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Any good tips for the newbies?

@Cisco

15 Spice ups
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Study for the comptia network + exam and then take it. Go on from there.

7 Spice ups
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Go HERE and watch all of the videos. Take notes… Make flashcards… Study. Go test for and receive your Network+ certification.

Before, during, and after that process go HERE and read everything. Ask questions… Be a part of the community. (You’ve got a good start here)

10 Spice ups
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That’s where I would start.

3 Spice ups
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Besides the educational/learning experience behind N+ (which is excellent to start with btw), you can always stay up to date with the new things by visiting websites concerning networking technologies. Example:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/

1 Spice up
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Will224 has it right! Professor Messer is the best resource you could use when it comes to entry level IT Skills.

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Also, reading posts and how tos from the networking category of Spiceworks can teach you a few tricks, tips, and more things to learn about.

1 Spice up
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I actually have like an “Algorithm” / Flow Chart for fixing stuff. It’s normally

Layer 1 - is the cable plugged in, are the lights blinking?? are the Ports lit up

Layer 2 - can it connect to the Switches and local traffic (DHCP, DNS)

Layer 3 - If it’s getting an IP address, is it valid? What happens if I ping 8.8.8.8, what happens if I ping google.com. If you can ping 8.8.8.8 but not google.com (DNS). If you can’t connect to something, ping it. (if name resolves wrong, DNS) If you can’t ping 8.8.8.8 you probably have an invalid IP (169.254, Check your DHCP scope)…

That’s pretty much Level 1 networking! =)

Welcome aboard and good luck!

1 Spice up
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Review all documentation and take good notes. Create good network diagrams.

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One of the Bartenders at my favorite watering hole said he is studying for the Cisco exams with no IT experience.

I told him that he should get the Net+ first, it will make understanding Cisco and basic network 10x easier.

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Endure a network crash. Only then to do you really find out if you want to do this for a living. The issue is not the crash itself…that’s the “fun” part, figuring it out and repairing it…it’s all your users standing in your doorway and the time pressure building with every hour you are down.

In 20 years I’ve been through three. By “crash” I don’t mean one server failing, I mean a system-wide emergency that takes a day or two to fully recover from. Once you’ve been through one of these (and oh, it will happen, no matter how much redundancy you install)…then you have arrived!

3 Spice ups
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I’m just starting out myself in networking and I agree with will224. Those videos are a great resource, and if I may also suggest, if you want to pay for it CBTS nuggets. I’d also say get a good foundation with N+ then go to Cisco.

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One of the Bartenders at my favorite watering hole said he is studying for the Cisco exams with no IT experience.<

Why. Being a bartender is better than being a Cisco support tech :slight_smile:

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It all depends on you and what you want to understand the concepts of…IP classes, public & private, subnetting, default gateways, DHCP, static assignments, default gateways, DNS services, switches, hub, routers, static routes, OSI model, active directory sites & services, workgroups, domains… to name but a few.

Networking is a big wide world. I agree, N+ is certainly a good beginning as it gives a broad basis of everything (well it did when I studied it) - it equips you with knowledge about older systems, as you may walk into a company still using Token Ring (doubtful, but you never know…)

Both N+ and A+ are good beginner courses to understand existing and previous technological concepts.

Good luck and welcome to IT :slight_smile:

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Agreed with most of the posts about N+. Cisco CCENT or CCNA would then be a good next step. What I learned studying for CCNA has helped me in my career the most because so much now days depends on networking to function.

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When I first started my professional career I thought I knew a decent bit about networks. A boss sent me to a Network+ class and it was probably one of the most useful, long lasting, informational classes I have ever taken and I include my Bachelors in Computer Information Systems in that. Network technologies have not changed much in the last 15-20+ years except instead of running 10mbps half duplex we are now running +10gbps full duplex. We still use the same protocols and tools to test as we did years ago.

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I think exams are a waste for people with experience or already in the profession. But for people wanting to break in, you need something to show that you know what you are doing.

I would hit the N+ first. Look at what the job market is in your immediate vicinity, and then decide how to go from there.

1 Spice up
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Thanks guys. I really appreciate your help!