Why Network Engineers Should Learn Ethernet Cable Termination and Basic Cabling Skills

 I think there is a balance between doing it yourself and calling the professionals. If it’s a straight forward manageable task and you have the correct tools and knowledge, why not.

For example, I wouldn’t climb an 80 foot tower, pull and terminate 120 pairs of Ethernet cabling or try to terminate fibre connectors.

While working onsite I was asked “Why bother?“ or “We’ll get someone else to do that”. Some people feel that some network tasks are too menial or beneath them. I’ve had some network technicians ask why I would bother doing ‘that kind of work’ when you have had various certifications.

Diagnosing Application Delays vs. Errors: A Wireshark Filtering Guide Using an iperf Case Study

When troubleshooting application performance complaints, the author explains that the first diagnostic step is figuring out whether the root cause is a delay or an error. A delay is straightforward to spot — a noticeable gap between a request and its reply — while an error is more nuanced, since it can stem from either the application or the network and may end up delaying or corrupting packets in ways that aren't immediately obvious.

The Wilkes Insurrection by Robbie Bach - a Review

 

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These words from Abraham Lincoln came at a time when our Nation was at its most divided point in history - a time when differences ran so deep that we were literally at war with one another. The dangerous divisiveness that exists in America today is fertile ground for a riveting story.

A good read is engaging, entertaining, and suspenseful, with vivid scenes populated by fully developed characters and strung together with a compelling story arc. While not breaking new ground for the genre, The Wilkes Insurrection by Robbie Bach mostly checks all the boxes. This is the first novel from author Bach, who previously led the team at Microsoft that developed the Xbox video game business. A self-described “Civic Engineer”, he believes all of us have an essential responsibility to engage productively in public issues. Failure to do so can push us perilously apart.

How Display Filters Affect Wireshark IO Graphs (And Why It Can Trip You Up)

 

Its been over 20 years of installing, troubleshooting, training and writing and I still think the biggest issue in IT is the technician’s working knowledge of their everyday tools. It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical tool like a cable tester or software, you should not only be familiar with it, but with any changes with upgrades.

In this case I chose Wireshark and wanted to show you how display filters affect IO graphs. As I mentioned in the video, this can be ‘bad’ or ‘good’. Which one depends if you know about this new ‘feature’ or not.

I always suggest you ‘use your favorite tools on a regular basis so you can spot some of these changes when they appear so you aren’t caught off guard when you are in the middle of troubleshooting.

Managing the Politics of Network Troubleshooting: Communication, SPOCs, and Post-Incident Reviews

 With your experience and knowledge of technology and your ability to navigate the politics of work, you may find yourself as the main technical resource for troubleshooting. At this point in your career, you may be empowered to pull a troubleshooting team together to resolve a major issue.

There’s no surprise that you have to manage EVERYONE impacted by the issue which may include technical teams, management, clients and everyone that has a vested interest in the current situation.