IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[Silkk]

Anybody here work for a router company like a Cisco/Netgear/Belkin? Whats their starting pay like? Id also imagine that you would need a network cert for most of those jobs too right.

I do router troubleshooting at work even though we not supposed to, and i find it pretty easy

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Anybody here work for a router company like a Cisco/Netgear/Belkin? Whats their starting pay like? Id also imagine that you would need a network cert for most of those jobs too right.

I do router troubleshooting at work even though we not supposed to, and i find it pretty easy

Never worked for any of those companies but I worked for AT&T which is a huge Cisco shop. Depending on what you do it can range from $20/hr up to probably well over $200+/hr. Troubleshooting routers is a very generic phrase. Are you trouble shooting hardware? Configuration? Performance? Architecture? Security? Fiber runs?

It can run from as basic as making sure all of the line cards and route processors on a router are functional to troubleshooting OC768 peering issues in their backbone, or mitigating a global DDOS attack against a key infrastructure client (IE trying to take someone like Colonial Pipeline down).

Regardless of what you do, learn TCP/IP very well. Be familiar with network architecture, how routers, switches, load balancers, firewalls, vpns, and proxies work. Understand the various features that all of those devices have, understand the pros and cons of the various hardware platforms (why would you pick an ISR over a nexus 7k), and make sure you understand the impact of a change down stream (what will happen to your frame relay network if you migrate from EIGRP to OSPF. How would the architecture need to change to ensure the IGP performs well with the knew routing protocol).

But like I always say, don't listen to me. I'm just another lost nikka :nonikkas:

 

[Silkk]

Never worked for any of those companies but I worked for AT&T which is a huge Cisco shop. Depending on what you do it can range from $20/hr up to probably well over $200+/hr. Troubleshooting routers is a very generic phrase. Are you trouble shooting hardware? Configuration? Performance? Architecture? Security? Fiber runs?

It can run from as basic as making sure all of the line cards and route processors on a router are functional to troubleshooting OC768 peering issues in their backbone, or mitigating a global DDOS attack against a key infrastructure client (IE trying to take someone like Colonial Pipeline down).

Regardless of what you do, learn TCP/IP very well. Be familiar with network architecture, how routers, switches, load balancers, firewalls, vpns, and proxies work. Understand the various features that all of those devices have, understand the pros and cons of the various hardware platforms (why would you pick an ISR over a nexus 7k), and make sure you understand the impact of a change down stream (what will happen to your frame relay network if you migrate from EIGRP to OSPF. How would the architecture need to change to ensure the IGP performs well with the knew routing protocol).

I guess im talking about a tier 1/2. I know they not gonna hire nobody for those positions they not familiar with

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I guess im talking about a tier 1/2. I know they not gonna hire nobody for those positions they not familiar with

Depends what you're doing as a consultant. Tier 1/2, you'll probably be doing help desk, troubleshooting over the phone.

Either way, still gotta TCP/IP and the various HW platforms really well

 

[Silkk]

Depends what you're doing as a consultant. Tier 1/2, you'll probably be doing help desk, troubleshooting over the phone.

Either way, still gotta TCP/IP and the various HW platforms really well

Yea, im doing tier 1 now for a cable company but its like real simple stuff. Mastered this, need that next challenge which im guessing would be tier 2

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Yea, im doing tier 1 now for a cable company but its like real simple stuff. Mastered this, need that next challenge which im guessing would be tier 2

You brought up Cisco so I'm thinking you were doing enterprise router troubleshooting.

There's a wide knowledge gap between troubleshooting someone's home router and troubleshooting an enterprise router/switch/access point.

Start off with your CCENT/CCNA (or JNCIA if they're a Juniper shop) and try to use the job you got now as launch pad to get to tier 2/3 or even ideally working in their NOC.

Check their internal job board and see what junior level positions they have available and start teaching yourself the appropriate skill set. Also start networking with some of the cats there. Get friendly with em, ask em for advice, soak up whatever they can teach you, suck em off if you have to (no homo). It'll be a lot easier to get hired internally if you know someone in that department who can vouch for you.

 

[Silkk]

You brought up Cisco so I'm thinking you were doing enterprise router troubleshooting.

There's a wide knowledge gap between troubleshooting someone's home router and troubleshooting an enterprise router/switch/access point.

Start off with your CCENT/CCNA (or JNCIA if they're a Juniper shop) and try to use the job you got now as launch pad to get to tier 2/3 or even ideally working in their NOC.

Check their internal job board and see what junior level positions they have available and start teaching yourself the appropriate skill set. Also start networking with some of the cats there. Get friendly with em, ask em for advice, soak up whatever they can teach you, suck em off if you have to (no homo). It'll be a lot easier to get hired internally if you know someone in that department who can vouch for you.

at the last part

Spoiler

 

[↓R↑LYB]

at the last part

Spoiler

Just invest in some listerine and you'll be fine :nonikkas:

Spoiler

 

[Jim Jones]

I just got my security + finna take this CCNA in May. How hard is 70-680 and 70-642 ??

 

[se1f_made]

I just got my security + finna take this CCNA in May. How hard is 70-680 and 70-642 ??

Planning on taking the 70-640 next week, it covers alot of material. Better find a brain dump otherwise

 

[Shameonyou]

which book is the best to order to study for the most recent Comptia A+ cert test?

 

[krexzen]

which book is the best to order to study for the most recent Comptia A+ cert test?

look 16 posts back. I'm not mad at you breh, but this gets asked once every 30 posts.

 

[the bossman]

bbbububbbutt there's too many pages

 

[FreshFromATL]

This thread needs to be split up. To many people are getting programming/coding/software engineering mixed up with IT (networks/security/helpdesk) work. There should be a alternate thread for programming put into existence, imo.

 

[krexzen]

This thread needs to be split up. To many people are getting programming/coding/software engineering mixed up with IT (networks/security/helpdesk) work. There should be a alternate thread for programming put into existence, imo.

Maybe, but most people are just asking the same 'how do I get started' type questions. Nobody is really asking specific programming questions. It might be more beneficial to just give in and have a FAQ post at the beginning of the thread. I've answered the same exact questions about four or five times (I think you have as well).