[c-nsp] Top 10 Network Engineering Tools

[Justin Shore]

I 2nd RANCID.  A properly configured RANCID install is indispensable.

A multi-homed sniffing box (or probe) connected to key points in the 
network.  I have 2 Linux boxes connected to both core routers in our 
main POPs, each has multiple Ethernet connections for no purpose other 
than sniffing.  I can't live without my tcpdump.

I also 2nd Cacti/MRTG/RRDTool and Nagios.

Syslog.  Where would we be without a working syslog daemon.

Your SSH client of choice.  For me I can't do without SecureCRT. 
Everything else pales in comparison to the features of SecureCRT in my 
book.  A good SSH client is like a good keyboard.  You fumble around in 
a drunken stupor without the tool that you're used to.

A reliable IP subnet calculator.  It never hurts to doublecheck your 
work before you make a bone-headed mistake on a mask.

A good command line.  GUIs are great but CLIs are tops.

Beef jerky.

A working mail client with ready access to my friends on C-NSP.

Justin


Yaroslav Doroshenko wrote:
> In addition to tools already mentioned perhaps the following are good  
> also:
> 
> -- rancid (besides it's ability to backup configs and show changes, it  
> has very useful tools like clogin which for example allows you to make  
> configuration changes on many devices by one command)
> -- monitoring is essential. nagios plus as very good addition mrtg,  
> cacti or similar.
> -- perhaps ftp/tftp server at least running on laptop