Here's how you can learn from common mistakes made by network engineers.

Everyone makes mistakes, and they are often our best teachers. No one has mastered the piano without making millions of mistakes. In interviewing candidates for network engineering roles, I like to ask, "What is the biggest outage you have caused?" This reveals a lot about the candidate. Experienced network engineers have inevitably "brought down the whole network." In answer to this question, the bigger outage, the better. A seasoned engineer shares these "war stories" with pride and humor, confidently admitting and owning their mistakes while explaining what they learned. An engineer who hasn't made mistakes or shifts blame is not someone you'd want on your team.

Learning basics is very important. Also learn from others is equally important... in this regard, constantly keeping upgraded with latest details are equally important... Subscriptions to mailing lists, discussion boards, Will really help you to know what's going around the world in that domain, issues faced by peers, their learnings, ... this will be a huge advantage in solving any problems.... These discussion boards will really add different dimensions to your understanding...

One common mistake made by network engineers is a lack of preparation. Whether dealing with a network issue or project deployment, thorough preparation is key. While projects usually allow more time for preparation, it's important to analyze potential issues beforehand to tackle them more effectively. Don't wait for a new problem to arise before starting your learning process. Having visual references is crucial. These can be as simple as a network diagram on a piece of paper or a printout of the entire network. This will always be helpful when doubts arise. Additionally, pre-configure your settings and, if possible, ask a colleague to review them. This collaborative approach benefits both parties and ensures a more robust configuration.

-Over the years one thing helped me the most always start from the basic, always ask basic questions. -Another important point is always trust what you can verify yourself don’t trust the customer blindly.

Change Management Mistake: Implementing changes without a proper plan or approval process. Lesson: Follow a change management process, including planning, testing, and approval, to minimize the risk of network disruptions.

It’s important to make use of documentation such as the network topology to help you understand where the fault has originated. Troubleshooting from the backbone device to end devices will help you to identify whether the failure is originating from the backbone or there are multiple failures in the network. Documents will also help understand incidents in details and this will give you an overview of how to handle the fault.

Documentation is the most useful tool we have when things become complex. Engineers will typically not think to look at documentation if a) they didn't create it so they're not sure if it will have what they need and b) because engineers like to fix things, not read. I've found the best way to overcome this is to adopt a documentation first approach, before any config is applied documentation is reviewed/updated before AND after. This leads to engineers having more eagerness to look at documentation as their work should be the same standard as others.

Documenting what’s been done is crucial, especially when its a reoccurring issue. If multiple people keep doing the same thing to fix the issue but it only resolves it for a short time we aren't fixing the real issue. I’ve seen 8 tickets for the same devices over a 4 week period 6 of them worked by the same guy. He was bouncing the link to resolve the issue, which worked for a few days. All the tickets were closed out as “No Trouble Found”. The next person got a ticket and closed it out with the correct resolve.

Antes de realizar uma atividade é muito importante criar e testar em laboratórios, seja eles virtuais ou até mesmo físicos, a solu??o e montar uma documenta??o detalhada para aplicar os comandos durante a atividade. Esse passo de testar antes e documentar permite que erros sejam encontrados na em ambiente de testes/homologa??o e n?o em produ??o. é importante ter antes de iniciar uma atividade todo o passo a passo e scripts documentados para que ela seja o mais rápido e efetiva possível.

Don't Neglect Documentation. Network configurations can become intricate, and keeping track of changes can be challenging. This is where documentation becomes your best friend. By prioritizing comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, you can build a more resilient and manageable network. It becomes a valuable asset for troubleshooting, onboarding new team members, and ensuring compliance.

Ter backups de configura??o antes de iniciar uma atividade é de extrema importancia, caso algo n?o saia como o esperado o engenheiro de redes tem a capacidade de subir o backup de volta e reestabelecer os servi?os. Caso n?o haja backup o tempo de parada e indisponibilidade será muito maior, até entender onde está acontecendo um erro e pode até passar do prazo estimado para uma janela de manuten??o.

a perte de données est un facteur qui peut causer des désagrément dans la société. La sauvegarde doit être configurer automatiquement de sorte qu’on soit juste en train de vérifier si les capacités pourrons tenir ou s’il faut mettre a jour le stock de disque dur

Don't Skip Network Configuration Backups: Imagine a scenario where a critical network configuration change goes wrong, causing widespread connectivity issues. Without a recent backup, you'd be forced to manually recreate the configuration, leading to significant downtime and frustration. By implementing a robust network backup strategy, you can mitigate the risks associated with configuration errors and hardware failures. It's a proactive approach that safeguards your network's stability and minimizes downtime in the event of unexpected events.

I found it helpful to keep backups in a few different locations. Keep in mind that in case of network problems, some parts of your network could be inaccessible. Be prepared for that, because you might want to access backups then.

Regular backups of your network configuration are crucial for disaster recovery. How can neglecting regular backups impact network reliability and what steps can be taken to ensure backups are effective?

Failing to Plan for Growth (Capacity Misjudgment): Networks are dynamic entities. As user numbers increase, applications evolve, and new devices connect, the demands placed on your network infrastructure will inevitably grow. Failing to Plan for Growth (Capacity Misjudgment): Networks are dynamic entities. As user numbers increase, applications evolve, and new devices connect, the demands placed on your network infrastructure will inevitably grow.

Pour une entreprise la gestion des capacités est très importante dans ce sens ou l’entreprise est évolutives donc il faut très souvent prévoir des marges. Imaginez un peu vous êtes ingénieur réseau dans une société et vous avez la pleine responsabilité a de souscrire auprès d’un FAI une bande passante importante pour votre société, si la bande passante n’est pas proportionnelle aux différents services et a la charge de travail effectué sur internet par les utilisateurs votre travaille sera mis en cause, cas déjà vous aurez une mauvaise Qos, les utilisateurs vont se plaindre a tout bout de champs et si le budget annuel est déjà arrêté pour cette capacité cela mettrait en doute votre capacité a dimensionner.

Usually client try convincing us to fit continuously scaling environment into already deployed infrastructure we should be clear about scalability and availability to future proof smooth operation.

Capacity planning is vital in network engineering to avoid performance bottlenecks and user dissatisfaction. To effectively manage network growth, monitor traffic patterns, understand the demands on network resources, and plan for scalability. Anticipate future needs and upgrade infrastructure accordingly to ensure the network remains efficient and responsive as demand increases.

Don't Take Network Security Lightly: A secure network is the foundation of a healthy digital ecosystem. Neglecting security measures can leave your network vulnerable to attacks, data breaches, and malware infections. By prioritizing a layered security approach and staying vigilant, you can create a network environment that fosters trust and protects your valuable data assets. Remember, security is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.

La sécurité occupe de nos jour une place primordiale dans nos activités. Et les sociétés doivent se munir de tous les gadgets possibles pour contrer les attaques des pirates informatiques. Vous imaginez le réseau d’une banque qui n’est pas sécurisé ?? ce sont des millions des personnes qui pourrons disparaitre sans qu’on ne sache où ils sont allés. Alors mettre sur pieds des politiques de sécurité, installer des proxys, des pares-feux est important. La confidentialité, l’authentification, l’intégrité sont pour moi les 3 facteurs a prendre en compte pour la gestions de la sécurité.

To ensure network security, implement robust measures like firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and conduct regular security audits. Educate users about best security practices and stay informed about the latest threats. Being proactive about security helps protect your network from potential breaches and maintains user trust.

He tenido la experiencia de coexistir con colegas donde una nueva herramienta presenta una forma distinta de resolver lo solicitado y estamos muy acostumbrados a cómo funciona la antigua solución que vemos "vacíos" en la nueva herramienta y esto para nada son errores o defectos sino, una manera totalmente diferente de abordar los escenarios, es importante estar abierto a los cambios ya que la tecnología no se detiene y siempre habrán nuevas y más sofisticadas soluciones a la los problemas que siempre vemos.

While ease of administration is a significant consideration in network design, reliance on outdated methods and legacy technologies can constrain efficiency and innovation in the long term. Conversely, an unbalanced obsession with implementing cutting-edge solutions can lead to complications if there is insufficient knowledge or experience to effectively respond to emerging issues. The optimal approach involves incessantly exploring new technologies while thoroughly evaluating whether each solution aligns with the specific needs and capabilities of the environment.

We sometimes see and hear about outdated/non patched version running in some medium size companies as it is convenient and still working but there has been cases of ransomware which was caused due to this. Updating technology and equipment in that case helps avoid any further risks

Continuous testing of backup or redundant path for the network. Never assume your network redundancy is Ok without proper and frequent testing of the network. Many times network engineer only realize their secondary path is not picking traffic after a failure on the primary path. Frequent testing and optimization of traffic flow will save you lots of problem when network fault occur.

Every network engineer should have a physical or virtual lab environment. If you don't have this to create some kind of a replication of the project/operational issue you're facing please do consider how to get one of your own, we can't always ensure a lab will exist at every company and labs allow us to learn/fault find in peace, without conflicting with ITIL processes.

As a network Engineer, it is crucial that you update your network operating system software. Outdated programs are a vulnerability to your entire infrastructure.

Mix technologies, and play with it! I see networks as the glue that holds different technologies together. As a network engineer, you will often deal with virtual machines and containers. It's worth knowing their basics so you can configure your network optimally.