A network engineer is a technology professional who is highly skilled in maintaining the connectivity of networks in terms of data, voice, calls, videos and wireless network services. Sometimes referred to as network architects, network engineers are accountable for formulating, implementing and executing the whole computer networks of an organization.

The ideal role of a network engineer is to make sure all the systems are functioning properly as intended. The fundamental goal of a network engineer is to provide maximum network infrastructure, security and performance to the end users. Depending on an organization’s requirement or network complexity, the organization will sometimes have global network engineers across countries who take care of technological advancements throughout the firm. This proves cost-effective for the organization while also meeting needs for both user and business.

A network engineer is a technology expert who has the necessary skills to plan, implement and oversee the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, videos and wireless network services. The virtualized network poses challenges to network management systems and as more hardware components are tending to virtualized, that challenge becomes even greater. Very often people are confused with network engineer and network administrator; at times, they use it interchangeably. However, a networking engineer usually has more executive responsibilities than a network administrator does. The engineering side of things tends to deal more with planning, design and technical specifications, whereas the administration side of things deals mostly with day-to-day maintenance, management and troubleshooting efforts. Computer network engineers has computer science as a common major. Network engineers focus on delivering high-availability network infrastructure to sustain the online and on-site information technology activities of users. In addition to technical skills, network engineers need analytical skills, leadership skills and organizational skills. Network engineer salaries range from $46,500 to more than $115,000 annually, depending upon skills and experience. The first and most direct way to get a job working as a network engineer is to do some self-study and get a vendor certification like a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Top five Networking Certifications are CCIE, CCNP, JNCIE-ENT, CompTIA Network+, and WCNA

What Is a Network Engineer? An Informative Guide

The field of network engineering remains one of the top technology fields in today’s job market. As a person in this area of expertise can attest, even within network engineering a wide variety of positions exist, providing plenty of opportunity for growth, transition and increased challenges within the field. Below is an informative guide to help you understand more about this promising career.

Key Responsibilities of a Network Engineer

Plan for new initiatives and expand the existing network infrastructure.

Provide consistent solutions based on issues like traffic congestion, infrastructure upgrades and routine troubleshooting.

Document solutions/blueprints for any network related issues.

Install any hardware or software, create back-ups for all the systems and monitor the system performance.