Install it on all computers to bind them easily into a lan netwrok.
Cisco's Network Magic is a software Swiss Army knife for your network. Network Magic's Network Activity and Intruder Trackingare the big blades that slice away your networking confusion and provide information on all connected devices, while other features like File Sharingand Wireless Protection are the cool corkscrew and toothpick extras you'd find on a Victorinox knife. New in version 5.5, Network Magic integrates with Cisco wireless routers and includes Trend Micro's Home Network Defender. And Cisco has also improved the parental controls since version 5.0, added support for 33 languages, and changed the interface's color scheme to blue. Okay, maybe the color change isn't a big deal, but what is already a great application has definitely gotten better in this upgrade, and, maybe best of all.
If you're familiar with Cisco's Network Magic 5.0, version 5.5 is going to be a breeze. And if you're new to the product, you'll quickly pick up the networking concepts in version 5.5. Instead of the dreary and inscrutable techno-lingo that generally accompanies even consumer-oriented networking products, you have more screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
Right from the start, Network Magic displays the status of your network. As in previous versions, the software runs a scan of your network and displays a map of all connected devices. It also finds security weaknesses in your computer. The app's Map window displays potential intruder devices and maintains a history of disconnected devices.
The Map has gotten a new look in version 5.5: All devices are now connected around the router in a circle. The new diagram makes the network more scannable and devices more accessible. To the left of the Map you'll find the Tasks tab. Once in the Tasks window, you can reach your computers, your network router, and all other connected network devices. Tasks also provides simplified access to common Windows networking tasks, such as printer and file sharing, and it even helps you change wireless security settings in your router. Both the file-sharing and wireless security features are new to version 5.5.
Most of the time, the main way you'll interact with Network Magic is not through the Map but through the Status Center, which is revamped in 5.5. Newcomers to Network Magic will be able to use the Status Center to view the health and security status of computers and track the activities of devices in a network without any training. The Status Center can also help troubleshoot network connections and even test the speed of your network on the Web. The layout of Status Center is now a little more spread out, so it's less cluttered and easier to comprehend. One new feature is status readout on your router's wireless protection, which shows whether the router is using Wi-Fi encryption.
Cisco has changed some of the wording in the tips and FAQs in the Advisor. The changes aren't a huge deal to an expert like me, but new users should find it easier to soak up networking knowledge. Some of the sites listed in the Navigation Links provide lots of material on how to manage your home network. Information in the FAQs can help users configure firewalls, change network access controls, and find out why they cannot share folders. Cisco does an excellent job of explaining the primary topics that affect most users.
The Internet Speed test has gotten a lot faster in this version. Cisco has added more servers around the country to help you determine the Internet speed more accurately. You can also use the app to find bottlenecks in your network. However, the test is more ideal than real. Cisco recommends shutting down applications that are streaming audio and video before testing the speed. This leaves the network in a plain vanilla state; consequently, bottlenecks that might occur while running applications are not detectable. Even so, it's still a pretty useful tool for detecting hardware bottlenecks.
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