Any of you Network/Wireless Technicians?

I

illapino

New Member
I was thinking of taking up this certificate+diploma combo up as a career (A+ and Cisco certification can follow too) but I wanted to hear from people who are actually in the field as a network technician or a network administrator. What should I expect in terms of work conditions and how is the compensation ... ?

I have just found the internet very interesting and think this is the best way to learn it inside out.

Thanks.
 
I'm a network administrator...

Other than setting up the router and getting the modem to the switches i don't deal with much internet stuff..well other than a firewall...

Anyway i really just deal with kids who break the rules and i suspend them from the network and i also run around and fix the thousands of computers we have in school.

Best Regards,
Francisco
 
I'm currently working towards a CCNA, I've taken a couple of classes so far but I don't actually have the cert yet. It's very useful information, I'm amazed at how ignorant I was before I took the classes. If nothing less they helped me to realize how much I don't know.
 
Unix administrator here

I manage 6,000 macs and about 18 to 20 servers.

I have a ton of certs, no idea how many. I am Apple certified, gateway, HP APS certified, canon printers, epson printers, A+, soon to be CCA and ACTC over this summer.

the CCNA is the easiest of the Cisco certs, and I haven't taken the time to go through it, it isn't all that hard to pass. You just need to learn how to manage the switches, OSI layers, etc etc.

I think the next big bubble in IT will be Directory Services. Learn as much as you can about directory services. It will be the next HUGE thing in IT. In fact it already really is, but it will only get bigger. If you can take several different platforms, make them all talk to each other and enforce policy down to the client you can make a lot of money.

Whenever any IT department can't figure something you they contract a specialist. I have had to get a Unix wizard out here before to help a bit with our Directory services and this guy knew his stuff. I have no idea what we paid him, but I do know that it was worth it. No one can know everything, and you kind of end up specializing. The stuff I do at my job no one else really does, and it is fun to have the challenge of certain things.
 
IT admin, i do all kinds of stuff, network,printers, hardware, cabling/crimping.. whatsoever. as for wireless we're in a closed building so we don't use it but am planning to implement it since some of my colleagues have laptops with wireless, am tired of crimping cables !!.
I lack knowledge in Directory services (like tlarkin pointed out), we have windows server 2003 courses here but they are so expensive.
currently there's a guy working for the gov that does all those stuff, configure the whole thing,servers and sh*t, then he gives me access,so i get to mess around in the active directory services etc etc.
Administrating i know, but i want to know the "setup and configuration".

no one can know everything, and you kind of end up specializing
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well that is one thing some people in my dept don't understand, whenever i say i can't do something or i don' know, they go like "what are we paying you for?".. and that really gets on my nerves !!
 
Network Admin/Business Analyst(yea i wear 2 hats deal with it lol) I spend all day doing a variety of things. Cisco,Dell switches and routers network lines t1maintence monitoring all servers 50 in all monitor av status setup and repair network pc's and more.. I have a 4 year degree and am in the process of becoming a checkpoint engineer for our firewall and a few other things... i have to know a little of everything as i'm the only network admin i have 2 interns and thats it we run the show. if i dont know it i find someone who does...
 
Its not bad to have a broad skill set. I can manage windows 2k3 servers, OD servers, Linux and Unix, AD and ED servers, I know novell and console one along with zen works. I have worked with just about everything, except not so much with Citrix. Never worked at a job that had a heavy Citrix back end. I think we have one Citrix server right now and it is maintained by the department that uses it.

However, when it comes down to it, i am the Unix guy. I am the one that pushes out software, packages, policies and the sort over the network on the back end, and then get it out to the clients. However, we work as a team and I am part of a team and we do all work together. I just happen to have the most experience at this point in time.
 
Another thing I was wondering is if there is even enough work for a 40-hr full-time network technician to even do once he is employed. It's not like networks break down daily and need repair right? I mean, what is there really to do? Once a network is set up, there's nothing else to do is there? Maybe a week can follow of further implementations and checks, but I mean, if you're employed at one place "administrating" this one network, I really don't understand how a full-time employee can even keep busy? I see working with networks as something that can be done and finished within a day ... Yet all techs are employed to do it 9-5 full-time? Am I missing something or just completely obviously inexperienced?

What are the day-to-day roles of the Network administrator or technician? Make sure everything is A-okay? That really doesn't sound like much of a job for a system I think would be fairly structurally secure after it is set up ... And does the job of a technician involve sitting in front of a computer every day (very unhealthy to the back and eyes, I'd get restless), or is there more on-your-feet, plug things in, inventorize cables, work in the field involved?
 
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illapino said:
Another thing I was wondering is if there is even enough work for a 40-hr full-time network technician to even do once he is employed. It's not like networks break down daily and need repair right? I mean, what is there really to do? Once a network is set up, there's nothing else to do is there? Maybe a week can follow of further implementations and checks, but I mean, if you're employed at one place "administrating" this one network, I really don't understand how a full-time employee can even keep busy? I see working with networks as something that can be done and finished within a day ... Yet all techs are employed to do it 9-5 full-time? Am I missing something or just completely obviously inexperienced?

What are the day-to-day roles of the Network administrator or technician? Make sure everything is A-okay? That really doesn't sound like much of a job for a system I think would be fairly structurally secure after it is set up ... And does the job of a technician involve sitting in front of a computer every day (very unhealthy to the back and eyes, I'd get restless), or is there more on-your-feet, plug things in, inventorize cables, work in the field involved?
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Daily at my job there are things to do... Montior servers windows updates upgrade computers replace computers documentation cleaning of systems maintence on systems in place... no network is ever done as you think.. soon as you are at the point you think your done 10 more things pop up or management thinks things should run faster so they have you buy more things and upgrade things. You also have to monitor connections and look for possible problems before they start.. Granted most of my day is researching that next project and working on things but i'm never ever bored there is always something going on in our network...
 
illapino said:
Another thing I was wondering is if there is even enough work for a 40-hr full-time network technician to even do once he is employed. It's not like networks break down daily and need repair right? I mean, what is there really to do? Once a network is set up, there's nothing else to do is there? Maybe a week can follow of further implementations and checks, but I mean, if you're employed at one place "administrating" this one network, I really don't understand how a full-time employee can even keep busy? I see working with networks as something that can be done and finished within a day ... Yet all techs are employed to do it 9-5 full-time? Am I missing something or just completely obviously inexperienced?

What are the day-to-day roles of the Network administrator or technician? Make sure everything is A-okay? That really doesn't sound like much of a job for a system I think would be fairly structurally secure after it is set up ... And does the job of a technician involve sitting in front of a computer every day (very unhealthy to the back and eyes, I'd get restless), or is there more on-your-feet, plug things in, inventorize cables, work in the field involved?
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Nope, they don't, but when you support over 6,000 Machines and 20 servers over 5 buildings something typically needs looking at, or someone needs help on something. If not you can run updates, maintenance, update images, check your email, make sure all back ups are good, or what I do a lot when I have a bit of free time -- train myself to use a new technology.

To be honest, with all my scripts and cron jobs and casper running I can get 8 hours of work done in 2, but then again I have been in my field almost 10 years now so I am getting pretty efficient at it.

Oh and if you are running a windows network there is ALWAYS something that needs looking at or something that breaks or virus definitions need updating, etc.
 
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so i guess there's alot of sitting in front of computers involved.
wasn't looking forward to that part of the job.
that's why I thought I should do the Wireless Technician diploma after electronics common core.
Then I can move past computers and check out GPS systems, radar, and aviation towers ....... any of u in wireless?
 
I dont have to sit at my desk if i dont want to i have a product Whats Up Gold that actually pages me if something goes wrong i'm only at my desk when i want to be i'm generally in the field working on equimpment and setting up new stuff.
 
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