TechRepublic published the following list of my Top 5 Cisco Tips of 2008. As these were very popular with readers, they must have some value, right? Seriously, I hope you will check them out:

1. Practice Cisco router configuration using a free emulator
David Davis explains how a free emulator can benefit your router administration. The ability to run multiple routers inside your PC is very useful for testing and training. It can save you the time and trouble from having to invest in a test Cisco network, and it certainly makes it more convenient.

2. Five things you should know about configuring a Cisco IOS switch
David answers some of the most frequently asked questions about switch configuration and explores some of the basics.

3. Is pt360 the all-in-one Cisco tool we’ve been looking for?
David loves finding new tools that help manage and troubleshoot routers. But what if you had to choose just one network management and troubleshooting tool? Do you think there’s one tool out there that’s really “best of breed”? Here’s one candidate.

4. 10 dumb things you can do to your Cisco router and how to fix them
David points out the dumb things you can do to mess up your Cisco router and how to fix them. He also lists some important resources for each step to give you even more detailed instructions.

5. Use extended ping and extended traceroute to better troubleshoot your Cisco network
Every admin is familiar with the well-known troubleshooting commands ping and traceroute. David shows you how to use these commands in their extended versions to become an expert at troubleshooting your Cisco network.

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PacketTrap Perspective provides network management tools for Cisco
David Davis walks you through PacketTrap’s new network management platform, Perspective.

Configuring the Cisco 851W or 871W: Standard IOS
The Cisco 851W router is a relatively low cost multipurpose device, which can support virtual wireless LANs separated by firewalls.