Computer virus creates peer-to-peer terror network.

www.WorldTribune.com ^ | Copyright 2002 | Scott McCollum

[Woodman]

Kewl, do you make those?

[AdA$tra]

In a former life I did lots of graphics and animations. I am hoping to revive my Lightwave 3D skills as I have a chance to teach a class at the local university. I was playing around last night after I found out I did't have to actually work all night.

[AdA$tra]

Now I am re-downloading the XP SP1. 166k/sec. Much better.

[rdb3]

Now I am re-downloading the XP SP1. 166k/sec. Much better.

I'd say. Beats the snot outta 14k any day.

[AdA$tra]

Servers must have been maxed out yesterday. Perhaps the worm we are supposedly discussing here is choking bandwidth. I doubt it....but who knows. I am surprised a real terror type attack has not occurred to the Interent yet.

[taxcontrol]

Sure, If you are interested in Cisco, start by picking up a good TCP/IP book ($40 - $60) there are a bunch out there. From there, look for the CCNA book at your local Barnes & Noble. I think the list is around $65.

That path will teach you more about how the Internet operates (the network transport portion anyway) than just about anything else. From there, if you decide to go further, you can start taking the classes - and the tests. It generally take someone about 4 years to get all the way to the CCIE level. IF they pay for the training classes (6 to 8 classes @ $2,000 per) and the tests (8 @ $100 per) and a couple of shots at the lab (say 3 tries at $1,000 per plus travel) the total cost can run over $20,000.

However, most CCIE's can make well in excess of $85,000 into the $100,000 pulse range so it does pay for itself. Not bad for someone without a degree. I don't even have an associates though I'm still plugging away at it. The college market is just now offering degrees in Computer Networking. I'm working on mine at Regis University by testing out of most of the classes.

I should also mention that the tests are NOT easy. I've previously been a Novell ECNE and have taken many other vendor tests (Microsoft, Unix, etc.). I find Cisco's to be a bit harder, mostly because there are a few questions DESIGNED to trip you up. Then, the last test is a hands on lab.

That lab takes most people 3 tries to pass. Understand that you will not be building a normal network in the lab. Rather, you will be building a network that should never see the light of day. The lab test has you build things WITHOUT using the normal commands. It's called, exception based testing. It's kinda like testing to be a paramedic by passing the doctor's exam.

[taxcontrol]

Though I'm pro-Linux I've never considered myself an elitists. I would say that SysAdmins are cut from the same cloth, regardless of the OS they are administering. I've seen the same symptoms in Novell, OS2, AIX, and DEC PDP 11-84 sysadmins.

Most are not lazy. Rather, most are not properly trained.

I can't tell you how many times I've see the local application X guru get appointed to be the sysadmin - just because there is no one else. Often they get only enough training on how to start / stop / backup the system. Little to no training is provided for proper administration.

Kudos to all sysadmins who go beyond the minimum and actually LEARN their systems.

[Woodman]

You're right. I should have added not properly trained to my list. I wasn't implying that all of them were Lazy, Afraid or not properly trained, just that there is just as great of number of them that are in the LINUX World. I have a great deal of experience testing in both worlds and I see many of the same problems in both places. However one of the stock answers to many LINUX problems is that someone who knows what they are doing would never let whatever happen. I think that slapper is proving them correct, but it is obvious that many do not know what they are doing.

[steve-b]

Unlike open source code, there are accountability issues with commercial software.

Puh-leeze. A company like Microsoft has a staff of lawyers who are paid to repel any attempt at holding the vendor accountable.