Need some advice on learning networking

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

There's a long list of folks that I need to thank in this thread. I went to not knowing much about networking to knowing, well, lets just say I know a hell of a lot more than when I started this thread.

But I need to give a big Thank You to Ken for turning me on to the Virtual Machines. It took a little work to get everything installed. I ran into a few problems but this is really cool. You can install any operating system and run it as a virtual computer and it functions like the real deal. That's gonna save a ton of money and I'll be familiar with all of 'em.

[Tricky]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

That's gonna save a ton of money and I'll be familiar with all of 'em.

Linux?

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Linux?

Haven't tried but it appears so.

https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/techpaper/linux_install_config.pdf

[Tricky]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Haven't tried but it appears so.


https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/d...all_config.pdf

No I meant you could try it as it's free.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

No I meant you could try it as it's free.

I'm not sure. I just went to their website and tried downloading one of their operating systems and it started to download. I cancelled the download because I'm not ready to learn that. Just got to their website and give it a try.

[KenB]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Linux?

Absolutely!

I currently am running a copy of Ubuntu Linux Desktop version 20.something (most current) and it works flawlessly, even with the skimpy 4 GB of RAM I’m giving it, all under VM Ware.

I normally use it for surfing websites that I may or may not completely trust, so that no cooties make their way to my Windows 10.

Tons of apps that run on Windows have Linux counterparts, including Notepad++ (invaluable!), Chrome, Visual Studio Code (as I dabble with some programming), a bunch of audio and screen recording software, and...yes, Wireshark. It’s also my web server.

It comes with Libre Office (also freely available for Windows), which is very similar to, and mostly compatible with MS Office, although there is no Outlook counterpart.

Essentially, I only run Windows because I have to, and only when needed. Yeah, I’m a Linux geek.

The best part is that almost all Linux software is open source, meaning that it has no cost. (Note the “almost” part!)

[Tricky]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Although I keep windows I use Ubuntu-Mate a lot as I don't like the stripped down Gnome 3 desktop that comes with Ubuntu, I prefer Gnome 2, its all about choice

I normally use it for surfing websites that I may or may not completely trust, so that no cooties make their way to my Windows 10.

You could create a user account in windows with few privileges as I do and require a password for system access, that seems to keep the nasties out.

[tonerhead]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

I haven't read every post in this thread so forgive me if already given as a solution. If you want to learn networking try Udemy. Registration is free. They usually list their courses at a high price. You check over the course brochure and later you will probably receive an email offering the course for under $20 (don't buy it at full price). I passed my A+ and Net+ just by using these courses. You will find courses from Mike Myers (the original guru) and Jason Dion as well as others. For the books I went to Ebay. For example hard copies of Mike Myers books are $$$ at Barnes &Noble, Amazon, etc. They are cheaper.

[KenB]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

I haven't read every post in this thread so forgive me if already given as a solution. If you want to learn networking try Udemy. Registration is free. They usually list their courses at a high price. You check over the course brochure and later you will probably receive an email offering the course for under $20 (don't buy it at full price). I passed my A+ and Net+ just by using these courses. You will find courses from Mike Myers (the original guru) and Jason Dion as well as others. For the books I went to Ebay. For example hard copies of Mike Myers books are $$$ at Barnes &Noble, Amazon, etc. They are cheaper.

I did my Python training there. Good stuff. I think I paid all of $12.99 for it.

[allan]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Absolutely!

I currently am running a copy of Ubuntu Linux Desktop version 20.something (most current) and it works flawlessly, even with the skimpy 4 GB of RAM I’m giving it, all under VM Ware.

I normally use it for surfing websites that I may or may not completely trust, so that no cooties make their way to my Windows 10.

Tons of apps that run on Windows have Linux counterparts, including Notepad++ (invaluable!), Chrome, Visual Studio Code (as I dabble with some programming), a bunch of audio and screen recording software, and...yes, Wireshark. It’s also my web server.

It comes with Libre Office (also freely available for Windows), which is very similar to, and mostly compatible with MS Office, although there is no Outlook counterpart.

Essentially, I only run Windows because I have to, and only when needed. Yeah, I’m a Linux geek.

The best part is that almost all Linux software is open source, meaning that it has no cost. (Note the “almost” part!)

Really like Linux Mint.
Other OS to look into is NomadBSD. True persistent OS that runs form a USB drive. Awesome tool to have on your key chain. That and Hirens boot disk.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

I can't speak for anyone else but this site has been such an incredible resource for me. Maybe that's because I had such a long way to go but I can tell you that I've learned a ton since joining this site and it wasn't that long. Whether I have a question about a copier or networking...someone has the answer or can point me to it.

One thing I've learned thus far about networking is that when you go down one road it's gonna take you down six other ones.

[allan]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

I can't speak for anyone else but this site has been such an incredible resource for me. Maybe that's because I had such a long way to go but I can tell you that I've learned a ton since joining this site and it wasn't that long. Whether I have a question about a copier or networking...someone has the answer or can point me to it.

One thing I've learned thus far about networking is that when you go down one road it's gonna take you down six other ones.

Starting with this Arduino development platform was like that for me.
Took 3 shameful weeks of not knowing what fuse bits are to get a boot-loader onto an Atmel MPU.
At first I was trying to understand everything in dept from the coding to the electronics and the layout and PCB design.
Ended up going so slow at first trying to make perfect sense of everything getting side tracked on everything new.
Quickly learned not to dig to deep. Only when something does not work will i dig deeper to see if i can fix it.
Instead started using blocks of existing functional parts to create the projects i was interested in.
Its amazing what you can create, and still don't have complete understanding of the sub parts of it.

Its like Lego, when you play with them you don't think about how the lego was made.

[rthonpm]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

One big advice in terms of networking: almost every protocol used has some sort of old world process that it tried to emulate. Often times, it's easier to picture network processes in the same manner. For example, IP packet switching is an analogue to the old phone switching where an operator would route a call from one location to another at a switchboard. To some extent, knowing what every single process does isn't as important as know the general idea of what it's doing.

Pick up a decent book on Network+ and go through the items it covers will give you enough of a grounding to at least get in the general vicinity of where a problem may lie.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

One big advice in terms of networking: almost every protocol used has some sort of old world process that it tried to emulate. Often times, it's easier to picture network processes in the same manner. For example, IP packet switching is an analogue to the old phone switching where an operator would route a call from one location to another at a switchboard. To some extent, knowing what every single process does isn't as important as know the general idea of what it's doing.

Pick up a decent book on Network+ and go through the items it covers will give you enough of a grounding to at least get in the general vicinity of where a problem may lie.

Very interesting concept. I'm in the stage to where I can't see the forest for the trees, so to speak, but one thing I learned is that everything is governed by a protocol and that every protocol runs thru a port. And it's important to know what protocol is running on what port. It also helps to understand something about the protocol you're dealing with.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Need some advice on learning networking

Let me share an experience I had the other day and maybe somebody can explain to me.

I go out to install a copier the other day and they had 2 wireless PC's and 2 routers. One router had a wireless network address starting with 192.xxx.xxx.xxx. The other router has a wireless network address starting with 10. Automatically this makes me nervous because I've very inexperienced and my understanding is that every device has to be in the same network range in order to communicate. But they were able to access both wireless networks with no problem. I'm probably talking out my ass but I still don't understand this.