Core Services
Cisco Systems - Extreme Networks - Juniper Networks - Hewlett Packard - Mitel Networks - AEP Networks/Netilla - Microsoft - Citrix
We strive to provide the best service in the industry to meet our customers needs and believe that this can only be achieved by having a comprehensive knowledge of a concise, “best of breed” product range. Our analytical approach to product and service selection enables us to select to work solely with companies that lead their particular market or field or present the best technical solution to the problem.
This product focus also enables us to concentrate our training efforts to ensure that our consultants are completely up to date with their own individual manufacturer accreditations. We are therefore able to offer technical resource for new features and products within a relatively short time-frame.
Whilst we strongly recommend the use of the products above, we are able to offer general consultancy or engineering resources regardless of equipment. This is because we have no sales commitment to our key product manufacturers. So we are able to concentrate on the problem in hand rather than looking for a possible sales opportunity.
Networking
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
- Wide Area Network (WAN)
- Wireless
Networks are often maligned and even more frequently misunderstood. We have lost count of the number of times we have been asked to look at “a strange network problem” when we have contacted prospective customers. What they really mean is that they have “a strange problem between X and Y that we are struggling to understand so it must be the network!
That said, they should not be seen as “black art” either. The cause of most network problems turn out to be relatively simple – the problem is that these “simple” problems can affect a whole network. The consequences of any resulting downtime may not be too severe in an SME business of a dozen or so users, but would be catastrophic for corporate or ISP/ASP businesses.
All of our Network Consultants have over 10 year’s experience of cross-platform network design, implementation and troubleshooting. We are fully conversant with current LAN, MAN, WAN and Wireless protocols and have experienced consultants with particular skills in the following:
Spanning Tree (STP, 802.1D) - RSTP (802.1w) - PVST - EAPS - RIP (1 and 2) - IGRP - EIGRP - IS-IS - OSPF - BGP - ISL - VTP - 802.1q - MPLS - HDLC - PPP - PAP - CHAP - HSRP - VRRP - TLS - WEP - WPA - TKIP - AES - 802.11a - 802.11b/g
Further information on the protocols listed above can be found on http://www.protocols.com
Security
- Firewall
- Intrusion Detection and mitigation
- VPN
- SSL VPN
Security is the most dynamic and challenging area within the IT industry. Although technology evolves at an alarming rate, security challenges arise minute by minute or even second by second. This is primarily due to the nature of the perceived threat – the unknown entity possibly attempting an (as yet) unknown attack in order to gather/damage your critical data. There are too many variables for a mathematician – let a lone a humble Network/Security Manager!
Nowadays, every organisation (and most homes too!) have perimeter protection by employing some sort of firewall. Our consultants are accredited and experienced across the Juniper Netscreen Firewall , Sonicwall and Cisco PIX Firewall ranges.
Some organisations also use Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS) alongside the firewall, though this approach has an obvious floor – no matter which way you dress-up IDS, you are locking the stable door after the horse has bolted! For this reason, businesses with mission-critical data are turning to Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) appliances that actually PREVENT ATTACK PROPAGATION of known threats or protocol anomalies onto the local LAN.
Although a combination of Firewall and IDP devices will protect (as far as possible) our data from KNOWN EXTERNAL attack, they cannot help with so-called day zero attacks, or those that come from within. At Xpertex, we have found that Extreme Networks Sentriant appliance has the best technical approach to this problem whereby the device sits – ON-LAN and monitors the network for a combination of known attacks, anomalies and unusual traffic destined for un-used IP addresses. This prevents rapidly propagating threats such as Virus or Worm Storms wreaking havoc as threat mitigation time is reduced to seconds.
Although the IT Security arena is often crowded with horror stories and seemingly never-ending threats, some good has evolved from the technologies that have been developed as a result of the need to protect data. For a good while now, we have enjoyed the low-cost inter-site connections that IPSec site to site VPN’s can offer and with the use of proprietary IPSec client software, Remote Access Services (RAS) have been possible wherever there is an Internet Connection.
Before the advent of DSL, the encryption overhead that the IPSec software introduced was simply lost in the overall speed of the service. As more and more high-speed Internet connections proliferated, the speed, along with the REQUIREMENT for client software became intolerable for some.
The solution to this problem came in the form of SSL VPN’s. We had all started to notice this little padlock on the browser screen when using online banking or secure payment services and found that there was an encryption algorithm that was built into the browser! AEP Networks were one of the first to develop this idea for Remote Access Services and launched their Netilla NSP SSL VPN product.
Xpertex consultants have been working with Netilla for the last 6 years and many of our implementation challenges have resulted in new features being added to the already extensive feature set. In addition to Netilla, we are fully trained on the Juniper Secure Access (SA) SSL VPN range (formerly Neoteris) and promote this solution where “Net Meeting” type remote-control features are required. We find that this unique feature appeals most to Technical Support teams as they are able to manage users home PC’s remotely over the internet.
Convergence (Voice and Data Synergy)
- IP Telephony
- Voice over IP
- Quality of Service/Voice Optimisation
We have vast experience with what is nowadays referred to as convergence. Our consultants have been integrating voice and data for 8 years and our principal convergence consultant has won 2 industry awards for his imaginative integrated telephony implementations; one for a Cisco VoIP toll-bypass solution, and the other for a Mitel Networks convergence solution for a private hotel.
(Channel Network Awards 2004)
Most recently we have been engaged by two different corporate users to eliminate call-quality issues on early implementations of Ericsson and Alcatel IP Telephony (IPT) systems. Our unique combination of Voice over IP (VoIP), IPT and core network infrastructure allows us to provide truly independent design and implementation consultancy to our customers.
Whilst we are proud of our ability to provide platform-independent consultancy, we specialise in Mitel Networks extensive product portfolio. We chose Mitel not only because of the depth of their product range, but more importantly the way they have managed to combine their robust traditional (SX-2000 and SX-200) PBX architecture with data Server hardware and Linux software to create the excellent 3300 ICP range that can be utilised from the smallest office to the largest Call-Centre.
Secure Computing
Application Level Gateway (ALG) Firewalls from Secure Computing
Where complete Layer 7 connections to untrusted networks are required, we strongly recommend Sidewinder firewalls by Secure Computing. These firewalls are the extremely secure and have had NO CERT advisory security statements in the 11+ years that they have been on the market.
Their industry leading proxies ensure that there is NO direct connection between trusted and untrusted networks. Built on unique Zero-hour Attack Protections (ZAP) technology, Sidewinder G2 defends the network against all types of threats, both known and unknown. Through its unified threat management (UTM) approach, Sidewinder delivers best-of-breed anti-virus/spyware and anti-spam/fraud protection, Web content filtering, traffic anomaly detection, IDS/IPS, and many other critical protective features.
Government Projects
Some of our highly trained consultants have both SC and DV clearance available for government projects.