Tue 5 Feb 2008
Fifteen Free Tools that Make an IT Manager’s Life Easier
Posted by Andrew Mitry under Web/Tech
Managing a small or medium sized network can be challenging, over the years I have found these free tools that provide solutions to common IT problems:
- Spiceworks - Inventory, monitoring and help desk.
- OpenDNS - Reliable, secure outbound DNS that blocks phishing sites and gives you the power to block adult sites, proxies and individual domains.
- SSL-Explorer Community Edition - An open-source, browser-based SSL VPN solution that can authenticate against Active Directory and give your users remote access without installing any client-side software.
- VMware Server - Server virtualization allows you to test and deploy new servers quickly and easily. Virtual appliances allow you to trial/run complex applications without having to go through the full install proces.
- GenControl - A simple desktop remote control program that can temporarily install VNC and connect to another machine on your domain in a matter of seconds.
- PaperCut Print Logger - A free print logging application for Windows systems designed to provide real-time activity logs detailing all printer use.
- CrossLoop - Simple and secure screen sharing, great for when you have to help out the boss with his home computer.
- Hamachi - Instant, zero configuration VPN for when you need more than simple screen sharing.
- Montastic - Free website monitoring service.
- Sysinternals - An assortment of utilities to help you manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows systems and applications.
- PacketTrap pt360 - Network management tools with real time reporting.
- Clonezilla or g4u - Hard disk cloning.
- Knoppix - A bootable live Linux operating system on CD or DVD complete with troubleshooting and diagnostic utilities.
- SyncToy, RoboCopy or rsync - Move those files around.
- DNSstuff Tools - DNS, WHOIS,and other network tools.
Props to the Church IT Round Table and Podcast for tips on many of these tools.
What “kewl tools” do you use on your network?
8 Responses to “ Fifteen Free Tools that Make an IT Manager’s Life Easier ”
Comments:
Trackbacks & Pingbacks:
-
Pingback from Fifteen Free Tools that Make an IT Manager’s Life Easier « ParagonHost.com “World Class Internet Services”
February 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm[...] Tools - DNS, WHOIS,and other network tools. Source: http://anchorite.org/blog/2008/02/05/fifteen-free-tools-that-make-an-it-managers-life-easier/ Aggregation: ParagonHost, LLC http://www.ParagonHost.com Scan Defense http://www.ScanDefense.com [...]
-
Pingback from Spotlight: Monitor Windows Servers and Computers Graphically (FREE!)
March 1st, 2008 at 1:51 pm[...] across this before, thanks to Andrew Mitry for linking to this tool in his recent blog post about free tools for IT Managers, where all the links were such high quality (the ones I did and didn’t know about) that I [...]
February 5th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
What apps have you shared through SSL-explorer? I love the product and use it almost daily to connect to my home (using remote desktop), but I’ve seen very few apps published to use through SSL-explorer.
Just curious what others have used it for exactly.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
We mainly use it in two ways, allowing staff to access their desktops remotely (via remote desktop) and allowing remote access to file shares, so they can upload or download files in a pinch.
We also have a few users that access internal web apps through SSL-Explorer, via the web redirection.
All this is pretty simple to manage with multiple users because of the Active Directory Authentication and once a user is connected via remote desktop, they can access any application they need.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Thanks! Do you have any laptop users who use the remote desktop stuff when they’re away? Do you have a term server setup for them, or some extra desktops they connect to? That’s my biggest issue right now.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
On our issued laptops we use Cisco IPSEC VPN clients which allows direct access to all network resources. I think the enterprise version of SSL-Explorer can offer similar functionality.
Staff without laptops can remote directly into their own desktop using SSL-Explorer.
We also have a few shared desktops that multiple users can remote into, demand hasn’t scaled to the point where we need a terminal server yet.
Note: We put Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) on all desktop machines that we allow remote access to.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Andrew - a HUGE thanks from all of us at CrossLoop for showing up on your list!
Please feel free to email me if you or your readers have any questions
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
For the network management folks out there, here’s a link to more useful free tools on SolarWinds’ network engineering community site: Thwack free tools