Are you an Network or System Admin and wondering just how the iPad can benefit you or be of value? Perhaps you already have an iPad and you want to know what you can do with it to make your IT job easier. Here are some essential iPad apps you can use to do just that.
Best iPad Apps For Network And System Admins
I recently had a great exchange with a reader in the comments on the tools he personally uses to make his job as a “server geek” a lot easier. The article was originally talking about an iPad 2 keyboard case by Kensington but it sure turned into a very valuable conversation. A huge thanks to Chris for the comments and the inspiration for this post. By the way, the iPad keyboard case by Kensington is one of the best tools an IT or System admin can get for their iPad as it allows you to do a lot of work without needing an external keyboard.
Undoubtedly, the iPad can be used for business. And if you are in the business of network or system administration then here is how it can help you do your job a little be easier. In fact, consider this your iPad IT Network Toolkit.
iPad Browser
First of all, you will want to get a different iPad browser. The one that comes with the iPad, Safari, is fine but it does have a ton of limitations to be aware of if you need one that is as close to a desktop browser as possible. One that you might want to check out for $0.99 is the Atomic Web Browser. The Atomic Web Browser offers a ton of features such as full-screen browsing, a download manager, and full support for cloud storage services like Dropbox. It also offers a great feature where you can have it be identified as either Firefox, Explorer, or Safari. It also supports gestures, video out, and it is perfect for IT or System Admins because of the ability to use the full screen interface when logging into switches, routers, or other network devices that have been written using 1024×768 resolution.
iPad SSH Tool
The next thing you might want in your IT toolkit is an app called iSSH. This is essential if you are going to be connecting to devices such as routers, switches, servers, etc. iSSH ($9.99) is a fully features SSH, Telnet, VT100, ANSI, and Xterm emulator. Additionally, it is integrated with a tunneled VNC client and a built-in X server.
This tool is invaluable if you are in the IT or system or network administration. It provides support for simultaneous connections by simply swiping the screen, various non-standard ports, RSA key generation, and the ability to store connection information for fast and easy connections in the future. Also iSSH supports the use of the option key on a BlueTooth keyboard with various fonts and a fully configurable color palette.
The iSSH tool will definitely be one that you, as an IT or System admin use daily.
iPad SFTP Client
Next up is an SFTP client. You will want this for uploading and downloading configs, etc. You can also use this to transfer files to and from linux machines and load the files via USB onto your MacBook or iMac or PC and then sync it to the iPad. One of the best SFTP clients you can get for the iPad is called Air Sharing HD. This is an app that is $9.99 but is packed with useful features you can start using right away.
Air Sharing for the iPad not only supports SFTP but it is also a full scaled file manager since iOS does not really do file management that well. With this app you actually share your iPad over the network and it will appear on your Mac or PC as a hard drive.
It also supports various cloud storage services like dropbox or iDisk and it even supports printing and downloading of email attachments. Basically, this is one of the essential iPad apps for your network toolkit that you will use for far more than just SFTP.
iPad Remote Desktop
I seriously doubt any network toolkit would be complete without a remote desktop tool for the iPad. And here is one that is essential to put into your toolkit. The app is called iTap RDP and it’s perfect for all your remote desktop needs using the iPad. iTap RDP is fast, secure (using FIPS compliant security), and can be used to connect to everything from Windows XP to Windows 7 Professional and Windows Server 2008 R2.
iTap RDP is a fully featured remote desktop iPad app that supports Leostream Connection Broker, Network level authentication, copy/paste, less bandwidth, desktops up to 4096×2048 pixels, full keyboard support, and logging into the console session of Windows servers.
iPad VNC Client
Depending on the environment you are administering, another essential iPad app for network and system admins is having a VNC client. These apps, of course, help you connect to Linux servers and administer them remotely. The app you will want to choose which is essential for a network administrator is called Screens. Screens is a full-featured VNC client for the iPad and it does things for you such as giving you an exit cursor, pull-to-dock functionality, and is fully secure.
It’s by far one of the nicest VNC apps you can get. Coincidentally, using their Screens Connect helper app you can also VNC into your Mac (Snow Leopard) desktop as well. This is extremely useful for those that are network admins of Mac systems.
On a side note, Screens look super nice as well. It’s definitely worth the price and it shows with a 4.0 user rating.
iPad SIP Phone
If you are a telecom engineer then here is a tool for you. is-phone Lite is a free app that allows you to send and receive calls using SIP via Wi-Fi or 3G. It is interoperable with most all major SIP carriers and just about every SIP-based PBX.
Is-phone lite features all of the regular phone features you would expect such as call holding, DTMF tones, mute, Caller ID, and a call history. It also supports quality of service and full VPN support.
This is perfect for testing out your phone environment as a network admin and if you are using a PBX that is SIP-enabled.
So there is your full toolkit of essential iPad apps if you are a network or system admin. There are hundreds of these types of tools but as our reader Chris pointed out, these are some of the best ones he uses to get his job done each day; thus proving the iPad is far more than just a toy.
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