Dave Mitchell
Dave is an IT consultant and freelance journalist specialising in hands-on reviews of computer networking products covering all market sectors from small businesses to enterprises. Founder of Binary Testing Ltd – the UK’s premier independent network testing laboratory - Dave has over 45 years of experience in the IT industry. He started his career working on mainframe computers including ICL and Unisys within the pharmaceutical, services and corporate financial sectors and managed one of the largest Unisys mainframe installations in the world.
Since moving into journalism in 1994, Dave has produced many thousands of in-depth business networking product reviews from his lab which have been reproduced globally. Writing for ITPro and its sister title, PC Pro, he covers all areas of business IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, network security, data protection, cloud, infrastructure and services.
Latest articles by Dave Mitchell
![The ITPro recommended main image](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vEFDSBSnYEGTcstsdXyHNU-320-80.jpg)
Best cloud file sharing services
By Dave Mitchell published
Best Cloud file sharing is ideal for companies embracing a hybrid workforce – we find the best business solutions that could be your next collaboration partner
![The ITPro recommended main image](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s8HTSrsfLEVdJify5kukm5-320-80.png)
Best network monitoring tools in 2024
By Dave Mitchell last updated
Best We feature the best network monitoring tools, to make it simpler and easier to manage all aspects of remote monitoring of your IT infrastructure
![A person holding a cloud](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a9iddSfEzx69Vip8TvNxKn-320-80.jpg)
Best business backup software for 2024
By Dave Mitchell last updated
Best Businesses that don’t protect their data are playing with fire - we find the best backup solutions that could stop you from getting burnt
![The Qnap TBS-h574TX on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iTLbNRf9PgvhHpWhXKPUwC-320-80.jpg)
Qnap TBS-h574TX review: A desktop NAS dynamo ideal for video editors
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews A well-designed desktop NAS with fast Thunderbolt 4 ports and an interesting SSD storage proposal
![The Sophos Firewall Virtual logo on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fAYYv7wPaPJdPW4ojr8P6i-320-80.jpg)
Sophos Firewall Virtual review: Affordable network protection for those that like it virtualized
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews Extreme network security that's cheaper than a hardware appliance and just as easy to deploy
![The HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen11 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vBVSB9iDhqanaCjHGLdzhZ-320-80.jpg)
HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen11 review: An affordable liquid-cooled rack server with a massive core count
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews The DL325 Gen11 and its innovative cooling design puts big EPYC processing densities in small rack spaces
![The Qnap TS-h3077AFU on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NavGGukz5M4BquYaGSmqZc-320-80.jpg)
Qnap TS-h3077AFU review: An expandable all-flash array with a price that's right for SMBs
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews With a 2U 30-bay all-flash array, powerful hardware specification, high memory capacity, and plenty of room for further expansion, the TS-h3077AFU is in a league of its own
![The Ugreen NASync DXP6800 Pro on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QTxpc6m2MTUzBoLWavXNmb-320-80.jpg)
Ugreen NASync DXP6800 Pro review: An affordable NAS alternative to Qnap and Synology
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews A great value desktop NAS with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports but software development has a way to go
![The HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fU6e9akpxmUNX38wYdoPPe-320-80.jpg)
HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 review: A smart liquid-cooled rack server for budget-conscious enterprises
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews The DL560 has a unique closed-loop liquid cooling system capable of handling a diverse range of heavy-duty workloads
![The Broadberry CyberServe Ryzen RY1-104 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xZNjHkC3ovDvMtAYDXDa69-320-80.jpg)
Broadberry CyberServe Ryzen RY1-104 review: A core-heavy Ryzen rack server at an entry-level price
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews Broadberry presents a very affordable and more powerful entry-level alternative to Xeon E rack servers
![The Qnap TS-h1677AXU-RP on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dxFgfZhKYpiySChfsTV6fA-320-80.jpg)
Qnap TS-h1677AXU-RP review: Fast Ryzen-powered storage for SMBs
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews A versatile and powerful rack NAS with excellent 25GbE performance and plenty of data protection features
![The Lenovo ThinkEdge SE350 V2 edge server on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m3YsogkbHrz67RSR2BMwK9-320-80.jpg)
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE350 V2 review: Lenovo ditches the frills to provide serious firepower to those tight on space
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews The SE350 V2 is a slim-line chassis that sports a more powerful D-2700 CPU and faster 3,200MHz TruDDR4 memory
![The Dell CloudIQ interfaces on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bLvLgrHCfjyqhMdpf6rX2J-320-80.jpg)
Dell CloudIQ review: No-cost classy cloud monitoring for Dell systems
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews CloudIQ keeps your entire Dell infrastructure healthy with smart monitoring, cybersecurity, and predictive analytics
![The HPE ProLiant DL380a Gen11 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wmEW8dNzkg7ZTzm7yereS6-320-80.jpg)
HPE ProLiant DL380a Gen11 review: A graphically great server
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews This powerful 2U rack server combines a high GPU density with classic ProLiant build quality
![The Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7QrzfExeA9z8L56judhYf-320-80.jpg)
Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 review: The littlest edge server
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews A versatile and NVMe-dense edge server that puts big power in tight spaces
![A series of blue blocks with binary code displayed alongside yellow padlocks](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NEjje87dAuG8WVNiQvoKSF-320-80.jpg)
How to choose a UTM device in 2024
By Dave Mitchell last updated
In-depth If SMBs want to stay safe, they should switch to all-in-one business protection devices
![The Park Place Technologies Entuity interfaces](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Afdh3BTVWPz5RRUR29pQWb-320-80.jpg)
Park Place Technologies Entuity review: A great network monitoring contender
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews This easily deployed network monitoring software scores highly for its rich set of features and smartly designed web console
![A Rack server in a data center](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZGhjH7hSfkt44zQG6bVYvV-320-80.jpg)
Best business servers for 2024
By Dave Mitchell last updated
Best Whether you need systems, services, or storage power, we find the server solution that’s best for your business
![The HPE GreenLake Compute Ops Management interfaces](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hvz5ndJu7mxjsAFen65dAe-320-80.jpg)
HPE GreenLake Compute Ops Management review: Smart cloud-direct management for ProLiant servers
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews A natural choice for distributed businesses that want cloud-controlled server lifecycle management
![The Qnap TVS-h874T hardware and software](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7GAy7rRb5UNkFuYghqfqB6-320-80.jpg)
Qnap TVS-h874T review: The Thunderbolt 4 NAS you need
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews This powerful desktop NAS appliance and its high-speed Thunderbolt 4 ports will appeal to video editors
![A headset lying on a keyboard with a blurry phone in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s42PRvUJkgxMeYgXNcQBVh-320-80.jpg)
What to look for in a VoIP system
By Dave Mitchell last updated
In-depth Whether your making the transition from analog to digital systems, or your just shopping for an alternative, here's what to look for in a VoIP system
![The Fujitsu Server Primergy RX2530 M7 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NSdKgs4WbTM7dvMKdGgvnR-320-80.jpg)
Fujitsu Server Primergy RX2530 M7 review: A well-designed and affordable rack server
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews This 1U rack server delivers plenty of power and high scalability at a great price
![The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 on the ITPro background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AhrxYKoHU9DKrK4ZQCjAvc-320-80.jpg)
HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 review: A supremely versatile rack server
By Dave Mitchell published
Reviews An ideal partner for SMBs and enterprises with diverse and demanding workloads