Systems guy trying to get a handle on some network information...

[Shyatic]

So this isn't a "home networking" type of question, it's more related to enterprise stuff... I've moved into a more managerial role recently, and part of that is management of infrastructure as a whole, not just systems as I have grown up in (Windows Systems engineer was basically my career path thus far).

I'm moving into management and while I'm not trying to reinvent my career and become a network engineer, I do have to learn more about things like subnetting (and splitting subnets), the do/don'ts of switching/firewalls/etc, general security, etc. I've been told Network+ is a good place to go for this type of stuff, and so that's likely where I will wind up, but I wanted to take advice of you guys here to get some thoughts around it before I just go down that road.

I have a reasonable training budget so your help here will be invaluable.

Thanks!

 

[seepy83]

You might want to skip the comptia net+ and go to a CCNA (or similar) class. Depending on your experience at the Windows Server level, you might not get much out of Net+. Stepping up to a really good understanding of network security, firewalls, etc would probably be an additional step after a CCNA-level class.

The exact path you take may depend a lot on how much Management and how much "in the trenches" Admin/Engineer work your position will require.

 

[Shyatic]

It's largely management and architecture... I won't ever do the configurations, but I need to understand how to logically look at a network infrastructure and determine what I need or want. I let the subject matter experts deliver that to me in whatever way they want.