At the Open Networking Summit, Google talked about their SDN (Software Defined Networking) technology, dubbed Espresso. They use the platform to route 20% of their internet traffic - a number that continues to grow since it's initial deployment two years ago.

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The Internet of Things is more than a buzzword. It represents a significant challenge to IT managers. Instead of building networks for thousands of endpoints, we can add at least one order of magnitude to that. How we manage network traffic, security, data volumes and skills will all be impacted.

If you wish your old, non-network printer could be accessible from anywhere in the house, PiMyLifeUp has a guide for turning a Raspberry Pi into a print server, making that old dump printer accessible from anywhere.

If you have a lot of guests who come over asking for the Wi-Fi password, then you know how much a pain it is to give that out while still keeping your network secure. DIYer NicoHood used a Raspberry Pi to power a QR-code system for easy guest logins.

You know how when you sit on your couch, the Wi-Fi on your laptop cuts out? Or when you're in the bathroom your phone refuses to connect? From Google to Netgear, everyone's rolling out expensive "Mesh Network" kits that promise to fix Wi-Fi dead zones in offices and homes. But only some people should shell out the $500+ for one.

Last week's DDoS attack on Dyn that shut down portions of the internet was fuelled by bots created from hacked connected devices, like internet-connected cameras and DVRs, but can also theoretically include connected routers and printers. While there isn't exactly a fix for this problem, IoT Scanner is a tool that can at least tell you if a device in your house is creating a vulnerability.

If you use Google's Photos app, Microsoft's Cortana, or Skype's translation function, you're using a form of artificial intelligence (AI) on a daily basis. AI was first dreamed up in the 1950s, but has only recently become a practical reality — all thanks to software systems called neural networks. This is how they work.

Back in 2015, the US FCC introduced new guidelines that looked like a threat to anyone wanting to hack and install open firmware on their routers. They backed off, but a lot of manufacturers are still locking their devices down, just in case. Linksys, the company announced last week, isn't one of them.

Building your own router might sound like a fools errand, but Ars Technica found that it was not only pretty simple, it also produced better results than most commercial options.

The iPhone and iPad have built-in Wi-Fi that works perfectly fine, but if for some reason you'd prefer an ethernet connection, blogger Jacob Salmela shows you how to do it.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking an in-depth look at the essential software and hardware that every IT business needs. Today: networks.

The only thing we can be certain of is networks will only become more complex. One of the big challenges is more and more data is being created, stored, analysed and used on the edges of the network. And tat means lots of separate systems. Cisco expects the Intercloud to do for the cloud what the Internet did for networks.

Basic information about your web browser is an important part of troubleshooting computer problems. Yourbrowser.is automatically gathers all the essential information about your browser in an easy-to-ready format.

Melbourne's Etihad Stadium has just completed a major upgrade of its networking infrastructure. The best way to test how well that worked? Set a gaggle of teenage One Direction fans loose to use it.

Routers often come with easy-to-guess passwords out of the box, which is why you always need to change the default settings. For the wireless network name, many people choose something easy to remember, like your name or your address. If you use that personal information for the network name, you might make a hacker's job easier.

Android/iOS: Fing shows you all of the devices on your network, down to the device type and manufacturer for each. Best of all, it puts all of that data in the palm of your hand.

There are many examples of individuals with different disabilities who excel and accomplish much in their lifetime, rendering physical or mental attributes meaningless — consider Stephen Hawking, Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller, among many others. But certain tasks and careers are more or less suited to some disabilities than others. Thankfully Ray Charles could sing and compose without his sight, but if his natural talent had been as a sportsman then the world may have not seen him rise to fame. Today's technology offers many new possibilities, not least the opportunity to work in the information technology field itself.

Curious about where the nearest mobile tower is? The Radio Frequency National Site Archive (RFSNA) lets you search by address to find current mobile base station sites in Australia, as well as locations where new towers are proposed and details of any community consultations.

They are out there… or should that be "they are in and around your network?" Yes, at any moment in time, they may infest your network, putting your data at risk; ticking time-bombs waiting to explode, configurations ripe for exploit. And don't forget those decisions made in the heat of the moment that, had rational thought prevailed, would never have been permitted.