Best place to start learning about networking? (IT technician newbie)

[MelodicBrush]

Hey guys, some of you may have seen me in the introductory section of the forum, im now wondering where I can get some good resources to read up on to get the fundamental gists of networking in order to reach an intermediate level in it.

[jammmie999]

try TrainSignal - Computer Training Videos - Microsoft, VMware, Cisco, CompTIA & more!

read up on some qualifications e.g. Cisco CCNA, Comptia Network+ etc

[irsprint84]

Also download gns3 its cicso emulation software

[paulfinlay]

Check out Cisco CCNA and CCDA. Although it's vendor specific most network topics apply no matter what equipment you're using.

[MelodicBrush]

Thank you very much guys for the support, will be checking them out

[Admiral208]

Check out Comptia A+ and N+. This is where I started a couple of years ago.

[IanT]

Buy your self a couple of routers, firewalls and switches off ebay and learn that way! - way I did it.

[m25man]

Do you have a job already?

Combined with all of the above experience is what you need most to make a career out of IT without it, all of your efforts may be laid to waste unless you get this.

 

We try to take University Students on placements for a year as technicians this always helps them when they have completed their finals and start looking for a real job.

 

I wish more schools were open to doing the same, the dont pay a lot anything between £12-16k but the experience and cred on your CV is worth it.

 

Many of our ex placements have gone on to do really well as a result of these scheme's which just goes to show how even a short period in a proper IT Support role can make all the difference.

 

As an employer, the candidates experience always takes precedence over their qualifications and NEVER hand over good hard cash to these training companies that want to charge you a fortune to get an MCP with a guaranteed job at the end.

If your going to do formal training either get your employer to invest in it as it's likely you will get only what is deemed useful to them or do it off your own back if a person has gone out of their way to do such a thing and obtained qualifications all by themselves they are automatically pushed to the top of my list.

 

All that said, the Comptia A+ Networking syllabus is probably the best one to fast track in, Cisco Labs whilst IMOHO is better than a Microsoft one requires a longer commitment and so many start and never finish...

 

Get some basics + experience then if you think this is what you want to do go for a CNA and set your Horizon into wide mode or if you want to be a deskjockey re-imaging desktops and supporting server OS's an MCP either way welcome to the fold and good luck in your chosen career path.

[hlc]

A good way to learn about this to do a course in CompTIA A+ or Network+

 

These can be done via distance learning so you don't have to worry about going to college or university to get these skills.

 

They'll give a solid grounding in the fundamentals of IT and give you something really useful to put on your CV when you go for IT jobs.

 

They're both well regarded certificates so should help you get started.

[jtotheb]

If you want vendor agnostic then I'd echo looking at the A+ and Network+. Cisco do have entry level qualifications below CCNA like the CCENT.

[jinnantonnixx]

This looks quite good. Free, too!

 

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=397585

 

and

 

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=397529&section=3.1

Edited September 13, 2011 by jinnantonnixx