You're a beginner in computer networking. What's the best way to get started? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Start with basics:

  Before getting hands-on, learn the core concepts of computer networking. Understanding the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and types of networks sets a solid foundation.

• Relate to daily life:

  Make learning stick by relating network principles to everyday experiences. Wondering how your phone connects to Wi-Fi? That curiosity can lead you down a path of practical understanding, from routers' roles to data transmission basics.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Lushendra Naidoo Senior Manager @ Massmart | Driving…

• Lushendra Naidoo Senior Manager @ Massmart | Driving Infrastructure Innovation

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  If you want to get started in networking...I would start with unpacking the how and why things in your daily life work...example why do you need a home router? How does your phone connect to the internet? Bringing your learning back home by creating analogies for the concepts you learn. Linking them to things you live with or use on a daily basis will help solidify the lessons for you. Understanding that when you speak to someone one to one versus standing up on stage and speaking to a group of people helps you understand how switches work in relation to how hubs work. The fact that machines only understand 1s and 0s but you type in natural languages helps determine how devices talk to each other, aka go understand the OSI and TCP/IP model.

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• Bobby Victorio G. Sr Design Specialist - Messaging and VoiceMail DevOps at TELUS

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  Youtube has a lot of videos that go through this topic, if you do not have the funds or want to keep costs to a minimum. Youtube can be one of your go to platforms.

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• Arun Meher Sr SRE at LinkedIn

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  Along with the fundamentals, try to understand the path a packet follows to reach the destination from the source. This will help you in asking the right questions about how things are moving in the network and be able to read more about them.

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• Pedro Lucas Melo da Silva Head of NOC at Alares | SRE | IaC | Telecom | Development | Security | Operations | Agile | Python | Automation

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  Step-by-step guide for beginners: 1. DON'T IGNORE THE THEORY2. Chew on the OSI layer3. Chew on the TCP/IP model4. Eat network protocols for breakfast and dinner5. Learning network emulators (like EVE-NG) is a good start, so chew on them and set up your labs.6. Stay DOWN-TO-EARTH with your knowledge; the world already has plenty of "god-like" teachers who contribute nothing to the community7. Get involved in the community and pitch in.

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  Take some free online training for basics, then college courses or adult education classes for certification in network fundamentals, routing, software fundamentals, etc…

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  Bom as simulações são muito boas. O packet tracer já ajuda demais. Façam. Pontos a prestar atenção, não perca muito tempo com parte gráfica, se foque em você criar desafios diferentes que te farão aprender comandos novos e testá-los. Assim fica mais próximo do dia a dia os simulados.

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• Blake Russell Senior Network Engineer

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  Hands on is a great way to learn a skill and there are a few options to get started with here. At a beginner level something like GNS3 will be the easiest to setup and utilize immediately. Cisco's VIRL PE is an amazing environment to learn and POC Cisco specific solutions. It's not as easy to setup as GNS3 and only supports Cisco but offers more modern platforms to implement.

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• Lal Tan Hlua Network and Security Enthusiast

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  Well, simulations help us a lot in many ways. We can test and design as we desired. And the best part is it saves us cost, as well as time.

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• Hannah Ammah Serwaah A. #Research, #Cybersecurity #Adversarial Machine Learning #Python, #Network Security

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  Learn the OSI Model, TCP/IP, and protocols used at each layer. Watch online tutorials on how to use GNS3 or Packet Tracer to simulate Basic Virtual Labs. Once you understand these concepts, Try capturing and analyzing traffic using Wireshark. This will help you get familiar with the various protocols and their port numbers.

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• Naveed Azhar Computer Engineer || CCNA Routing and Switching || MCSA Active Directory || LAN and WAN infrastructure implement

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  Cisco Packet Tracer,GNS3 and Wireshark are very good tools for beginners, first clear you concepts then build your labs in the mentioned above simulators.

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• Alex Bessa Pereira Network Specialist at All4Labels

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  construir a própria rede é sem duvidas uma maneira rápida de aprendizado, se afastar de simuladores e ir para a prática trás perspectivas do dia-a-dia que voce certamente enfrentará quando cuidando da infraestrutura de redes de um negocio e estará mais preparado para mitigar adversidades.

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  This would be one of the best ways to start learning. Usually you can start small, in your own home network and start adding complexity as the network grows and new elements are added. The hand-on part of managing the hardware, identifying the parts, and organizing them properly within a planned “architecture” will provide more insights than any simulator would do. Nevertheless, is important to complement this practical approach with the theory (standards explanations, vendor equipment documentation, etc) which is available through multiple didactical sources (youtube videos, tutorials, open source software, etc)

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• Sadagat A. | Linux | Network Engineer | DevOps Skills | Rust Enthusiast |

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  Just try to understand how works internet.Step by step implement to own network. For exampe- Understand what is dhcp and how configure- Understand what is dns and how work and how to configure

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• Blake Russell Senior Network Engineer

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  Outside of simulation environments such as GNS3 and VIRL you can find something to implement locally... build your home network and implement segmentation, access control, and route policies. Or build high availability pair of share servers and deploy a load balancer such as Kemp or HAProxy.

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• Lal Tan Hlua Network and Security Enthusiast

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  These days, almost every housholds have there own network set up. You can design your own home network whether wirless or wired. Else, you can volunteer and contribute to the community centres.

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• Blake Russell Senior Network Engineer

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  Certification is an industry standard for gauging skill level. Once again there are many free courses and youtube content available which no doubt will help. However, I've found the training that the vendors themselves put out is the best to pass certification. Unfortunately, most of them are not free.

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• Malcolm L. Senior Network Engineer at Interac

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  You’ll qualify for a Network Analyst/Admin job only if you have a CCNA/Comptia Network + certification. Build your own lab and keep practicing till you land yourself in a role to gather hands on working experience. You can build your career from there. Live long and prosper 🖖.

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• Megan H. Cybersecurity @ GCU | Cybersecurity Professional | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant | Former Cisco Intern

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  TestOut has several exams for networking that are practical in nature, meaning that you have to know and understand deeply how to create network configurations. These are great certifications to prepare for the N+, CCNA, or others.

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• Eduardo S.

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  Cerificações internacionais é uma ótima oportunidade de obter um título e te garante uma relevância. Para quem está iniciando sempre indico uma certificação de nível fundamentos.

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• Carlos Silva 2X Pós Graduado|CCNA| NSE 3| VEEAM | NetBackup| VMWARE | Active Directory |3x OCI | AWS| AZ| GCP|Zabbix| Grafana| Dynatrace | IBM Z 101 e 201 |CertiProf SCRUM| CertiProf segurança cibernética - CAPC. | WINDOWS E LINUX

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  Algumas dicas sobre como se preparar e obter sucesso nos exames de certificação:1.Estude com Material de Qualidade:** Utilize livros, cursos online, vídeos e recursos oficiais fornecidos pelas organizações de certificação para garantir que você esteja recebendo informações precisas e atualizadas.2.Pratique em Laboratórios Virtuais:** Se possível, experimente configurações práticas em laboratórios virtuais para ganhar experiência prática com equipamentos de rede e cenários de configuração.3.Participe de Grupos de Estudo e Fóruns:** Junte-se a grupos de estudo online ou fóruns relacionados à certificação que você está buscando. Compartilhar conhecimento e discutir questões com outros candidatos pode ser muito útil.

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• Blake Russell Senior Network Engineer

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  StackExchange's Network Engineering community has probably been the most helpful to me in terms of resolving issues or progressing through concepts over the years. There is a wide variety of requests and help that gets posted and it's helpful to contribute to solidify concepts by assisting in requests as well as reviewing solutions of others.

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• Justin Fedoryk Sr. Supervisor of Simulation Technology, MSIS, PMP

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  See if your employer or school has career communities or learning communities. These are often full of professionals eager to teach at all levels. Look for mentors and shadow opportunities as well.

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• Anderson José Pastore Fernandes Analista de Infraestrutura Sr

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  Recomendo um bom canal do Youtube que é o da Professora Nattane. Ela tem uma metodologia bem interessante para ensinar quem está iniciando na área de Redes.

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• Sankoumba Fofana Network Security Engineer | Certified in Cybersecurity

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  Being around like minded people, and passively learning can be very beneficial in this field.Never underestimate a consistence daily habit of learning a new craft, you cannot go wrong that.

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  Joining a professional network Community is a good idea as you can learn from each others and also share that you have learnt.Learning together and participating in debates and Q&A is one way of getting better understanding of the subject.These days that are so many community to r.software groups that you can join.

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  To start learning computer networking, focus on the basics first. Understand concepts like network models, network types, and key devices. Learn about protocols. Online tutorials, books, and courses can help simplify these topics. Practice configuring networks using free tools. Engage with online communities and attend local networking events for networking opportunities. For affordable resources, check out free online training and YouTube videos.

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• Kathryn "Kathe" Saccenti

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  I always felt doing rotations to cross train or group study was very helpful to me. Everyone can share their own unique perspective

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• Mark Csernica Principal Consultant at Csernica Associates, LLC

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  Stay current with industry trends through reading and if possible training. Technology is changing at a very rapid pace. Sometimes, faster than our ability to keep up. Focus on your area of expertise. And if you have expand that, go back to step 1 above. Good luck and enjoy.

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  Il faut surtout être curieux et avoir une envie d’apprendre en constante évolution donc même si on trouve qu’on a appris bcp de choses il reste toujours des technologies qu’on doit apprendre.

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• Justin Fedoryk Sr. Supervisor of Simulation Technology, MSIS, PMP

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  Learning the history of networking helped me understand how it got to where it is today. It might not be necessary to dive too deep, but learning what learning what traffic was like before something like CSMA/CD can help understand its necessity and facilitate comprehension.

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