This is where i question the intelligence of some directors or IT managers. EVERYTHING is always the network or Firewall. so annoying when i have to troubleshoot for 1 hour and the issue is with the application server or application itself. that's the fun part though
Don't forget about packet analysis! Sometimes it takes a whole day to find a needle in a haystack. I worked for a company that had 4 - 6 full time packet guys and three network teams (Architects, Engineers & Technicians). Yup, they're not busy at all. :)
Exactly! Small/Medium size network are usually pretty static in a sense that it doesn't change much. You set it up, create vlans, set up routing, you're good to go. In larger environment, there are many moving parts and new environment/connections constantly being brought up.