How many MCSE's out there?

[Rick]

Forgot to mention the tech couldn't get the printer working off a network cable. Had to hook it up to a nearby computer's parallel port and run all print jobs through that.

[RAB]

Rick,
If you can wait about 3 or 4 months, the schools will start you with the Win2000 track. Unfortunately, the schools have not received the new course materials yet and are still teaching NT4 for the next few months. Sort of like waiting for the Condors. But if you pass the first three NT4 core courses, you can take just one Win2K exam to cover the same material instead of three. Plus, most businesses will be using NT4 for another year at least - they never adopt anything until it at least a year old. (Their excuse is that its too buggy to use on first release. You would think MS would understand this by now and produce more bug free software. The Japanese learned that building bug free cars the first time around was how to beat Detroit.)

30 computers going to one printer!! We had a standard of ten max. And even that was pushing it when things got busy. Sounds like you need a few more printers and a few less techies.

RAB




[This message has been edited by RAB (edited 09 April 2000).]

[EdSki]

Ey Rab....don't worry about this MCSE stuff..the core modules are a peace of cake, really (In fact I think they are way to easy)
Just read books...Do some transcenders..Look up the up the stuff you still don't know well enough..Do some more transcenders .Download and study braindumps..Pass tests with huge scores..

Only the electives can be tricky, except for tcp/ip. Choose Tcp/ip (very usefull course & easy, but will be retired) and one elective that won't be retired for a while.

-Btw- I also think it is still worth while to take the NT 4 track. Most companies won't be switching to win2k for a while. The only one stupid enough is Abn-Amro :-)
You can follow an accelerated track for win2k after that. Then you will be able to say you are an expert in both. Just make sure you don't fail as you are allowed to take the accelerated exam only once!

Read all about the mcse track at www.microsoft.com/mcp

grtz
Ed

[This message has been edited by EdSki (edited 10 April 2000).]

[This message has been edited by EdSki (edited 10 April 2000).]

[RAB]

Jammrock,
That's why I want the certs. I know that corporate America is looking for paper first and experience second. With the certs, I'll have a little of each. Over the years, I've gotten pretty good with Word and Excel and to a lesser extent, Notes and even a little Cognos (only the real software guys will know that one). I still need to learn Access and get better at Powerpoint.

I, too, am somewhere between a hardware tech and a real tech, although my networking knowledge is pretty basic. I still can't get TCP/IP to run on my home network along side AOL. It ran fine until I installed AOL 5.0 but now it won't. My son keeps begging me to fix it so he can completely destroy me in Age of Empires II.

RAB (classes start tonight - 6 to 9 ugh.)

[Rick]

Rab, don't feel bad AOL 5 is known to hose all current networking connections. They basically don't want you having any other option then them.

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ASUS P3V4X,Celeron 366@550, 2.26v, 128mb PC133 Crucial RAM, G400 DH, Maxtor 7200rpm 10GB, 4.3GB Fujistu, Creative 24x, Creative X-Gamer, NIC (DSL baby!), ISA Modem

[EdSki]

Jammrock,

Good point about paper-techies. There are indeed a lot of them around. The big difference is not some much wether they are already know al lot when they start, but if they are actually willing to learn or just want grab some quick cash.

I however don't agree that a good techie should know everything. An administrator really doesn't need to know anything about using access or excel an a workstation supporter doesn't need to know how to setup a NT domain. You should at least know enough to do your job, anything else is extra.

grtz,
Ed

[billko]

This is a great thread. Y'know, when I first started working with computers, I marveled at how precise and logical they were. Then, the more I worked on them, the more I noticed that you can't explain a lot of what happens in the real world. The more I know about computers, the more I find myself throwing up my hands and exclaiming, "I dunno!"

Example:
Two identical laptops loaded with identical images. One loads just fine, one has trouble configuring the display driver and the sound card. (I reloaded the drivers and it worked.) Go figure. I know if I tried hard enough, I'd find that in some small way they were different - maybe a different rev motherboard, or something like that. But, they're the same model with the same hardware - it should act the same, right? Wrong! (That's where I throw my hands up...)

Computers are funny things...

Bill

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People call me a computer god; I remind them that I am merely a minor deity...

[Jammrock]

The computer world is all messed up. You guys have to realize that there are 4 types of techs, IMO:

1) Software Techs - You can ask these guys anything about Office, Photoshop, OS's and things like that and they can give you an answer off the top of their head. These people normally end up as Help Desk and product testers. Ask them to build a computer and they ask you where the Dell is and install disk.

2) Hardware Techs - These are the overclockering hardware geeks that can tell you every spec of most computer components off the top of their heads, build a computer from scratch in under 2 hours (including OS install), tell you how to get into the BIOS of any computer (even old Packard Hell 386's) and get any OS to work on the computer. Ask these guys how to add two cells together in Excel and they'll say, "What's Excel? Is that a new racing game?"

3) True Techs - These are the techs that can do most of, if not all and more, than both the software and hardware techs. These techs are harder to come by, but I've noticed there are quite a few of them on the MURC forums.

4) Paper Techs - These guys take a class, read a book, pass a cert and get a job. No real life experience, no desire to really learn or understand the industry. Some paper techs can become real techs later on, but most of them just piss off the real techs and make them want to rip their throats out since the paper tech is getting paid more because he has his MCSE.

I am somewhere between a real tech and a hardware tech. I am really good with hardware and OS's, and am getting better with apps (and yes I did figure out how to add cells in Excel). I have my A+ and Network+ and around 3 years as a tier-1,2 and sometimes 3 corporate desktop support tech. And trust me, if you want a good corporate job, you need to have a lot of well know certs or be so unbelievably good that people will beg you to come work for them.

My $0.02.

Jammrock

[Jammrock]

EdSki,

Its impossible to know everything, that's just a fact of life. A good tech will know enough that they can solve most hardware and software problems involving their network off the top of their head. And what they don't know, they can figure out or find out in a reasonible amount of time.

Network admins are usually/hopefully specialized software techs. Desktop support people should be well rounded techs. They may not need to know how to setup a domain, but will need to know how to troubleshoot domain issues for the clients (trust me).

I have a job interview tomorrow with a company that has a list 2 pages long of desired IT knowledge...single spaced. These are the kind of people that companies want to hire, the one-guy-knows-all tech. They don't really exsist, but HR doesn't know that. So the more you know, the better chance you have of getting a good job.

Jammrock

[Mistah Magik]

I am working on getting mine, my school is paying for my A+ Cert and my microsoft cert starting this summer. I know that someone mentioned this before but www.cramsession.com is probably the best site to use to get sample questions and FAQs. We have like 3 students certified and they all used that site like a mofo.... but good luck dude and wish me some luck too!!

Mistah Magik

[EdSki]

Jammrock,

Well.. at least knowing more will always give you more options when looking for work (And a bigger pay check in the end)

Hope you got the job,
Edski

[RAB]

Jammrock,
How did your interview go? I'm sure you did well. I've had two classes now and I'm now trying to scrounge up enough parts to build two junk computers so I can load server on one and workstation (or Win2k) on another. I think I know where to get parts (I hope).

Anyway, if any of you are planning to try the MCSE route, go to Microsoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/op...ur/default.asp
and get a 120 day trial copy of NT 4.0 Server for $20. Sure beats paying over $400 for a real copy.

RAB

[This message has been edited by RAB (edited 13 April 2000).]

[Helevitia]

I guess this email is kind of like a SPAM email, so sorry if I offend anyone, but I feel that this one post out of the many I've put down(please don't judge me by the 100+ posts I have here, I have more from previous escapades with MURC) shouldn't be to much of a nuisance.

I'm looking for Network engineers who knows the insides and outs of Networking including Cisco Equipment with a Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science or electrical Engineering with atleast 3-5 years experience. Here is a sample interview question:

Host_A-Ethernet-Router_A-Serial-Router_B-Ethernet-Host B

192.10.10.1=Host_A
192.10.10.254=Host_B

Questions:

Is this a valid setup? Why? I actually beleive Jammrock might be able to get this but I dunno for sure. But Hey! jammrock, If you are looking for a good job, let me know

Dave

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I can never think of a good signature...~

[Alegria]

Those TCP/IP adresses are on the same network, 192.10.10.different node number. How should any of the routers know when and what to route if it is on the same network?Shouldn't work or am I totally wrong?
Alegria

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The pump don't work, 'cause the vandals took the handle...
Bob Dylan

[Jammrock]

Heleitia,

I must be honest, routers are my weak point. I mean, I know nothing about routers beyond what they do and what layer of the OSI model they reside on. Its a goal of mine to study Cisco routers and get my CCNA and MCSE by years end. The law firm I am trying to get hired on at has the entire Cisco training library, plus Cicso certified techs and Cisco equipment. So going there would really help me learn them.

As for a solution to your problem, if Alegria is wrong, I have no idea. His answer sounds logical to me.

Edski,

My interview was 45 minutes of questions about my resume, what job functions I have done at my past jobs, technical know-how, technical questions, software questions, hardware questions...it was hectic. I only got completely stumped once on an Excel question, but I found out that they purposely question you until they stump you to find out how you react Sneaky isn't it. I find out about the job today or Monday.

Jammrock