Debian hotplug is designed for little more than loading drivers and configuring devices. The collection of scripts discussed in this article helps Linux to respond when a network cable is plugged in or when a cellphone is in the vicinity. Read on for more on how to define custom hotplug events.

A technical preview version of Samba 4 became available at the end of January. We took a look at what’s coming in the next version of the Samba file and print service suite.

Many tools keep growing with each new version, but Nmap 4.00 has lost weight thanks to the Diet-Nmap project. The latest incarnation of Nmap is not only quicker, it is also more frugal with memory.

A touchy LAN that plays like a movie diva can spoil any admin’s day. Ethtool to the rescue!

If you need a tool for filtering protocols that doesn’t depend on the port, try L7, an IPTables patch that operates through regular expressions.

SSL-Explorer provides an easy, web-based interface for configuring a virtual private network.

Is your Internet connection groaning under the load of too many simultaneous downloads? If so, try Trickle, a simple application that gives you more granular control over network traffic.

Laptop users who move among wireless networks need a simple and practical means for getting connected. A KDE tool titled Wlassistant helps you find the signal.