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Anonymous09/25/26, 06:37No.3009425managed switch
I have an old laptop that caught on fire I could maybe repurpose, and a Raspberry Pi.
I'm unemployed, broke as fuck, and want to teach myself the (complete and FOSS, unlike CISCO packets) CISCO CLI, VLAN, and other bare metal networking fundamentals. I know jack shit about networking, so I really gotta get this right.
I'm also going to use sims like GNS3, but I prefer physical tinkering over sims so that I actually learn.
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Anon09/25/26, 06:52No.3009427
Relevant Hackaday post on the matter, wherein you simply hunt down a programmable unmanaged switch.
https://hackaday.com/2015/09/07/managing-an-unmanaged-switch/
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Anon09/25/26, 08:09No.3009431
Gotta walk before you can run, Kemosabe. Jumping right into Cisco CLI stuff is not 'fundamentals'. That is like saying you want to drive Formula 1 but you've never even driven a manual transmission.No one gives a shit if you 'know' Cisco networking either. They want certs. You could be a networking god and no one will hire you without a cert for anything other than entry level bullshit. You will be stuck doing helpdesk shit or running and terminating ethernet cable, not actually managing the network. Which, honestly, you should start with anyway. Classes and guides are fine but hands on learning is best. If an employer asks you if you know Cisco and you say yes it is gonna seem super strange if they ask you the ethernet color code or want you to demonstrate crimping an RJ45 connector and you fumble it.For entry level certs, start with things like A+, Network+, and Security+. If you only want to do networking, not desktops or servers, then skip A+. That is going to limit your job prospects for smaller employers or MSPs though. Your local community college will have prep classes for those.Get your own wiring and terminating tools. Start with the cheap shit but once you get a job upgrade to the nice stuff. Nice tools are nice and deductible on your income taxes. If you really want to be next level, learn to run and splice fiber for networking installs. That is becoming much more common and in demand. Stamp/engrave your fucking name on everything and keep receipts. Plenty of shitty employers will provide you with chinesium knock off bullshit tools and then suddenly think the $1,500 bucks in American/European made tools in your Zero Halliburton case were purchased by them. When half the IT department gets marched out the door 'cause the CEO needs to hit those quarterly numbers to get his bonus your dogshit manager will suddenly remember that the case with your name stamped on it is company property and needs to go into his office. Ask me how I know.
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Anon09/28/26, 02:33No.3009747
Get a desktop support job and steal old switches and routers. That's what I dif