Learn networking?

[megadarkwood]

I would like to learn more about networking solutions .etc

where should I start? I have started reading this but its kinda basic: http://lifehacker.com/5833254/know-your-network-the-complete-guide

[Vitalius]

Watch all of them.

Have fun. 

Try not to die from overload.

[megadarkwood]

Watch all of them.

Have fun. 

Try not to die from overload.

I will soon, hopefully.

[LAwLz]

Depends on how much you want to learn.

 

Here are some of the things I have read, and I highly recommend them:

The first 4 Cisco Exploration courses. Network Fundamentals, Routing Protocols and Concepts, LAN Switching and Wireless and Accessing the WAN. Please note that the ones I have linked to are just demos. The real courses are about 10 chapters each.

Network Fundamentals explains the basics. What a router is. What a switch is. How is the OSI model built and what each layer is responsible for. What does an Ethernet frame contain. How subnetting works and so on.

Routing Protocols and Concepts is about the different routing protocols and how they work. It talks about RIP, RIPv2, OSPF as well as EIGRP. I don't think it talks about IS-IS that much but it's mentioned and the same goes for BGP. This book also explains the routing table and how it works. It also explains VLSM and CIDR which are very important things to fully understand and use if you want to design a network.

LAN switching and wireless is mostly about switching. It explains VLANs, VTP, STP and a tiny bit about wireless (it's just one chapter and it is very, very basic).

Accessing the WAN is about the different technologies that exist for connecting to a WAN. It talks about the God awful Frame Relay and things like PPP. It also talks about some basic security such as how to write ACLs, VPN and cryptography is also written about. Oh and it also brings up DHCP as well as NAT in some chapters.

 

That's for basic networking. If you want to learn about wireless networks then I recommend the CWNA book from David Coleman and David Westcott. It explains pretty much everything you need to know about wireless networks (at least everything you need to know as an admin).

 

For security I recommend CCNA Security course. It explains different threats to a network as well as how to prevent them. Also brings up more about ACL, how an ASA works, AAA and a few other things.

 

 

Saying that you want to learn about networking is like saying you want to learn about biology, or physics, or maths. It's too broad to just say "well go read this". If you read the things I have mentioned above then you should have learned most of the basic things about how a network works, how to design one, troubleshoot it and so on. Reading the Wikipedia articles I have linked is a very good start as well. Cisco Packet Tracer is fantastic if you want to mess around and explore the possibilities and the settings in routers and switches. It's a simulation so it doesn't matter if the router in the program stops working. The courses I have linked above also contains practical tests you can do in Packet Tracer.

[megadarkwood]

 

Depends on how much you want to learn.

 

Here are some of the things I have read, and I highly recommend them:

The first 4 Cisco Exploration courses. Network Fundamentals, Routing Protocols and Concepts, LAN Switching and Wireless and Accessing the WAN. Please note that the ones I have linked to are just demos. The real courses are about 10 chapters each.

Network Fundamentals explains the basics. What a router is. What a switch is. How is the OSI model built and what each layer is responsible for. What does an Ethernet frame contain. How subnetting works and so on.

Routing Protocols and Concepts is about the different routing protocols and how they work. It talks about RIP, RIPv2, OSPF as well as EIGRP. I don't think it talks about IS-IS that much but it's mentioned and the same goes for BGP. This book also explains the routing table and how it works. It also explains VLSM and CIDR which are very important things to fully understand and use if you want to design a network.

LAN switching and wireless is mostly about switching. It explains VLANs, VTP, STP and a tiny bit about wireless (it's just one chapter and it is very, very basic).

Accessing the WAN is about the different technologies that exist for connecting to a WAN. It talks about the God awful Frame Relay and things like PPP. It also talks about some basic security such as how to write ACLs, VPN and cryptography is also written about. Oh and it also brings up DHCP as well as NAT in some chapters.

 

That's for basic networking. If you want to learn about wireless networks then I recommend the CWNA book from David Coleman and David Westcott. It explains pretty much everything you need to know about wireless networks (at least everything you need to know as an admin).

 

For security I recommend CCNA Security course. It explains different threats to a network as well as how to prevent them. Also brings up more about ACL, how an ASA works, AAA and a few other things.

 

 

Saying that you want to learn about networking is like saying you want to learn about biology, or physics, or maths. It's too broad to just say "well go read this". If you read the things I have mentioned above then you should have learned most of the basic things about how a network works, how to design one, troubleshoot it and so on. Reading the Wikipedia articles I have linked is a very good start as well. Cisco Packet Tracer is fantastic if you want to mess around and explore the possibilities and the settings in routers and switches. It's a simulation so it doesn't matter if the router in the program stops working. The courses I have linked above also contains practical tests you can do in Packet Tracer.

 

Thanks, I will look through those.

I am intreged by networking and would like to learn more about it and maybe make a career in it if I like it!