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Since I see so many people wanting to find ways around what a network administrator does. Just what do you think a network administrators do? Besides not allowing you to mess stuff up? Net Admins out here feel free to to respond also about what else besides the boxes you deal with. :confused:
in my case....
1) patch boxes...daily it seems...
2) updates av defs....weekly and daily if required
3) deploy new boxes
4) crawl in the ceiling with cat5 in my teeth
5) backup and maintain server and AD
6) monitor event log/ids
7) firewall configuration/maintenance
8) answer stupid phone calls
9) tell people yes..it matter if caps lock is on...(see 8 )
10) hold semi regular employee info sessions on security/virus/best practices/company policy
11) replace toner in photocopier cause no one else can do it with out dumpin toner everywhere..
12)drink coffee by the gallon...
13)hang out at ao
and if you want to know what i do AFTER 9 am ...let me know...heheh
Hehe.. crawling in the ceiling with cat5 in your teeth is always fun ;)
I'd say I do pretty much the same things in my case too... except replace "maintenance" by build... (network really sucked, and still pretty much does right now: in process of getting the new stuff and laying it out)...
Ammo
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crawl in the ceiling with cat5 in my teeth
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go to a sporting goods store and get a childs (25#) crossbow, drill (or burn if plastic) a hole in the bolt for a cord. make a coil of the cord below the bow. shoot, tie the cord to a loop in the cable, tape any edges down so it dosn't hang up. if you got corners, do the same thing with a solid rubber ball.
Zigar, you sound more like one of many hats... oh-how-I-know-it, and empathize. Can you say start-up? LOL
In this day and age, seem the network/system admin picks up and does almost anything... I remember five or six years ago where I was reprogramming phone switches and being asked questions about nearly anything that required electricity (including the microwave - if only it ran SNMP).
To answer the original question, in the "true" sense, network admins tend to work on the network (duh). That includes all the wires, all the connections, the router and switches, often the firewalls and network IDS boxes (though larger companies tend to have network security departments), any and all peering points and Internet connections, setting up network monitoring, etc. And, yes, pretty much "all of the above" is what it tends to end up as... if it weren't for the actual users, perhaps we'd all be able to get something done. ;)
Since draziw put such a spifty type post up, I figured I would do the same since today it also happens to be bothering the living crap out of me.
I am net admin/it dept manager, so my daily duties are half admin, half paperwork and meetings.
But, what kills me is the same as the last few posts..changing toner and working the microwave. Suddenly we're the keepers of the overhead transparency projector. SINCE WHEN DOES THAT CONNECT TO MY LAN? Of course, I know how to use all the vcr's and stuff too because they MUST be part of the IT dept.
Bah. My cohort in crime here at work has the best idea for solving these problems. We call it the "END USER RE-EDUCATION DEVICE." In all reality it's just a tack hammer...but whack someone upside the head next time they say "I can't print," and I guarantee it's the last time they call you when there's no paper in the fricking printer.
Well seems like I'm not the only one out here that deals with other stuff besides a network Whew then again when they put a vending machine in the break room I did have to send out and email explaining that my dept had nothing to do with them, you know they do have a digital display for money LOL!!
Well my job is slightly easier. Tape backups occur in the changer and a tape is removed weekly. The antivirus software Norton Corporate trys to update itself. Ghost Enterprise tries to push out updates for me. I usually get stuck trying to unjam the printer, fix the color printer, or I get a message like the TV Doesn't work. Can you fix it. I thought it was a clue by the burnt smell that we needed a new one....but they insisted I could fix it. That or help L-users recover deleted docs and figure out why the hell they can't do their job.
I don't run my own CAT5, thats what sub contractors are for. And setting up new boxes is a snap w/ Ghost.
What Do Admins do? Fixing other peoples misakes is on the top of the list
Daily backups and patches becuase for some god only knows reason the place were i work refuses to abandon NTbackorfice (there excuse is they paid 2 much not to use it) for *Nix.
I agree with louie seting up new boxes and even fixing problems on old ones is made very effortlesly with ghost
Although with only about 80 comps and 3 segments i spend a lot of time playing Diablo2
until some IDIOT downloads a virus or even worse, then its my fault and i spend the next few hows working my ass off
net admins (where i work) check to see if all cables are plugged in.
non seriously:: being a net admin can be a though job. Keeping notes up to date, dealing with AS400, worriing about MS security policies, keeping servers on top
and yes answering stupid questions is a part of the job.
But ....................................
noODle
Hmm, I run my cat5 through the floor, dont need any ladders or acrobatics.
Quote:
Originally posted here by Tedob1
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crawl in the ceiling with cat5 in my teeth
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go to a sporting goods store and get a childs (25#) crossbow, drill (or burn if plastic) a hole in the bolt for a cord. make a coil of the cord below the bow. shoot, tie the cord to a loop in the cable, tape any edges down so it dosn't hang up. if you got corners, do the same thing with a solid rubber ball.
woohooo...sounds like fun....but you can't buy crossbows here....they're prohibited weapons......probably a good thing too...somedays...it'd be a reeeaaal bad idea for me to have a weapon of any sort nearby... :p
Fear the Flying Coffee Cup
Hey Zigar, read above: END USE RE-EDUCATION DEVICE.
Works well for people who ask "Where's the S: drive" in a network drive mapping environment. As far as I know, we have 5 different areas that are mapped to differend end user drives as "S:"
Of course, you can send out 100 messages a year about not opening strange attachments but there's always those SAME 5 who do it every time, then bitch when all their files are gone. It's so much fun to just look back and say: "You opened the virus right?" Usually then they complain to my boss that I have an "attitude problem," but it's so much fun.
And next time someone asks me to hook up the damn transparency projector, all hell is breaking loose. How hard is it to PLUG IN and PUT A STUPID PIECE OF CLEAR PLASTIC ON IT.
Guess it's too tough for the loafer wearing management weenies.
I am just a smart user (not actually part of the IT section here) and I have to do all the Toner/No Paper/No Power crap, as I know how to use a computer...I feel your pain!