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Ask Slashdot: Becoming a Network Administrator?

Posted by timothy on from the why-not-hire-one-to-show-you dept.

J. L. Tympanum writes "After many years as a star programmer, I have taken a position which involves maintaining and rebuilding the in-house network of a small company. There are maybe 100 machines, a mix of blade servers running Linux and desktop PCs running Windows of all flavors. Basically, I have to learn networking from scratch. I have been given an 'unlimited' budget to buy routers, switches, etc., to set up my own little test network as part of the learning process. So the question is: what's the right strategy here? What routers or switches or other equipment should I acquire? What books should I read? Should I take classes from Cisco, Global Knowledge, my local community college, or somewhere else?"

10 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. Step 1 by nuintari · · Score: 5, Funny

    Run, run as fast as you can, and don't look back.

    --

    --Nuintari

    slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.

    1. Re:Step 1 by bberens · · Score: 4, Funny

      I dunno, seems like a cake job to me. As a programmer I can assure you that the problem is never the network. Just ask the network guys, they'll be sure to tell you. Never mind the trace-route, pings, and FTP client log showing 100 byte/sec transfer speed I have provided, the single green LED graphic on the monitoring tool indicates with absolute certainty that all things on the network are working swimmingly.

      --
      Check out my lame java blog at www.javachopshop.com
    2. Re:Step 1 by mjwx · · Score: 3, Funny

      As a programmer I can assure you that the problem is never the network.

      Damn straight,

      It's never an easy job because we keep everything working so well.

      Never mind the trace-route, pings, and FTP client log showing 100 byte/sec transfer speed I have provided

      Takes end users machine, turns off torrent clients, twitter clients, RSS feeds and streaming radio on the users machine and watches the speed increase to normal levels. Finally I hit the user with a rather large wrench for wasting my time.

      First rule of net admin, The problem is always the user.

      the single green LED graphic on the monitoring tool indicates with absolute certainty that all things on the network are working swimmingly.

      Second rule of net admin: The user lies. The user always lies.

      However Nagios does not lie. Nagios does exactly what I tell it to (that includes not running torrent clients at work)

      So when it comes down to you or Nagios, Nagios wins hands down.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  2. Welcome to management by characterZer0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) Use your unlimited budget to hire a network administrator.
    2) Go golfing.

    --
    Go green: turn off your refrigerator.
  3. This isn't a boon. It's a curse. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have this job now and my girlfriend tells me I wake up almost nightly screaming. I can't help but think they're connected.

    1. Re:This isn't a boon. It's a curse. by PrimalChrome · · Score: 5, Funny

      Haven't you seen Inception? You're still sleeping....the girlfriend should have given it away.

    2. Re:This isn't a boon. It's a curse. by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's clearly crazy talk. Admins don't have time for girlfriends.

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      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  4. you just need to learn one thing by roman_mir · · Score: 5, Funny

    All you need is the cloud.

    What you do is get a cloud. Just connect all your machines and networks and cables to the cloud and you will be aaaaalright.

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
  5. Re:Odd choices by 0racle · · Score: 3, Funny

    It was a very dim star.

    --
    "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
  6. Whatever you do... by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...don't take any lessons from anyone employed by Sony.