Start First Networking Job Soon. Let's Hear All Your Best Tools, Tricks, and Tips!

drewbert87

Hey Everyone,

I'm fortunate to be starting a new position as a network admin for a global company with 1000+ employees in ~20 locations worldwide. This is my first "real" networking job and I know the role will include some VOiP, wireless, and Nexus, which I have very little experience with.

So what are your tips, software tools, tricks, or gotchas to avoid for a first timer? What would you look back and tell yourself as a network professional on your first day if you had to do it over again?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

scaredoftests

Take notes

Keyboard

Don't click that!

hurricane1091

Build a lab. VTP mode transparent on every switch you set up, before you plug it into the network. 'reload in (minutes)' for risky config changes that might kick you out of the device.

thomas_

switchport trunk allowed vlan add <vlan>

If you are just trying to add a vlan to the list of allowed vlans and do this command instead:

switchport trunk allowed vlan <vlan>

Oce you press the enter key you may suddenly find that your SSH session is no longer responding or that the device or other devices have suddenly gone offline. You can be assured it was your fault because invariably you removed one, or more, vlans from the trunk(s) that the device needed in order to operate correctly.

networker050184

Spend time learning the network and the technologies it uses. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Lab up as much as you can to get a feel of how things work together.

For practical stuff, understand the greater consequences of any change you make. I see a lot of new people not think about or look at the bigger picture. Follow standards. Get peer reviews.

Good luck!

pujan96

Im in the same boat, this thread will be very helpful in preperation.

Sweece

thomas_ wrote: »

switchport trunk allowed vlan add <vlan>

If you are just trying to add a vlan to the list of allowed vlans and do this command instead:

switchport trunk allowed vlan <vlan>

Oce you press the enter key you may suddenly find that your SSH session is no longer responding or that the device or other devices have suddenly gone offline. You can be assured it was your fault because invariably you removed one, or more, vlans from the trunk(s) that the device needed in order to operate correctly.

Hahaha! Now this is good advice. Just started at my networking job as well and this is one of the first things my co-worker told me about that had happened to him.

And @OP, as you interact with more technology and begin to hear more IT terms, look them up and study it to know it well.

networker050184

I had to go update tacacs to remove the ability to update trunk vlan allow lists without the add keyword. Too many outages caused by people not paying attention.

Welly_59

networker050184 wrote: »

I had to go update tacacs to remove the ability to update trunk vlan allow lists without the add keyword. Too many outages caused by people not paying attention.

How granular can you get with TACACS?

kurosaki00

Keyboard wrote: »

Don't click that!

If I only had known...

SpetsRepair

You have a CCNA and I'm guessing some network experience already

Best advice I give to everyone is if you understand the icmp protocol and how networks work you can figure out anything

shimasensei

Be willing to learn and study!

Moldygr33nb3an

copy run start

dmoore44

SpetsRepair wrote: »

You have a CCNA and I'm guessing some network experience already

Best advice I give to everyone is if you understand the icmp protocol and how networks work you can figure out anything

Make sure you know what port ping works on

networker050184

Welly_59 wrote: »

How granular can you get with TACACS?

Depending on your implementation you can use regex. So as granular as you can write!

Legacy User

Ask questions! If you don't understand how something works ask someone and write it down.

Danielh22185

As some mentioned before:

1.) Take time to learn the environment and ask a lot of questions.
Don't worry about if you think you are asking too many questions, you can never ask enough and most people I have worked with in the industry will tell you that because they too started the same exact way.

2.) Take additional time outside of work to really understand things.
You are going to have a TON to learn and most likely quickly. And if it's like most places I have worked there will not be a ton of 1:1 training going on so a lot will be on you to really devote time into studying up on the environment and becoming informed of.

3.) Don't be a hero!!!
Take your time and when it comes to making changes on the network ensure you are doing so at the opportune time and are informed of what you are doing / about to do. I just posted a thread in the CCNA wireless forum where I made a bonehead move. I knew better but I got too far ahead of myself and caused a serious problem.

4.) Feel and display confidence.
Don't be afraid to get knee deep into it. Obviously take that to heart but error on the side of caution ^^ due to point 3. Just because you are being careful doesn't mean you should be literally freaked out to do something on the network. Start small and work up from there. Be the guy to bounce user ports for a while and be good and responsive to the task. This will build confidence in yourself and your peers/mgmt.

5.) Find a mentor.
If you can find someone / some people you can always fall back on and grow from. Pick their brains and slowly pull tasks away from them that might be considerably more remedial tasks. Free them up even more to help you grow.

6.) Show initiative.
Kind of plays into other points, but show your worth and be aggressive to take on more.

7.) Be rigorous of knowing / documenting what you are working on day-to-day. TAKE NOTES!!!
Use that as a platform to learn / grow from but also a way of you and your management knowing what you are working on and track those completed items as accomplishments. Also use that as a means to knowledge share with your peers.

blatini

Nevermind. Misread the post. GL with your new position.

jibtech

1. Pay attention. Listen to what is said, both formally and informally.

2. Take notes. You should quickly develop a reputation as the person who has the details.

3. Take on the stupid stuff. Every team has stuff that has to be handled, and nobody wants to handle. Be the person who takes it on.

4. Grow. Do whatever it takes to walk out at the end of each day smarter than when you walked in.

Danielh22185

jibtech wrote: »

1. Pay attention. Listen to what is said, both formally and informally.

2. Take notes. You should quickly develop a reputation as the person who has the details.

3. Take on the stupid stuff. Every team has stuff that has to be handled, and nobody wants to handle. Be the person who takes it on.

4. Grow. Do whatever it takes to walk out at the end of each day smarter than when you walked in.

I like you 4th point! I would when I was new and still now (newish) got in the habbit of asking myself as I would walk to my car leaving for the day... What did I learn today? I would always tell new people I would encounter and even some old (the ones wanting to learn). If you aren't learning you aren't trying.

ImYourOnlyDJ

hurricane1091 wrote: »

'reload in (minutes)' for risky config changes that might kick you out of the device.

That's the old school way. Has anyone tried using the configuration rollback feature? I've just learned about it but haven't played with it yet.

Cisco Configuration Archive & Rollback: Using 'Revert' Instead of 'Reload' - Packet Pushers -

drewbert87

I've been following this thread and just wanted to say thanks for the replies everyone!

jdancer

Get a copy of Network Warrior from O'Reilly Media.

School of hard lessons learned on the field.

Fulcrum45

Really take the time to learn the topology- logical and physical. Too many times I've caught myself stumbling over Layer 1 stuff simply because things weren't marked properly on a patch panel. And congrats on the new gig!

CryptoQue

Don't be afraid to ask questions since you're new and they know you're learning on the job. Just don't ask the same questions after being provided the answers. Try to find a mentor that's willing to help you gain the necessary knowledge of being a network admin. A lot of the other input on this thread is also useful and will ultimately prepare you for future promotions internally or externally. Good luck!