When you hear the phrase, "It's all who you know," what do you think of?Influential people who can open a door for your career? Friends in high places who can throw you a bone? I think it's time we look at the phrase differently.

You might know what a virtual private network (VPN) is, but the odds of you actually using one are low. You really should be using a VPN -- ultimately, you may end up seeing it as just as vital as your internet connection. We'll tell you why, explain how to choose a VPN provider and list five that are worth considering.

Mesh networking has become increasingly popular as people try to improve wireless coverage at their homes and offices. But it's been challenging to deploy as you've needed to choose a brand a stick to it as gear from different vendors didn't work together. But that's set to change as the WiFi Alliance establishes a new, software-based standard that will enable cross-manufacturer interoperability.

Dlink has launched its new mesh networking setup, dubbed Covr, in Australia. It's a MU-MIMO wireless mesh network that looks good and promises to ensure devices are seamlessly switched between the best access point in your home or office as they move around.

macOS: It's important to know how to fine-tune your wireless router, because not every router can just auto-adjust your wireless network's settings to give you the highest quality connection. That, and a great wifi-analysis app can help you figure out the areas of your house or apartment that might need a little more wireless support -- either by adding another access point or adjusting your existing configuration.

You check into your hotel after a hard day of travelling. All you want to do is kick off your shoes, set the temperature to whatever hot or cold extreme you wouldn't be able to get away with at home, and say hello to your Netflix queue before some much-earned rest. And then you realise the terrible truth: Your Wi-Fi connection is horrible or, worse, non-existent.

So you're trying to become better at networking, handing out business cards like free samples to advance your career. We all try to do it, but approaching networking like an aimless productivity robot is bullshit. Just try to be a normal person and meet people.

Journalists, and bloggers who pose as journalists, get a lot of pitches over email. I get about 20 a day, so I'm pretty heavy on the archive button. But if you're trying to pitch something you've worked on, and you aren't a professional publicist, you're actually at an advantage. Last month, game developer Andrew Miller asked me for advice on how to pitch his work for coverage. Here's what I told him.

While being a constant in the networking business for enterprises and mid-market companies, Cisco has been somewhat 'in and out" with SMBs according to VP for ANZ at Cisco Ken Boal. But during Cisco Live yesterday, he said that the company is now "Here to stay" for SMBs.

Let's not sugarcoat it: Searching for a job can be awful. It's a little like apartment hunting. Or partner hunting. You have to sift through a lot of unattractive options for one gem in the rough. But there are much better, more effective and sanity-saving ways to find appealing jobs that don't involve refreshing Seek or CareerOne.

Job searches are already a complicated stress-maze of multiple sites, searches and alerts, so you might think it's bad news that you also need to expand your search to social media. But actually, Twitter and Facebook can be a relatively (relatively) pleasant part of the job search process.

Dear Lifehacker, I have recently moved interstate and started a new job. What's your best tip for getting myself known to the people that matter while still maintaining a good relationship with my peers and staff? I don't want to be a brown nose but I have come from a well-respected position - I knew the movers-and-shakers both within my organisation and without and I want to get back to that point as quickly as possible.

We've covered how to ask, or not ask, for free professional advice: Don't say "Can I pick your brain?" and do make a specific, realistic request. But when you're on the other side of the tiny café table, take Quartz's thoughtful advice on how to get your brain picked.

Netgear has long been a significant player in the networking business. The Orbi is their play in the competitive world of mesh networking, that uses multiple wireless devices that interoperate to cover a large area with a single WLAN.Netgear sent me me three different Orbi systems to try out. I've reviewed their premium system, the AC3000 system, which is designed to cover up to 350 square metres of area.

Until recently, the best way to cover your home or office with reliable WiFi was to invest in a decent wireless router. If the signal didn't cover the entire premises, you could add a powerline network adaptor or add a wireless access point to the network. But a new class of device that employs mesh networks is on the market. Over the next few days I'm going to look at three mesh network systems: Linksys Velop, Netgear Orbi and TP-link Deco.

Free wi-fi is a windfall, especially if you're working from the library or airport, or if you just want to save data on your phone or laptop. Still, you do have to care about security when you're out and about. Here's how to surf safely, on any device.

The way we construct our digital infrastructure has changed substantially. Virtualisation heralded a shift that lead businesses to the cloud and we now are in the era of containerisation and the ability to scale in and out to dynamically meet the needs of businesses. The next phase of that shift will be intent-based networking, where network managers will define the preferred state of their network and use automation and machine learning to keep the network operating in that state.

It's awfully easy to get in touch with prominent people these days, isn't it? A few clicks through social media or company bios and you can fire off a message to your field's newest rock star, the guy or gal who is creating and disrupting and re-inventing everything from buses to bodegas.

Optus Fusion SD-WAN is a new service that uses Riverbed’s SteelConnect platform. It can be deployed as an ‘over-the-top’ managed service across any business network – regardless of provider or connection.