Networking Admin questions!

Hey guys. Just a question for you network admins and your typical day jobs.

1. What's a typical day like as an admin?

2. What programs do you generally use?

3. What are some frequent problems that arise?

Thanks alot everyone!

 

This is a pretty good description.
http://packetstormsecurity.org/unix-humor/day.in.life.of.sysadmin.htm


Usually get to work by 6:30 or 7, check my emails, phone messages, IT tickets, backups, event logs, antivirus scans, windows updates if there are any. after that i usually check the news, and a few forums. Drink a couple cups of coffee. Have a smoke. Thats the morning up until around 9:30 or 10. Then teachers start doing their classes and people are doing work, and by that time someone might need IT help so im doing helpdesk up until around noon when i go eat lunch. usually bring my lunch back to the office, ill shut the door and eat until around 1. Might do some more helpdesk stuff or work on whatever project im working on until i go home at 330-4. Depends on whats going on that week.


For hardware monitoring on my dell servers, dell has a server management program i use. Also Symantec endpoint for AV, ISA for gateway firewall, wireshark if i need to find a bandwidth hog or network problem, isp has a web based bandwidth analyzer so i can monitor my t1, spiceworks for IT ticketing, inventory, and some other stuff. remote desktop for remote access to servers and workstations. logmein for remote access to my work computer when im off site.


User problems are my frequent problems. You name it...

 

wow thanks alot man. I have a DELL computer at the moment and I'm just trying to teach myself alot of these things.

Any detailed description on what each of the programs actually do and what you look for?

Again thanks a ton!

 

You can find the programs if you google them. Theyre pretty straight forward. Wireshark is a network traffic analyzer, ISA is a firewall/proxy, Spiceworks i use for inventory and IT ticketing along with DNS health, exchange health, printer supply monitoring and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. endpoint is enterprise antivirus with an admin console for easy management. remote desktop is obvious. logmein is a web based remote access tool. ive been using ntbackup for my scheduled backups, but im planning on moving toward symantec backup exec in the future.


You're interested in being a network admin huh?

 

The best way to work to towards an network admin career is to start with some network certs, that being ccna, comp tia, a+ or what not, very good starting point to get your career going.

 

I am looking into being an admin but... I would like to be confident in the programs I use before I search for a job!

 

well youre going to need to be confident using, most likely, windows server 2003 or 2008, active directory, exchange, whatever firewall the company might have. they might also have their own third party software that youll have to learn about as you go. youll also want to be confident in your general networking knowledge and workstation stuff. know what youre doing in microsoft office(assuming its a microsoft network with microsoft software...). best way to do that is do what colemanguy suggested. other programs like ticketing, antivirus, and backup procedures will probably be different at each place you look for a job.

So i guess when you say you want to be confident in the programs you use isnt going to help you if you cant become confident in the programs *they* use after youre hired. Youre going to need to learn a lot and keep learning if you want to be a good admin...

 

thanks. Is ITT any good? CNS?

 

ITT? Like ITT tech college? i have no idea... never heard of cns.

 

ITT will help you get into something that you think you are interested in but IMO, hands on for a certain period of time would be just as good as attending that school.

Or, you can drive to MIT and study there