Actually- I think in the end we agree... you need to have both but I will say that knowing the theory doesnt always translate well into troubleshooting skills and troubleshooting doesnt always translate to theory. You must have both skills..
Your eye on the network? possibly.. I have other tools that work much better as the eyes and ears of the network.. cheaper too. The sniffer is really a troubleshooting tool. Yes, it can put out fancy graphs and the like.. but it excels at capturing a data stream and then giving you a way to manipulate that data stream multiple ways. It's like a doc and a checkup.. do you really need to have a cat-scan just to check your overall health? I doubt it.. It's costly and more effective to zero into a difficult to find problem then to use it for a general look at things. A good person on a sniffer understands protocols, OSI models, solid problem solving techniques, basic application function and overall network design theory. I have a network right now with over 300 routers, half a dozen SQL boxes, suns, PCs, NT and the kitchen sink. Virtually nothing is standard, nothing fits the normal curve of a network performance baseline. I have seen many "experts" come in to this network and walk away dazed and confused because it's not like what the book says. I personally think that becoming the "protocol expert" goes hand in hand with becoming the "Sniffer Expert".. the more you dig at the problem, the more you learn about how protocols really function(or not) The more you learn about how to really use the sniffer, the more you learn about how a network functions at it's lowest levels. You can build on this and not even know it until you pick up a protocol book and all of a sudden its not greek anymore.. you understand it.. wow!!! why??? because along with the theory, you have the practical to help with the thinking. You have something to *hang* all the theory on.. like kids in school with trig.. "why do we need to know this stuff? Mr. Kotter?" Then you show them how to figure out the height of a flag pole, house, building. Poof!! now it comes together. Dr Feynman wrote about this in a one his books where he described this very process of knowing theory but not the application of the theory. MikeS OT but interesting For those interested, "Sure you are joking Mr. Feynman" is the title. For those who dont know, he taught at CalTech, worked on the Manhatten Project and was the gentleman who showed the press why and how the Challenger's booster rockets failed with a cup of ice water ( much to NASA's irritation). http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynmanWeb.html Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=24188&t=24131 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
