Best Path for becoming a Network Administrator?

[Fayt19]

Oh i see...well like I said im just more worried about the Certs atm since ill have to time to study for them. ><

As for schooling/jobs...ill worry about that when i get back from iraq...

So is there NO virtual Machines/Networking Simulators or are there just the ones you get from companies?

 

[Lexluethar]

No no, there are. Sorry I forgot to tell you. There are plenty of free software out there that will allow you to run a virtual machine on your computer. Just google it and you'll find plenty of available software packages out there that will allow you to run multiple 'machines' on your one computer.

Wish I could suggest a few, but I haven't used one.

 

[Fayt19]

do you think they would provide tutorials? or would it only benefit me if i read a networking book first?

I have the Ebooks for A+ and CCNA, and Windows Server 2008.

Is windows server 2008 windows 98?....im confused ><

Also one more question:

Is there any difference between a "Networking Simulator" and a "Virtual Machine"?

Sorry for all the questions =P

 

[SparkMonkeyHellion]

A virtual machine is just that... it's a computer that is not actually a computer. It thinks it's a computer, but it's actually running within another computer. Think of it as a program that believes it's a computer.

A networking simulator is a program that acts like a network, as in there are different things on the network which talk to each other like they really would on a network.

The problem with learning on these kinds of things is that you may never see something like this. I certainly have not used anything similar to the network simulators I have used, so in the end it's more confusing.

Windows Server 2k8 is a unique platform. It looks and feels like Windows XP, however there are some important built in tools. These are things like DHCP managers and Active Directory.

Windows 98 is ancient history.

 

[Lexluethar]

A virtual machine is just that... it's a computer that is not actually a computer. It thinks it's a computer, but it's actually running within another computer. Think of it as a program that believes it's a computer.

A networking simulator is a program that acts like a network, as in there are different things on the network which talk to each other like they really would on a network.

The problem with learning on these kinds of things is that you may never see something like this. I certainly have not used anything similar to the network simulators I have used, so in the end it's more confusing.

Windows Server 2k8 is a unique platform. It looks and feels like Windows XP, however there are some important built in tools. These are things like DHCP managers and Active Directory.

Windows 98 is ancient history.

Server 2008 is like Vista, not XP. It has a similar UAC and is an upgrade of Server 2003. The main upgrades from 2003 is the compartmentalization of the OS. Meaning that you can selectively install the functions that the server will need. It also brings along a lot of the reporting tools that came along with the Vista OS.

I'm still poking around on it and have only gotten about a fifth through the study book and messing around with the OS for only about a month so I don't know all the differences.

 

[SparkMonkeyHellion]

Server 2008 is like Vista, not XP

I said "looks and feels" - not "is like". As for the specific differences, I also don't have enough experience working on it to be able to help because most everything still runs on 2003.

Vista tries to do too many things for you, which 2k8 certainly does not, however the interface for 2k8 is much more intuitive, like comparing Windows 95 to XP.

 

[Fayt19]

Oh I see, well to be honest until I started looking to pursue my dream I didnt know what server 2008 or 2003 was and ive been around computers my whole life...is it an OS businesses use more? Or just like an "Engine" that other OS use? The reason I ask because I have a Vista inside and out book and someone said Windows 7 is kind of like vista and to learn Vista.

I think im just not going to get too overwhelmed about this. Ill just read the A+ and take it one step at a time. >.<

 

[SparkMonkeyHellion]

yeah, it's a lot to take in.

XP and Vista are "work station" OS's. These run on every day computers.

Windows Server series run on Servers - duh - and they are built with similar technology.

No, as a typical user, you will never see Windows Server anything.

Servers are great big huge computers which host things like web pages (called a web server) or applications or email or files.

A Server OS has the added tools necessary to allow these functions. For instance, there are certain things that need to happen for a server to "host" a web page, it has to allow incoming and outgoing connections and blah blah blah - same if you are working an email server (such as MS Exchange).

You install Windows Server just like you would install XP; in fact many regular machines today are plenty powerful enough to run Server 2003 (and sometimes they do, though it's not recommended).

I do good with pictures. So here; have pictures:

Each of those boxes is a server. Each one could potentially be running Windows Server 200x. Or each one could be storing files available to an entire company.

Anyone know of any good diagrams to illustrate a corporate network???

EDIT:

Here's a good example;
http://www.pc-utilities.net/sde-layout.gif

Each of the machines on the bottom is something that you or I use on a daily basis. The big box that they all link to is a server. In this example, this server is used to manage the antivirus software. However, that antivirus manager is just a program. That program is run by Windows Server 200x. Windows Server provides the tools needed for the antivirus manager to work.

 

[zmatt]

Server 2008 is like Vista, not XP. It has a similar UAC and is an upgrade of Server 2003. The main upgrades from 2003 is the compartmentalization of the OS. Meaning that you can selectively install the functions that the server will need. It also brings along a lot of the reporting tools that came along with the Vista OS.

Not to mention it has a different kernel than XP. Server 08 as far as I know is based on the Vista code branch. It has nothing to do with XP.

 

[bilbus]

ccna is nothing. CCNP is where you get noticed.

ccna is better then net+ though.

A+ tests are like $100 each
MCSE tests are $125 each x7
CCNA has 2 tests i dont know the cost