The Cleanup. Dot the I's and cross the T's

 As much as I enjoy the instant satisfaction with a physical cleanup, I actually enjoy documentation.  It's a great way to decompress and review the equipment/location I just worked on.  

I can't tell you how many times I spot issues or recommend changes as I document.  the odd time I can find solutions to existing problems.  I always make it a point to document whatever i;m working on so I have a point of reference and for my clients.  Just in case I'm not around and someone else needs to figure something out.

Documentation doesn't have to be anything fancy with multi-layer Visio drawings.  Even a simple Powerpoint with some squares and lines with notes is good enough.

Heres a photo of my desk with my 3 monitors: so I can have all my information up in front of me.

FREE WIRESHARK CLASS - Lecture 2 - Preferences and Setup

When I put together this Wireshark class, I wanted to make sure people understood that getting Wireshark set up properly is half the battle. In this lecture, I walk through the preferences and initial configuration I use every day. Wireshark works great out of the box, but once you tweak a few settings, it becomes a lot more comfortable and way more efficient for real troubleshooting.

Free Wireshark class video #1 - Getting started

 This is one of a 5 part series.. this is an actual class that I put together 2 years ago and thought I would put it out there.

Please DO NOT BOTHER WITH ANY OF THE LABS OR EXERCISES as I will not be providing any of the associated files.

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.