How To Become A Network Administrator

Oct. 22, 2023, Post by Curtis



There are 2 ways to become a Network Administrator:

 

  1. Go to college.
  2. Start at an entry-level IT job and work your way up.

 

The first method I would strongly not recommend because:

 

  1. Far too expensive.
  2. Takes too much time.

 

Go To College To Become A Network Admin

 

I'm not saying that there is no scenario where going to college to pursue a career in Networking doesn't make sense. There are some reasons why going to college is a good idea.

 

Reasons why going to college would make sense

 

  • If you've already started going to college.
  • If you want to spend less or possibly no time in an entry-level IT job.
  • If you are not motivated to self-study. Without a college degree, you will need to get at least a couple of certifications on your own time to get a Networking job.
  • You want to go to college and avoid having to go to work for the next 2 to 4 years.
  • Some companies require a college degree. Having one will make you a viable candidate for more companies.

 

Reasons why skipping college makes sense

 

  • If you work hard and study you can become a Network Admin in just a couple of years.
  • You can make money while learning IT skills and getting experience.

 

College Alone Isn't Usually Enough To Go Straight Into A Network Job

 

If you do go to college you will still probably not go straight to work as a Network Admin. You will still need to spend some time at an entry-level IT job getting experience and getting something you can put on your resume.

 

You should then be able to move rather quickly into a Network job provided that you do a good job and your degree is relevant to the networking field.

 

College degrees that will help you get into Networking

 

  • Information Systems
  • Network and Security
  • IT
  • Computer Engineering

 

2-year degrees in these fields are also good.

 

Working Your Way Into A Network Admin Job

 

Going From Help Desk To Network Administrator

 

This can be done and done rather quickly if you work hard, study, and take an efficient path. You don't need to start at Help Desk, you can start at any entry-level IT job but Help Desk jobs are easy to get and also teach you a lot.

 

The path is simple, but not easy.

 

  1. Get an entry-level IT job.
  2. Get certifications.
  3. Build labs

 

1 - Get An Entry Level Job

 

Don't spend too much time finding your first IT job as you shouldn't have much trouble getting a Help Desk position if you can't find anything else. Read my article about How To Get A Help Desk Job With No Experience.

 

Getting an entry-level IT job will

 

  • Get you the experience you need for your resume
  • Gain knowledge and skills about how IT works in a large organization.
  • Make connections. People often get their next job from the connections they've made previously.

 

Find Ways To Get Network Experience At Your Entry-Level Job

 

  • Get to know the people that work on the Network team at your work and make sure they know that you are trying to become a Network Administrator. They will most likely look for ways to include you in some low-level networking tasks. These opportunities are gold!
  • As problems come your way, give extra attention to the ones that are network related. Try to stay involved in them even if you pass them off to the network team and study them after work so that you will gain a better understanding of the problem and can discuss it with the other people that are working on it. Seeing how network problems are solved in the real world is very valuable.

 

2 - Certifications To Help You Get A Network Admin Job

 

You shouldn't need more than 2 Certifications though you may be able to get it done with just one. Certs are not for education, they are for your resume to get you an interview. Don't spend too much time getting any more certifications than you need.

 

The real education comes from doing labs.

 

You should get 1 networking certification and 1 other certification. I would go with a security cert as security and networks go hand in hand but a Linux certification would be good as well.

 

Here are some certifications to consider in order of how valuable they are in the Network field.

 

  1. CCNA
  2. CompTIA Network+
  3. CompTIA Security+
  4. LPI Linux Essentials

 

3 - Do Labs To Gain Hands-on Experience Building Networks

 

Build labs to get the hands-on experience that will help you learn how networks actually work.

 

You can set up a virtual lab or a physical lab.

 

  • A virtual lab is simulating the network equipment on a computer or in the cloud.
  • A physical lab means that you are buying actual routers and switches and physically connecting them to each other.

 

Virtual labs are less expensive and have more flexibility as to what you can add as you won't have to buy something every time you want to expand your lab.

 

If you're going to set up a virtual lab you can use either EVE-NG or GNS3. I prefer EVE-NG as it has a wider range of devices you can add to your lab and it performs better in larger network simulations.

 

You should build an entire network with routers, switches, firewalls, DMZs, and servers. The servers should have Active Directory, DHCP, DNS, and RADIUS. This is a good starting point and you can just add complexity from there.

 

Skills You Need To Learn To Become A Network Admin

 

  • Network Fundamentals - TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, Routing and Switching, Firewalls, VPNs, and Syslog.
  • Operating System Proficiency. Windows Server, Linux, and Unix.
  • Good communication skills. Network Admins are constantly collaborating with each other, other IT departments, decision-makers, and vendors.
  • Flexible schedule. Networks can have problems any time of day and most network changes/updates will take place when there is the least amount of use - nights and weekends.
  • Willing to learn new things. Networking and IT in general are constantly changing and you will need to be continually learning in order to stay current.

 

How Long Does It Take To Become A Network Administrator

 

It should take about 2 to 4 years depending on how hard you work and how much you study. Luck will most likely be a factor also. Chances are that there will be things that have an effect on your quest that are outside of your control and they could be for the good or for bad.

 

2 to 4 years is comparable to how long it will take you to get a college degree, but instead of paying for a degree, you will have gotten paid to gain knowledge and experience. And just because you have a degree does not mean that you are sure to get the job that you want straight out of college.

 

Benefits Of Becoming A Network Administrator

 

Getting your first Network Administrator job is a big challenge. Going from little to no network experience to being employed as a Network Admin is a big step, but it can be done. Fill that gap with a bunch of smaller steps like getting educated and more importantly getting hands-on experience by doing labs and taking on network-related tasks at your entry-level IT job.

 

Although you may struggle to get your first Network job, don't give up because you can do it. After working as a Network Admin for a few years you will be in a good position to move into other IT fields. Networking is fundamental to all fields in IT. If you want to work in Cyber Security, Systems Administration, or Cloud, having network experience will be a great benefit.

 

Wrapping Up

 

Becoming a Network Administrator requires a combination of technical skills, practical experience, and professional certifications. Following these steps, you can build a rewarding career as a Network Administrator and take part in this rapidly growing field.