Network Eng: Your Go-To Guide for Modern Infrastructure

Network Engineer’s Handbook: Your Go-To Guide for Modern Infrastructure
Whether you're managing enterprise firewalls, configuring routers, or responding to incidents, this handbook is your foundation for mastering networks - from physical layers to advanced routing, and from protocols to troubleshooting

Core Concepts Every Network Engineer Must Know​

1. OSI & TCP/IP Models​

- Understand how data travels through networks
- Know what happens at every layer (Layer 1–7)

2. Networking Devices​

- Routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers
- Learn their roles and differences

3. IP Addressing & Subnetting​

- IPv4/IPv6, CIDR, VLSM
- Subnet design and IP planning

4. Routing & Switching Protocols​

- Static & dynamic routing (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP)
- VLANs, STP, trunking, inter-VLAN routing

5. Network Security Basics​

- ACLs, VPNs, IDS/IPS, segmentation
- Zero Trust, NAC, and firewall zones

6. Troubleshooting Commands & Tools​

- ping, traceroute, netstat, tcpdump, nmap
- Understand packet flow and identify bottlenecks

7. Cloud & Virtual Networking​

- VPCs, subnets, NAT gateways (AWS, Azure)
- SDN & container networking (Kubernetes, Docker)

Bonus: Certifications to Consider
Cisco: CCNA, CCNP
CompTIA: Network+, Security+
Juniper, Fortinet, AWS Networking
Specialize based on your industry or role
A strong network foundation powers everything - from cybersecurity to cloud engineering.