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Network Diagram

thehourman

Do you use a network diagram?
If you do, what do you use?

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Comments

spartangtr

Pencil and paper

If you're just trying to share a topology real quick you can always just use packet tracer or GNS3. Microsoft Visio seems to be the popular choice in the work place apparently.

Project2501

Visio. You can get the device stencils from the cisco website.

jojopramos

Definitely, Microsoft Visio is the widely used application for professionally created network diagrams

Mojo_666

Visio, and when doing things like Exchange/AD Topology, OU Structure etc MS provide a nice little tool that draws it all for you..how cool is that?

Download details: ADTD

fly2dw

Pencil and paper as spartangtr said if I am explaining something on the fly. Microsoft Visio for documentation purposes. You can download stencils from a lot of Vendors as Project2501 advised (Cisco, HP, Dell etc) to identify the network device you are working with, and input loads of information into the stencil describing things like Name, IP, MAC... you get the picture.

It is brilliant for drawing server rooms and keeping a record of service tags and product numbers. It is a lot easier to identify the equipment you are talking about with other people (Like managers), when they see a picture of it in Visio rather than a spreadsheet where you must rely on everybody knowing what all the models look like, such as 840 and 2960 is off the top of their heads.

thehourman

That's what I thought, MS Visio.
I found this thing called Network Notepad, and it seems like a good one and it is a free.
I use pencil and paper as well, and sometimes GNS3.

ColbyG

Always Visio.

thenjduke

thehourman wrote: »

That's what I thought, MS Visio.
I found this thing called Network Notepad, and it seems like a good one and it is a free.
I use pencil and paper as well, and sometimes GNS3.

I like that network notebook. Something I was looking for instead of the bloatware Visio offers but Visio is good.

peanutnoggin

thehourman wrote: »

Do you use a network diagram?
If you do, what do you use?

At home I use Concept Draw because I do almost everything from my mac... plus my boss purchased it for me!

while I'm at work... I use visio like the majority of the folks...

-Peanut

shecool

Visio is definitely the way to go for professional documentation or even for school labs. Pen and paper if I am taking quick notes/study notes.

burbankmarc

Nobody's mentioned Dia yet?

peanutnoggin

burbankmarc wrote: »

Nobody's mentioned Dia yet?

Hadn't heard of that one before...

stuh84

burbankmarc wrote: »

Nobody's mentioned Dia yet?

I've used Dia a little bit, it's not too bad, I quite like it.

For me, it depends where I am. Mostly pen and paper for quick planning, Visio for more in depth if I'm at work, Gliffy online for quick ones just to demonstrate something, and Dia when I'm at home and need something more in depth.

notgoing2fail

pen and paper for quick ideas and troubleshooting.

But most definitley Visio if you don't want to get fired at work. LOL....

Can you imagine putting up your doodling on a large projector in a meeting? hahaha...

I still have lots to learn about Visio though.....

alan2308

peanutnoggin wrote: »

Hadn't heard of that one before...

It's an open source app for the Gnome desktop that's also been ported to Windows and OSX. It's been a while since I've used it though, so I can't comment on how good it is currently.

thehourman

burbankmarc wrote: »

Nobody's mentioned Dia yet?

I need to Google that.

Selfmade

I would fingerpaint my diagrams, then offer milk and cookies at presentations.

megatran808

Visio has become the industry standard. Also cisco and other companies will provide visio stencils that you can download.

Products & Services Visio Stencils - Cisco Systems

You can make your diagram look more professional instead of the stock stencils in Visio.

Also there was a funny site years ago that people would upload their network diagram and have you rate it.

Rate My Network Diagram
Rate My Network Diagram

There is a section for Funny Network Diagrams.
Rate My Network Diagram

blackninja

Pen & paper for quick and dirty ones.

I have a white board in my lab room for topologies, notes etc.

And I suppose MS Visio for the boss

thehourman

I am thinking of getting a white board and a sharpie. I have wasted a lot of paper these past few days.

DevilWAH

yep deffently Viso if you have it and want pro looking digrams

but that network note pad someone mentioned is great for jotting things down!!!

earweed

Learning how to use visio from scratch is the hard part. I'm gonna need a good professional looking diagram for my technical writing class and capstone project. I may have to utilize Atomic Learning which we have access to at WGU. There is over 4 hours of tutorials on using Visio. Hopefully I wont need that much help.

DevilWAH

earweed wrote: »

Learning how to use visio from scratch is the hard part. I'm gonna need a good professional looking diagram for my technical writing class and capstone project. I may have to utilize Atomic Learning which we have access to at WGU. There is over 4 hours of tutorials on using Visio. Hopefully I wont need that much help.

It's not really hard, search on cisco site for the visio icons (you can down load them all in a single zip file)

Then all you need to do is work out the "link tool" and the "add connection point" and you 90% of the way there.

start by making a general digram, place you devices and draw some connections. By the time you have 3 or 4 on the page you be finding new bits an pieces and before you know it you digram will look superb and you have learnt what you need to know.

Yep you then got multiply layers and loads of other stuff, but placing icons and connecting them with lines is all you need for a good looking digram.

A word of advice simple is best in network diagrams, try to be to cleaver and you might understand the digram but any one else will be quickly lost.

earweed

My diagram should be simple. It's just a small office 20 users. I've already downloaded the Cisco icons so I'm already halfway there.
I was looking for the Cisco Icon link is haow I found this thread.

DevilWAH

Took me a few hours to get my first network digram up and running and my managers where like WOW!!!! and that was only 5 devices.

few days later with all 150+ and they really started to get impressed.

PS the link tool and the add connection tool are the same button