A New Start

StephenPBarrettStephenPBarrett Adviser
edited June 2014 in Life
Life can hit you like a megaton bomb sometimes. The only thing you can really do is get on with it. I'm finally starting to get on with mine. I wont go into the details because this place isn't my journal nor do I intend it to be. I will however say that while maybe things aren't exactly starting to look up for me I do at least now have a plan. That's what it took to get me out of my funk. Here's the plan.

I currently own two laptops and a desktop. The desktop and one of the laptops are old but the other laptop is brand new. It isn't exactly top of the line but it's by far the best computer I've ever owned. This new laptop I am intending to keep as my primary computer and media center. The desktop and other laptop however I intend to install Lennox onto. I don't know very much about networking. I'll be honest I know next to nothing. I have created networks before at home but used wizards to do it and basically followed prompts and troubleshooting help. I understand that Lennox is the best OS to use while learning networking.

I don't make a heck of a lot of money. I'm at the bottom wrung of the economic ladder, just on the fringes of needing government assistance. Actually I'm sure that I qualify for several different government aid programs but I'm too prideful to check into it. I know however that network administrators make a lot more money than I do. They make plenty enough to live comfortably. Like I said, I know next to nothing about networking but what I do know is that I am interested in learning. I have an old Networking for dummies book which covers Lennox Red Hat. I'll install that specific OS onto both the older desktop and laptop. The reason for having it on two computers is because of the stories I've heard of people accidentally destroying their computers while trying to learn networking. This way I'll have a back up. That's just the first step to get my feet wet. When I'm more comfortable with the OS I'll update to the latest version and start over.

I know that this is going to be very time consuming. I know that it will be grueling and sometimes really fucking frustrating but I'm determined. I see a vision of myself in the future a few years from now. This is a future when I don't live in the slums where I might get mugged on my way home from work, when I don't have to worry about my home being burglarized, when I can take my daughter outside without seeing broken glass everywhere and fucking thugs smoking weed and selling drugs out in the open every few feet, when the safest place to take her to play isn't a fucking cemetery.

I don't think being a network administrator will be a wonderful dream job what will solve all of my problems like magic but it sure as hell will make a better life and career than the current status quo. After I'm confident in my networking skills I will take the Cisco certification exam. The idea is to work for Cisco because I've researched what kind of money they make and Cisco is EVERYWHERE in the US. I could live anywhere I wanted or needed to.

Here comes the main reason I'm posting about it all. I know that many of you are far more experienced with networking and was hoping to get some feedback from you guys. What do you think of the plan? What advice do you have concerning learning networking for a complete noob. How long will it take before I piss you all off with the billions of questions I'm sure to have? (I'll of course google them first) I'm very serious about this. I know it will take a long time but I'm in it for the long haul. The way I see it people who use an OS like Windows over using Lennox don't even know a quarter of what they could possibly be doing with their computers. I'm eager to learn and eager to get this plan underway. I'd like to know what you guys think though, particularly Trx100 because I know you went to or are still going to Uni for this stuff. Thanks for reading and in advance for the feedback.

tl;dr I'm going to learn networking from the basic level up to administrator in hopes to better my standard of living. Got advice?

Comments

  • DfgDfg Admin
    edited March 2014
    Networking isn't that hard, hell I can do it and I suck at it.

    Network Admins isn't that easy but it's fast to learn if you're interested in it.

    Mostly, you will need to get some certification like CCNP or something, that will give you the qualification.

    When it comes to learning, there are Network sims that you can use, there are tons of torrents on Network Administration.

    Basically here is what you need to learn:

    A) Windows basics to some advance level stuff {Well not that advance but mostly like setting you networks etc
    B) Mac and Linux. You basically need to know how to configure wireless etc settings on them


    The hard stuff would be theory but once you get the ABC of things, it's easy from there on.

    Just be focused, learn and practice. I learned about Networks from readng a Computer science book and Totse/Google.

    But I do love working with computers so that helps and I did work for a Internet Cable company and lol I was the Network Admin there hahaha.

    But it's Pakistan.
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited March 2014
    If you want to get paid learn Windows Active directory. There is a shitload more work managing a windows enterprise environment than there is for linux.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited March 2014
    If you want to get paid learn Windows Active directory. There is a shitload more work managing a windows enterprise environment than there is for linux.
    This is a sad reality at the momenet, but I reckon keeping up with the linux play also will deliver positive results for future prospects. I've noticed more and more each year are turning towards linux and ditching windows.
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited March 2014
    bornkiller wrote: »
    This is a sad reality at the momenet, but I reckon keeping up with the linux play also will deliver positive results for future prospects. I've noticed more and more each year are turning towards linux and ditching windows.

    On the server level. The thing is this though, love it or hate it Windows is on the vast majority of enterprise desktops and so far nobody else has found a simpler method of managing those desktops on a network than Active Directory. You can't manage MAC desktops or Linux desktops via the network as easily or as transparently as Active Directory can with Windows desktops. What this means is it takes less people to manage more machines in a Windows environment than any other desktop solution. This is why you are better of learning it. Very few enterprise environments are looking for Linux or MAC network admins. Yes, if you have command of Linux in addition to Active Directory that is a big plus in the "hire me" column. But the guy with Windows AD only vs Linux only is going to be a more attractive candidate to more employers.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited March 2014
    On the server level. The thing is this though, love it or hate it Windows is on the vast majority of enterprise desktops and so far nobody else has found a simpler method of managing those desktops on a network than Active Directory. You can't manage MAC desktops or Linux desktops via the network as easily or as transparently as Active Directory can with Windows desktops. What this means is it takes less people to manage more machines in a Windows environment than any other desktop solution. This is why you are better of learning it. Very few enterprise environments are looking for Linux or MAC network admins. Yes, if you have command of Linux in addition to Active Directory that is a big plus in the "hire me" column. But the guy with Windows AD only vs Linux only is going to be a more attractive candidate to more employers.
    My Bad Bro! I was thinking bigger picture like in ISPs. Many of ours are switching their servers to linux. (so the tech guys keep telling me when my fucking internet slows down...:angry:) Stupid me didn't think about local networks. DoH! :facepalm:
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited June 2014
    There is a ton of work supporting the LAN/WAN environment and it pays pretty well in the US. I was taking home 75k per year as a lan/wan admin at K.S.U.
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