Confessions of a Network Engineer Practitioner

By Darrell Ellis

Starting my career from the navy, yet not feeling satisfied or fulfilled, I decided to take a leap of faith and set my heart in something I had always wanted to achieve. Along the road came numerous opportunities, people, and obstacles that shaped me into who I am today. After understanding some cold facts about life, I started exploring my surroundings to find the most suitable work line for myself. Once I was familiar with all the available options, I diverted my mindset towards the IT field. It wasn't an easy path, especially when I had to stay away from my family and my wife for days. There were good days and bad days, and I’m proud that I overcame it all with an optimistic approach. Eventually, I even spared the time to earn an essential qualification to ensure my safety in the field I chose. From my first job in this industry to the ones that came after, the entire process was like a series of transitions that led me to where I am today. I decided to write this book to share my experiences, encounters, work principles, how the IT industry is continually evolving, and how one must cope with the rapid evolution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darrell Ellis
• Release date: Nov 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781913969806

Book preview

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my Son Darrell Beauford Ellis Jr. He inspired me to share my professional memoirs in my desperate attempt to marshal my emotions to communicate so that he may find some value that could assist him during his professional journey through life.

Acknowledgment

I want to acknowledge everyone I've encountered throughout my life: the good, the bad, and the indifferent. You all made me the person I am today, and I would not have been who I am without any of you. I'd also like to thank my publishing team and publisher for helping me get this book in your hands.

Thank you.

About the Author

Darrel Ellis is a veteran in the field of information technology. Since his youthful years, he has been an integral part of the IT industry, which was nearly 25 years ago. Over this long period, he worked as a PC Technician, Network Administrator, and even a Network Engineer. Having worked in almost three different sectors of the industry, he is today an experienced individual with a plethora of experiences and secrets to share about his journey and the ups and downs that came along it. To contact Darrell Ellis for more information or to leave a feedback and review, email at [e-mail]

Préface

This book is about my 25-year professional journey in the IT field as a PC Technician, Network Admin, and Network Engineer. I've lived through adversities, different challenges, and ups and downs. I finally came out triumphant and, most importantly, happy with the work I've done all my life. My journey starts with a flashback of my early adolescence and eventually ends at my highest point of success in life.

Starting my career from the navy, yet not feeling satisfied or fulfilled, I decided to take a leap of faith and set my heart in something I had always wanted to achieve. Along the road came numerous opportunities, people, and obstacles that shaped me into who I am today.

After understanding some cold facts about life, I started exploring my surroundings to find the most suitable work line for myself. Once I was familiar with all the available options, I diverted my mindset towards the IT field. It wasn't an easy path, especially when I had to stay away from my family and my wife for days. There were good days and bad days, and I’m proud that I overcame it all with an optimistic approach. Eventually, I even spared the time to earn an essential qualification to ensure my safety in the field I chose. From my first job in this industry to the ones that came after, the entire process was like a series of transitions that led me to where I am today. I decided to write this book to share my experiences, encounters, work principles, how the IT industry is continually evolving, and how one must cope with the rapid evolution.

Writing this book was extremely exciting for me as it allowed me to sit down and relive those moments from nearly 25 years ago. I got the chance to be reminded of where I started and where I stand today. All the hazy memories are once again fresh and vivid

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Préface

Chapter 1

Inception

Chapter 2

Confidence

Chapter 3

The Build-up

Chapter 4

The Grind

Chapter 5

The Realignment

Chapter 6

Form vs. Substance

Chapter 7

Fight or Flight

Chapter 8

Follow the Packet

Chapter 9

The World of Consultancy

Chapter 10

Present Day

Page Left Blank Intentionally

Chapter 1

Inception

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.

-Norman Vincent Peale

With the above motto deeply embedded into my thinking, I embarked on an adventurous journey with nothing but high hopes and a sense of pride. The start of my journey dates back to the 1980s. With President Reagan in the Whitehouse, the United States of America was experiencing an economic recession. Business bankruptcies rose sharply compared to the years before. A significant decline in agricultural exports was observed after farmers reported losses.

Crop prices were falling, and interest rates were on the rise. Unemployment and turnovers were exceeding all previous records. Acquiring a student loan for college at that time was also entirely out of the picture. Simultaneously, the USA was facing an increasing drug problem and a communist war on one front. Many of my friends in school also fell victim to drugs. Many young men were sent out to participate in the war. The entire nation's budget was allocated to fighting communists and drug traffickers. However, with old industries fading into the economic abyss, a new industry was on the surge. The world had started to witness great technological advancements, which meant there was a new room to grow. Companies began producing computers, mobile phones, CD's, etc., and organizations started replacing humans with machines.

I was 18 years of age and had naïve ambitions to attain a scholarship to go to college. I planned to do so by getting selected in the high school basketball team. Being a teenager, though, my plans seemed to prove as rather impractical.

As time went on in 12th grade, I realized that basketball was not going to get me to places I dreamt of. Along with a few other friends and acquaintances, I felt that the selection system was highly influenced by favoritism. The coaches selected boys whose fathers, uncles, or cousins had been on the team previously. The recruitment team and coaches believed that good players were good at the sport, thanks to genetics.

I personally felt that the system was also rather racist. In the weeks following my realization, I discovered I was not selected in the school team. I found this revelation to be extremely predictable. My so-called strategic plan to go to college had failed. Dejected, I wondered how I would pay for a college education without a scholarship. The daydreaming went on until, eventually, a close friend helped me accept the heartbreaking reality.

I still remember when my close friend and I walked home together after school every day in 1983 spring. On our way back, we would walk past the military recruiting office. My friend would consistently talk about his brother being in the navy and how highly he spoke of his great experiences. I wasn't interested in joining the