I mentioned that, didn't I?
Certainly lots of options these days, but back then, if you wanted the best path, you didn't have any options beyond dedicated media or ATM.
cost of interface cards was one of it's biggest downfalls. I was an ATM backbone engineer in the beginning of 2000 and the cost of STM-16->STM-64 cards was prohibitive to say the least. We were transporting ip Video On Demand over ATM, the business case didn't make any sense to be honest. Large overhead, complex, expensive. It had its place in the 90's and in the beginning of the millenium but nowadays it doesn't make any sense
So here is my frustrations for the day:
I know a worldwide organization that lives with static routing and ASA style mesh VPN for every location handling everything from data replication to VOIP. Also the Internet is split tunneled which can make sense if you used the Cisco tools to keep the config consistent but they don't. When you connect via the VPN agent, different VPNs (ie differing ASAs) have differing access to differing segments due to the variation in static routes and split tunnel config. The frustrating part is when send a suggestion up I get a response that my professional experience doesn't apply to this company. I am not always sure how I should take that.
The basics aren't that hard, but I've certainly troubleshot a few things that ended up being pretty goddamned complicated, up to and including Linux kernel bugs and Microsoft network stack bugs. The thing about networking is that it ties everything together, so it's hugely helpful to have a wide background in system administration and programming doesn't hurt either.
polish resume. sounds like a place that will swallow your soul
This thread is a good place to link The Profane Networker.
yeah its weird, email will get wonky.......and I walk down the hall instead of looking into it!
my last place wasnt really that bad, but a toxic coworker was really killing me, and he was the other guy in IT
and he did nothing. well, he argued with me about lots of stuff I did/wanted too, but thats about it, so I left.
I had been thinking about specializing for a while, actually started to right before I took my previous job. 2 years later here I am.
I had just bought the CCNA books this spring, and applied for the job a month later at the request of a friend who works here that I used to work for
I do not miss being the one man band
Well I live in IL and am looking for leads so if you have any let me know! State Farm has been chasing me a bit but that is all in Bloomington/Normal and I am not sure I want to move down to mid state yet. If I do move I really want it to be out of this state.
I am realizing that even with as much as I know... I don't know as much as I thought.
That is wisdom that comes with age. Eventually you realize that you know nothing.
Lol so true.
One of the things that is really standing out to me is that as a "Jack of all trades" I have a decent idea of quite a few things but details in a lot less. Even with helpful people here I read postings and realize that I would need to go in and study. I am studying to keep on top of things but I have such an mix of skills.
It depends on what your goals are for your profession and job. If you want to be the "IT Guy" for a company, you need to be a jack of all trades anymore because they want one guy who can handle everything.
As a contractor, it's kind of the same thing.
If you're looking at a job at a larger company with separate IS and IT departments, then you can afford to be a little more specialized.
What I think is ridiculous is the number of job postings that I see that want someone who's a Windows AD admin, an Exchange admin, a SQL Server admin, is well versed in VPNs and networking, can handle a VoIP phone system, AND who can maintain their website. That should be 5-7 people in total, cause one guy isn't going to know how to do all that adequately.
Lol so true.
One of the things that is really standing out to me is that as a "Jack of all trades" I have a decent idea of quite a few things but details in a lot less. Even with helpful people here I read postings and realize that I would need to go in and study. I am studying to keep on top of things but I have such an mix of skills.
What I think is ridiculous is the number of job postings that I see that want someone who's a Windows AD admin, an Exchange admin, a SQL Server admin, is well versed in VPNs and networking, can handle a VoIP phone system, AND who can maintain their website. That should be 5-7 people in total, cause one guy isn't going to know how to do all that adequately.
As someone just going after their CCNP this scares me. When do I get to be fully qualified?
Secret is to know that you are never "fully qualified." There is always something else to learn. By the time you made it around to learn "everything" would would need to start over since the things you learned 18 months ago have grown.
With the way networking has been going for a while now, there is simply no way to know it all. You have to specialize in a particular area. I moved from service provider to data center and wireless. In just a few short years I'm way out of it in the service provider area and all the new things, just like they are way behind on data center/wireless.
Being in the wireless aspect I truly have a hard time keeping up with just that, let alone the explosion and shifts happening in the data center.
Now we have true experts, but they are experts in a specific area of networking. IMHO that's the only way you can really be an "expert".
It depends on what your goals are for your profession and job. If you want to be the "IT Guy" for a company, you need to be a jack of all trades anymore because they want one guy who can handle everything.
As a contractor, it's kind of the same thing.
If you're looking at a job at a larger company with separate IS and IT departments, then you can afford to be a little more specialized.
What I think is ridiculous is the number of job postings that I see that want someone who's a Windows AD admin, an Exchange admin, a SQL Server admin, is well versed in VPNs and networking, can handle a VoIP phone system, AND who can maintain their website. That should be 5-7 people in total, cause one guy isn't going to know how to do all that adequately.