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Posted: Nov 09 2010 11:32 pm

So now that I have a job with the Signal Corps...I have to turn my attention to learning that job. Obviously I'll be going to SOBC (Signal Officer's Basic Course) and learn most of what I need to there.

However. I both want to get a head start so I do well in the course, and also want to learn more of the nuts and bolts than what they teach you. With this in mind, I'm going to need to learn about several things:

-Basic computer networking (I have a decent working knowledge of things like home networks, but not much about large commercial networks)

-Network security and countermeasures/cyber security

-CISCO systems

I know at least a couple people on the forums have some amount of experience with some of this, so if you could point me in the general direction of a good place to start introducing myself to this stuff, I'd be very grateful.

Posted: Nov 10 2010 11:09 am

A home network is pretty simple and automated. You have a router which links all your PCs and assigns them IPs. (Usually 192.168.1.XXX) In a larger structure, those 1st three sets of numbers are going to matter a lot more. You need to study and learn about Subdomains, DHCP, Managed Routers/Switches/Hubs, and possibly network file sharing.

CISCO is expensive. Books about CISCO are expensive. So, hunt down what you can on the internet.

A great thing that has helped me, is building a home network larger than I will ever need.

I installed CAT5e outlets throughout the house. I have a master upload outlet in the living room, that my cable modem plugs into. It then goes to the basement, and into a Cisco Router. The router then uplinks to a 24 port 100T switch. The Switch then, goes back to all the ethernet outlets throughout the house. I also have a Gigabit switch which uplinks to the Router, specifically for my wife's and my PCs, so we have higher file transfer speeds. I also have a Wireless G, and Wireless N networks setup, which link into my system as well.

Before I had the CISCO router, I was using an older PC with Windows Server 2000, that had 2 duplex T100/T1000 network cards, and used it has the Router (Assigning DCHP), and also as a master firewall.

Do I need all that? Probably not. I don't think I will ever have anywhere close to 32 wired devices running at once in my network, and multiple wireless devices. But, building it, I have learned quite a bit, which has helped me in my job.

And, I didn't break the bank building it. I got the 24-port switch and the CISCO router from ads on Craigslist. The router cost me $50. (Which was a steal, since it retails for $400, but nobody in the residential sector really wants them, so they resell pretty cheap.) The 24 port, rack mount switch cost me a whopping $1 at a garage sale, because the guy didn't know if would even work or not. The old Server PC, was a old 1.8GHz Pentium 4 Dell that I picked up at Goodwill for $40.

My next step, is to buy a actual network rack, move my equipment off the wooden shelves I built for them into it, and then build a 2u-4u server. But, racks are expensive. Even used.

It's one thing to read about this stuff. But, it's 1000x better to just get your hands dirty and do it.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

I have had a very different experience than Knyte. I have had access to all of my computer needs through my workplaces. Server racks, desktops, etc.

A few things you should know. Ethernet cables are considered electrical cables. Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and all others similar cables can carry electricity. Therefore they are illegal to install unless you are an electrician. Will anyone ever find out if you run them yourself? No. I have done it, Knyte has done it, and so have most other techs. Still, this doesn't change the fact that you should not announce to anyone that would buy the property you wired that you were the one who wired it.

In commercial cases I tend to allow an electrician to wire the cables through the walls and then I terminate them at the keystones and or switches. Most networking jobs never require the network guy to do the dirty work.

I do plan to wire my house within the next year or two. The only hold up for me is that I don't know where I want the jacks in all of the rooms yet.

As for the CISCO stuff, I would try to get second hand stuff from companies that are going to recycle it. Universities, even the military might be willing to help you out if you make friends with the IT groups. It is just too expensive to buy outright. I personally do not do CISCO stuff because it isn't necessary for my career. However, it is definitely a well paying career path, if you choose to go down it.

I will make a few suggestions, if you need an A+ or Network+ certification, I strongly suggest you find out within a few weeks because starting January 1, 2011, they are expiring certifications rather than life long ones. Anyone with the cert before the new year is grandfathered in with a life long.

The Network+ certification will force you to learn things like topology and the OSI model. That is what they mean by "Basic computer networking". They don't mean just using Microsoft File Sharing.

Basic networking terms and topics you definitely need to understand:
Firewalls, Switches, Hubs, Routers, Bridges, Access Points, NAT, UPnP, QoS, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, MAC/Physical Address

I don't deal with security often on a corporate scale, but in general you need to learn what types of attacks there are, how to identify and plug the holes that make them available. The people who do this on a professional level are usually about half programmer and half network tech.

The one thing I can agree 100% with Knyte on is that the only way you learn this stuff is by doing it. You can start with a single computer running a few virtual machines and a router hooked to the internet. That is all you need to begin.

Posted: Nov 10 2010 03:05 pm

I'm a layman when it comes to this kind of stuff, but best of luck to you Hawk.

Posted: Nov 10 2010 04:26 pm

Awesome, Knyte and GP. So appreciate it!

Thanks for the tip on the certs, GP. Sadly, I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to get a cert before the new year, but its also not a requirement for what I'm doing with the Army--they figure as long as you pass the classes they give you, you're good to go for what they want you to do.
It IS something I may look into down the road if/when I ever get tired of teaching and want to pursue it as a civilian career path as well.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

SoldierHawk wrote:

Awesome, Knyte and GP. So appreciate it!

Thanks for the tip on the certs, GP. Sadly, I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to get a cert before the new year, but its also not a requirement for what I'm doing with the Army--they figure as long as you pass the classes they give you, you're good to go for what they want you to do.
It IS something I may look into down the road if/when I ever get tired of teaching and want to pursue it as a civilian career path as well.

Just remember that in the military if you do work on open computer hardware, use a static arm band strap. I hear that they treat you like the TSA and then waterboard you if you get caught without static protection.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

When I was 13 I learned the hard way to always have the anti-static wrist band handy. It's a must have.

Posted: Nov 10 2010 05:28 pm

Check your local laws GP.

It's perfectly legal to rewire your own private residence, as long as you do it to code, regardless if you have an electricians certification or not.

Also, there is no official code for CAT cabling. You can install it however you want. But, I try to treat it like I do with any electrical wiring. Clean, neat, and properly tacked, routed, and secured.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Knyte wrote:

Check your local laws GP.

It's perfectly legal to rewire your own private residence, as long as you do it to code, regardless if you have an electricians certification or not.

Also, there is no official code for CAT cabling. You can install it however you want. But, I try to treat it like I do with any electrical wiring. Clean, neat, and properly tacked, routed, and secured.

Since I do hope to take care of this in my own home soon, can you help direct me to which laws I would be looking for? I can't seem to word a query correctly to find out in my state/town if it is ok for me to put in the cable.

Posted: Nov 11 2010 09:50 am

GPFontaine wrote:

Just remember that in the military if you do work on open computer hardware, use a static arm band strap. I hear that they treat you like the TSA and then waterboard you if you get caught without static protection.

Oh god yes. And don't forget your rubber matting your suppose to be standing on too. Also, don't forget your partner with a Non-Conducting rope to yank your ass off something if you start to do the 400HZ shuffle.

Posted: Nov 11 2010 07:39 pm

Being that you are in CT, your state only has to adopt to the 2005 NEC Code, not the 2008 code.
See here: http://www.nema.org/stds/fieldreps/NECadoption/implement.cfm

You can view the code for free, after registering, here:
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=70&EditionID=1352

This is all that matters.

If your home is ever inspected, it has to meet these standards.

If you hire an electrician to do it, then the inspector will probably be more lax in doing to inspection. If he/she knows you did it, they will be more detailed in searching. So, my best advice is to do everything to AT LEAST code, and the cleaner the work, the better.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Thank you very much Knyte. I'll definitely be reading through this stuff over the next few days.