ipv4 tips

• Find your tools with Nmap

• Outdoor Rj45 Jack Install

• Skip the Preamble – Outdoor Enclosures

• Trials and Tribulations - VOIP Migration *

• Iperf3 vs. Iperf3: Just Start Measuring

• nmap Output Options

• Wifi Troubleshooting with Nirsoft’s Wifiinfoview

• Troubleshooting WiFi Outdoors

• Chatgpt and Network Analysis

• Create your own DNS response time tool in Python

• Another Install.. well you know

• Good Old Auto Wifi Channels

• WiFi Capture Walkthrough

• Access Point Troubleshooting

• Know Your Tools

• NetAlly AirCheck Screen Capture and Upload Tip

• Quickview - Nirsoft WiFi Diagnostics

• Cable Troubleshooting Example Wi-Fi Survey Basics

• Cable Troubleshooting Example

• Its That Time Of Year Again

• Measuring Device Recovery Time

• Ok, I'm Guilty..

• 5 Things To Do With Your NetAlly Aircheck

• Wi-Fi Survey Overview

• WiFi Ghosts

• Quick Cabling Tip

• DNS Troubleshooting?

• Troubleshooting Old School

• Investigating Loops

• Always check your software

• IP Camera nmap and Connect

• How Does Packet Loss and Delay Affect Performance?

• Inventory and SNMP DISCOVERY

• Old School vs New Tool – Link Runner

• Nirsoft's WhoisConnected Review

• Performance Testing; Network vs Storage

• Cabling Problems? 100 Mbps vs 1 GBps

• Troubleshooting 101 – What About the Ports?

• NetAlly Linkrunner G2 Software Update

• Tony’s 2 Bits: What To Bring ??

• Tony's 2 bits - Cabling

• Know your network, know your tool

• Layer 1 – gets them all the time

• Speedtest Anyone??

• Tool Behavior Exercise - Netscout Optiview XG

• Getting Started Is The Tough Part 

• A Quick Note About TCP Sequence Numbers

• A Look at The Good Old IPv4 Conflict

• Measuring command response times using ptime

• Example: Application Comparison/Baselining

• Free ARP Scanner

• Sylsog – Use it!!

• PowerPoint Screen Recording Tip

• Troubleshooting At The Physical Level

• Figuring out the IP Address of your Equipment, like my Profitap IOTA

• Baselining, No Problem

• Skip the Preamble- Mike and Dynatrace

• Know Your Network – Cabling

• Don’t Get Left in the Dust

• WE HAVE A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE

• Don’t Go on Faith: Test to Root Out Unexpected Results 

• Keep your Eyes Open

• nmap Subnet Discovery Using A Port Number​

• The Network Cleanup

• What to Do With My Profitap IOTA – Wifi

• Baselining 101: Copying a file to test performance

• Cabling Trials and Tribulations: Tips on Avoiding Problems  

• Always Check Your Install or Repair 

• Why are you performing a Speedtest 

• F7 AND THE Windows COMMAND PROMPT 

• Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Performance: Don’t Overlook the Antenna 

• Working with Port Security When Capturing Packets 

• Enabling SNMP in Windows 10 

• Can a TV Distract Your Computer? 

• Cisco Log Tip 

• Evaluating Backup Bandwidth with a Portable Wan Emulator 

• SQL Packet Analysis Using Dynamic Baselining 

• Troubleshooting Application Issues - SQL server  

• Keeping You House In Order  

• Why Bother with Ethernet Cabling. 

• Test Web Page Load Time with a Free Chrome Extension  

• When Testing, Get Active  

• Mercury Reader For When you Need To Read 

• Troubleshooting Application Configuration for Security 

• Layer 1 Troubleshooting Scenario  

• How to Configure 2 IP Addresses 

• Testing POE with Pockethernet 

• Free WiFi Analysis Tool: WiFiInfoView 

• Free Network Performance Test Tool: Wget 

• DNS Server Troubleshooting: 3 Free Tools 

• Troubleshooting a Router Installation 

• The Bootup Baseline 

• Network Analysis Techniques for Large Trace Files 

• Automated Troubleshooting with Pulover's Macro Creator 

• Switch Port Discovery Using Switch Miner 

• VMware Player and Testing Tip 

• Packet Loss Vs. Latency: Analyzing the Impact 

• Operational Guidelines and Tools for Network Testing 

• iPerf2 vs iPerf3 

• Investigating Routing Problems 

• Guidelines and Tools for Network Testing 

• How to Use Wget to Determine Performance Issues 

• Troubleshooting: Why Ping When You Can CryPing? 

• NetBeeze Quickstart  

• Application Dependency Analysis: Getting Started 

• TCP Traceroute Tools 

• Using Ping Options More Effectively 

• Using iPerf to Test Router Throughput 

• Network Performance Testing: Measuring Quality of Service 

• Measuring Router Performance Using Netscout OptiView XG 

• IoT Security: Creating a Baseline Trace 

• Upgrading Firmware And Why its Critical  

• Recovering a Stored Password from a Web Browser 

• Introduction to Automating Your Testing 

• Internet Performance Testing: Speed Vs. Quality 

• FTP Troubleshooting: Applying a Methodology   

• Knowing Your Tools 

• Using Batch Files to Record Network Throughput 

• A Cisco Router Speed Test   

• Weird by Works: Fixing Drag and Drop With VMware Workstation 12 

• Network Performance: Packet Loss Vs. Delay 

• Troubleshooting: Devising A Testing Methodology 

• How To Secure A Network For Free   

• Check Your Social Media Security Settings 

• Network Troubleshooting From The User Perspective 

• Making Network Device Management Safe 

• Network Analysis: TCP Window Size   

• Network Troubleshooting: TCP SACK Analysis 

• Excel's Text To Column Makes Troubleshooting Easier 

• Investigating Loops 

• Would You Rent Out Your Personal Info 

• Network Troubleshooting: TCP SYN Analysis 

• When Is A Disable Is Just A Suggestion 

• I'm Just A Discovery Packet 

• When Is A Lost Packet Not Lost? 

• Subject Matter Expert to Leader Interview With Maria Conte 

• Ever Hear Of A Routing Audit? 

• Gathering Information 101 

• Application Performance Monitoring Tools – Connect Time 

• What Could Go Wrong – Layer 1 

• The Personal Side Of Troubleshooting 

• Diagnosing Application Performance Problems  

• Router Basics: The Lost Configuration - 

• How to learn about email protocols like POP 

• Bittwist Packet Generator Quickstart 

• Switches and Tool Placement Tips and Tricks 

• Fping Quickstart 

• Documenting Why “Its Slow” 

• Network Overview 

• Google Chrome Developer Tool 

• Good Old Syslog 

• Microsoft Netmon, Not Your Parents Analyzer 

• Tracewrangler Review - Edit your trace files 

• DHCP Mayhem 

• Enabling Telnet Client in Windows 7 

• Troubleshooting DHCP is actually a lot trickier than you might think 

• Using Microsip 

• Wget for Windows Quickstart  

• Spanning Tree Convergence 

• LED Light TIP 

• Fping Review 

• MRTG Quickstart 

• OSI layer 1 talk 

• Colasoft's MAC Scanner 

• SC Congress Toronto Presentation - Underground Networks 

• OSI layer 2 talk 

• hrping utility options review -i -r -w 

• Using hrping's -M and -l option 

• What is a protocol 

• Android Bootup bootup Baseline With Wireshark p

• Network Design & Its Impact 

• Using The Netgear gs108e As A Tap 

• Using Wireshark's Editcap to reduce your trace file size 

• Netgear Cable Test 

• Testing Virtual Machines With iperf 

• Spanning Tree and Wireshark 

• A Fluffy Cloud 

• Network Cleanup: Dealing With Dust - 

• TFTP Vs. FTP: The Networking Perspective 

• Network Analysis: Tool Calibration  

• Network Redesign: VLANs And Ports 

• Network Redesign: In The Field 

• Packet Analysis: HSRP, EIGRP, STP And CDP  

• Network Troubleshooting: Broadcast Analysis 101 - 

• Be Prepared: What to Bring when Troubleshooting a Network 

• Network Troubleshooting: Device Cleanup - 

• Throughput 101: Don't Guess At File Sizes 

• Troubleshooting MTU & ICMP Issues 

• Network Troubleshooting: Latency Vs. Retransmission - 

• When QUIC isn't so Quick 

• Enabling tools can put security practices on high alert (article)

CISCO

MICROSOFT

• Good old Windows Command Prompt

• Windows IP Filter

• Trying out Windows winget

• Microsoft netsh wlan commands

• Testing Storage With Windows Winsat

• What happens when my primary DNS server is not reachable?

• LAB: What happens when you are assigned 2 gateways

• CDP Discovery Using Microsoft’s PKTMON

• Figuring Out Link Speed Using the Windows Command Prompt

• 1 Line Powershell File System Performance Script

• Getting Started With Microsoft's pktmon

• Free Command Line timer

• Capturing Packets Natively in Microsoft Windows

• Automating Microsoft's FTP

• Using Microsoft’s netsh

• Exploring Nping Performance Issues on a Windows Computer

• Monitoring Windows Services for Free  

• Microsoft getmac and MAC Address 

• Mercury Reader For When you Need To Read  

• How to Enable Windows 10 Auto Login  

• Bootup Baseline

• Using Microsoft’s clip 

• Using Microsoft Message Analyzer for Network Troubleshooting 

• Getting Started With Microsoft’s netsh 

• Fixing Mailto Problems On Windows 8 

• Recovering A WiFi Security Key In Windows 

• How To Rename Your Network Interfaces In Windows 

• Tonys bits – Simple IP Config 

• Using Microsoft's diskpart 

• Enabling SNMP on Windows 8 

• Microsoft Resource Monitor Quickstart  

• Enabling SNMP on Windows 8 

• Microsoft Tracert Tips 

• Microsoft Driver Update Issue You Should Know About 

• fsekrit Create your own encrypted text files 

• Using Microsoft Netmon at the Command Prompt 

• Disabling SNMP Packets from your Computer 

• Enabling SNMP on Windows 8 

• Enable SNMP on Windows 7 

• Microsoft's Pathtest Review 

• Speedguide.net's TCP Optimizer 

• Robocopy vs Xcopy comparison and batch files 

• tinytask review 

• Apptimer - Performance Utility 

• Whos Driving Your WiFi? 

• hrping utility review 

• Using Microsoft Clip 

• Microsoft Client Bindings - blast from the past