Issue No. 34May 2015

Enhanced Non-Delivery Reports (NDR’s) in Microsoft Office 365

Regardless of which email system or service you use, when an email message you send can’t be delivered you’ll receive a non-delivery report (NDR), also known as a bounce message. The NDR will tell you the message wasn’t delivered, but after that it’s mostly technical jargon designed more for computer science professionals than for the typical email user. You’re often left to fend for yourself to try to fix the issue, searching the web and posting questions on forums for clues to what’s going on and, more importantly, how to fix it. While advances in technology over the last 30 years have been immense, the state of the art in NDRs is still just an homage to 1982-overly technical and ill-designed for the modern email user. But that’s about to change.

Over the next several months, NDRs generated by Office 365 will be enhanced to make it easier to understand and fix message delivery problems. To start, the stark and technical appearance of the “classic” NDRs will be replaced with a look that’s more approachable, more visually appealing. They’ll explain the problem and why it’s happening in everyday language, with clear instructions on how to fix the problem. They’ll include an at-a-glance view of the problem and who’s responsible for fixing it (the sending side, the receiving side, or Microsoft). And while a key objective is to make NDRs helpful to those who aren’t computer professionals, even the technically oriented bits, like the error details and message headers, get a makeover to the benefit of email admins and technical support professionals alike.

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Network Switch vs. Router

Two pieces of equipment look similar and perform some similar functions, but each has its own distinct function to perform on a network.

Switches and routers are the building blocks for business communications, from date to voice and video to wireless access.

What is a Network Switch

Most business networks today use switches to connect computers, printers and servers within a building or campus. A switch serves as a controller, enabling networked devices to talk to each other efficiently. Through information sharing and resource allocation, switches save businesses money and increase employee productivity.

Un-managed Switches

An un-managed switch works right out of the box. It’s not designed to be configured, so you do not have to worry about installing or setting it up correctly. Un-managed switches have less network capacity than managed switches. You’ll usually find un-managed switches in home networking equipment.

Managed Switches

Managed network switches are configurable, offering greater flexibility and capacity than un-managed switches. You can monitor and adjust a managed switch locally or remotely, to give you greater network control.

Network Switch vs. Router

Switches create a network, while routers connect networks. A router links computers to the internet  so users can share the connection. A router acts as a dispatch, choosing the best path for information to travel so it is received quickly.

Source: Cisco

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