Http server: HFS - Http File Server

Anytime you need to share files via http, it can be troublesome to find something that just does that - and nothing else (no extra fluff, please!!). Look no further than this program, it is the one… I use this when upgrading software on network devices that need http sources to download their new code.

Network Protocol Analyzer: Wireshark (formerly Ethereal)

If you ever find youself troubleshooting a issue where you need to analyze the raw network traffic, this is the program. You might not find yourself using this everyday, but trust me, go ahead and load it now. It’s handy to have available when troubleshooting in that closet where you have no access to download something like this from the Internet.

Network Protocol Server: tftpd32

Tftpd32 includes DHCP, TFTP, SNTP and Syslog servers as well as a TFTP client. Anytime I need a quick DCHP server or am doing some Cisco IOS upgrades via tftp - this is the program in my toolbox that is used. nuff said.

Serial Port Terminal Emulator: Tera Term

I’m not a fan of using Hyperterminal for serial connections to network gear. Although it is very dated (well, I guess HyperTerminal is to through, right?), I prefer to use Tera Term. If you want one emulator that supports Serial, Telnet, and ssh communications then get the enhanced version on Tera Term from Ayera.

Telnet/ssh Client: PuTTY

This program provides a very nice interface when connecting to things using telnet or ssh. The only thing I wish it had was serial support - that way I wouldn’t have to use two different programs for connecting to various devices.