Newbie Question 5

[Louie77]

Hello all, I'm a newbie in here. For the last hour I been looking around here. So far it look good to me.

My question is, what steps do I need to take to be or learn how to be a good admin on windows boxs?

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I use to work for a E-company as the computer tech. I would build computers and load software and thats it. But now I have to look for other job and most companies need admin for /NT/2000pr & Server/securtiy/DNS/TCP-IP or Domain Setup.

I know how load the software but to maintain is its a little big different. So I'm trying to learn more and more. So if anyone has a good idea let me know or what steps I need to take.

At home I'm running a win98 box plus a win2000 pro box. Right now Im building a linux box that is going to be running red hat 9 ... I look forward to that...

Plus I would like to get my MCSE, so I thought I would buy a book. I like to start from the bottom up. The book that I bought is "MCSE for Dummies" in this book there are 5 books in 1. So far I am learning. But I also would like to get into the SQL and Exchange.

So any good comments or links or site that might help me let me know.

Thank you for all the good help

Louie

 

[danvlas]

The Bible of any sysadmin:

http://www.twoguys.org/~gregh/bofh.txt

Users, beware!




Daniel Vlas
Systems Consultant

http://www.geocities.com/danvlas/AutoMail.html

 

[Kjonnnn]

I think alot can be said about certs GOOD AND BAD.

I learned computers on my own as a legal assistant and then moved to the computer department. 2 years later got laid off, and couldnt prove I knew anything to potential employers because I was self taught.

I took hands-on classes and they opened up a lot for me. I'm the first to admit, there were plenty of courses ONLY designed to get to you pass the cert tests. Plenty of websites that gave you the answers. But I didnt want that.

I took 7 classes for the NT MCSE cert. 8 weeks each. For someone who is really green in computers, taking the actually class is great. I knew nothing about networking or TCPIP, etc, and just reading a book didnt really help. I'm not putting so much weight on the certification, but on the hands on experience I gained. The classes provided a structure and direction for me to learn. Before I took the classes I bought the books, and I'd read them, and not quite understand what I was reading. Having a teacher that was actually in the workplace help greatly.

So while I know some of you guys are great computer experts (you are really), some forget what it was like to be starting out. It's like telling a person that doesnt know how to spell to use to a dictionary to look up a word.

 

[Stevehewitt]

I agree that certification classes maybe helpful to some people, I (and I don't think anyone else has) said otherwise.

3 years ago I was in exactly the same situation that Louie is in now, and I wish I had this MCSE book. Its a step by step guide. I think that most (if not all) of the people who have posted in this forum understand Louie's situation and although I only have only read the book that I am recommending, I'm sure that none of the people in this thread would recommend a book that was not appropiate for Louie and his situation.

Steve Hewitt

 

[Louie77]

****Kjonnnn & Stevehewitt***

Thank you both for the comments. For me I have learned everything by myself. I bought a book a red it or just played with OS or what ever I was trying to learn. Example for me right when I start playing with linux. I crashed my box many times plus also mis-configure how to load it. now it only takes me a few minutes to setup the box and get apache up and running.

See with me I would rather have a teacher next to me explaining things show me new treaks or have other students show me thing. I think thats how you learn faster.

Well any other books that you think might help me let me know. I check out the book that was posted no this thread it looks good. Or if you have any other links let me know.

Today I got a copy of 2000 server and pro plus I think I might get a copy of 2003.

One more thing, for the MCSE cert people on here. Do any of you guys have the doc on the course that you took from the training center that would like to give away or make copies for me. I'm asking because after looking at the price of these classes. I'm going to have to put it off for a couple of months...


THank you all for all the good comments.

Louie

 

[Kjonnnn]

I went to Northwestern here in Chicago. My classes were $1000 each.

In addition to the books the school provided, I found the Sybex books very helpful.

http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf...be65c967df0e5c7788256973006c5664!OpenDocument

There are tons of self tests you can use to test yourself on the net. But this method really helped me.

When I missed a question, I WOULD NOT go back and look up the correct answer. I would restudy whatever the subject was. For instance, if I missed a question on TCPIP, I would restudy TCPIP, not just that question. Its time consuming, but it keeps your from just "remembering the answers."

 

[Stevehewitt]

Hey,

Another really good site is brainbuzz.com.

Steve Hewitt

 

[RiverGuy]

If you have time -- and money from a current job, I would suggest at least taking classes from a Community College, working towards an Associate's Degree, because most programs will have internships. If you can work 1 day for free or for cheap somewhere, experience doing what you want to do along with knowledge is better than having a cert and being green in experience IMO.

 

[Louie77]

***RiverGuy****

Well right now I been looking for a job for the last couple of months. So far some of the companies that called me only want to pay the min wage....

Plus other companys want someone that is MCSE.

I will lookin in the college around here to see if they have classes there.

Thank you all for all the help and all the good points.

Right now I'm about to format my other box and install w2k pro. see what it could do..

Louie

 

[virgo666]

i've been building systems and junk since around '97. i thought maybe i should learn networking and get some cert's(to make it official). i kinda half assed looked around at a few tech schools and decided on CEI in Los Angeles. first off, don't rush into a school without really investigating class size, the teacher's experience(i had one insructor try to tell me that HTML didn't come around till '98(and another promise the top ten students roll over jobs with Boeing, never happened)),and the type of students they enroll(CEI enrolls felons straight out of prison, some kinda rehabilitation effort that the state funds.you wouldn't believe the amount of drug use i saw there). ask if you can sit in various classes for a week first so you know the type of enviroment you're getting yourself into. the better the classmates, the better the education. also, make sure you'll get enough hands on experience!! that's key if you're new to the field. i really regret not looking into more forums before i got a loan for $12,000. also... make sure that they can't change the curriculum on you!!! my last module was supposed to be on Win2000 security but the brainstormers at CEI thought it might be better to give us six weeks of SQL Server for some reason( who gets a SQL job with six weeks experience????). good luck also, without experience you probably won't get offered more than $10 an hour.

 

[CajunCenturion]

There is some good advice in there virgo666 in doing a good job of vetting the school, the instructors, and so forth, and it's too bad that you seem to have fallen victim to the cert school scam.

What I find most disheartening in your phrase, get some cert's(to make it official). Unfortunately, I think a lot of people think that way without realizing there are two basic flaws encapsulated in that phrase. First, as you found out, there is not standardization with respect to curriculum, and so, there is a real question as to "it" actually is, and as far as being "official", official to whom? And official by whom?

This is no comparison to an accredited university which must meet and is tested and evaluated for quality of instruction, completeness of curriculum, and education standards by a publically accessable accredidation board.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[AIXSPadmin]

Virgo, a school can change their cirriculum anytime they want to. It is a different process at a 4-year college/universtiy, but it can and is done.

Secondly, read up on any certification you want to attain. When asking people here you get an opinion on their value. Do some research to come to your conclusions.

And lastly, $12,000 for a tech school? At $150/cr. hr. at a four year public college your tuition would come to just under $19,000 excluding books/fees; but for double what you spent, you could have a 4-year degree.

In my state, a tech school was just approved to begin a bachelor's program, however, they were told to make students aware that having a bachelor's degree from them is not the same as an accredited college and they could have problems getting a job with that bachelors degree.