With options such as IBM’s IT Support Professional Certificate or Google’s UX Design Professional Certificate, you can gain more foundational IT knowledge and a competitive edge. There’s been a lot of talk recently about what network engineers should learn to stay relevant. While the field is rapidly changing, I’m going to suggest that one of the most important areas we as network engineers can focus on is Linux. First off, it’s becoming more and more apparent that most linux network engineer network operating systems are based on some variation of Linux. Different vendors offer varying degrees of access to the underlying Linux operating system with the trend being to give the user more and more access into system internals. Look for degrees that offer courses in systems administration, network security, and hardware.

These include multiple SDN courses and HP ASE certification courses (4 day Instructor led training). DevOps is a rapidly growing field that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). Implement security systems and ensure the security of the data stored on your network. Wicked is a powerful network configuration framework, for example, while Samba is perfect for enabling file-sharing between Linux and Windows systems. You won’t have any trouble installing the right tool for a job with openSUSE’s Zypper package manager.

What is a Linux Engineer?

• They have expertise in Linux and open-source technologies, and are able to customize solutions for specific business needs.
• A Linux Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining Linux-based systems.
• With every web service running on a server, it’s now essential to master computer networking.
• For instance, Docker is able to deliver container network isolation by leveraging network namespaces along with basic Linux interfaces and bridging.
• You also get tools like Cacti and Snort through RPM and YUM package managers.
• Security Engineers focus on maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the network and data by implementing robust security measures.

VS Code is the full name Visual Studio Code, which is a free and open source cross-platform code editor and development environment developed by Microsoft. It supports a wide range of programming languages ​​and provides syntax highlighting, code automatic completion, code snippets and smart prompts to improve development efficiency. Through a rich extension ecosystem, users can add extensions to specific needs and languages, such as debuggers, code formatting tools, and Git integrations. VS Code also includes an intuitive debugger that helps quickly find and resolve bugs in your code. As a distribution designed specifically for penetration testing, Kali Linux comes pre-installed with a large number of tools that are very useful for network engineers.

• They ensure the infrastructure of Linux-based systems, including servers, storage and networks, are secure, scalable and highly available.
• Network engineers might also implement and manage firewalls, routers, and other network-related hardware.
• To answer that, this article explores the key network engineer skills every professional needs to master in 2025 and beyond.
• Strong command over the Linux command line, knowledge of network protocols, troubleshooting abilities, and scripting skills are crucial.
• Linux and coding are becoming very valuable skills for network engineers that want to expand their horizons in new areas such as SDN, network automation, and DevOps.
• Each version of RHEL has a 10-year lifecycle, meaning that you’ll be able to use your chosen version of RHEL (and enjoy little to no compatibility issues) for years.

Find out what IT career is right for You

Not all the software that comes pre-installed with Kali Linux will be useful to network engineers, but luckily, new Kali installations are fully customizable. You should plan ahead of time which packages you intend to use to avoid installing useless packages and keep clutter on your Kali system to a minimum. A network engineer is an IT professional who provides computer network support to businesses and organizations, whether developing new networks or maintaining existing ones.

OpenSUSE is impressively stable and offers frequent new releases, making it a good option if you prefer to avoid broken packages while still taking advantage of the latest software releases. Linux and coding are becoming very valuable skills for network engineers that want to expand their horizons in new areas such as SDN, network automation, and DevOps. One of the biggest advantages of using Debian for network engineering is that it has an incredibly package-rich repository, containing over 59,000 different packages.

Learn more about network engineering on Coursera

Familiarity with different Linux distributions, command line tools, and scripting languages like Python, Bash, and Perl are also important. While similar to a Network Administrator, a Linux System Administrator focuses on servers running the Linux operating system. These professionals may be responsible for system installation and configuration, maintenance, backup and recovery, software upgrades, and ensuring system security. This role requires in-depth knowledge of Linux command line, shell scripting, and often a good understanding of various Linux distributions.

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Having access to the actual hardware gives you the opportunity to “mess around” with more aspects of the system. The list will keep expanding, but for now let’s discuss how you can get your hands on a Linux box with as little cost as possible. There are a few free options if you are comfortable with working on the cloud. All major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCloud) have some free offering which allows you to spin a Linux host. The drawback is that all of those offerings have an expiration date, so you won’t be able to use them in the long term. In a similar manner to Fedora, CentOS Stream is a distribution aligned with RHEL development.

This is one of the key network engineer skills which is essential in managing networks effectively. The foundation for building a career as a network engineer is to learn and develop industry relevant skills and requirements. Read further to understand key skills required to become a network engineer in India. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that network architect and engineer jobs will grow 13 percent between 2023 and 2033 2. According to Glassdoor, the average annual network engineer salary in the US is $96,682 3.

Learning how to work with different distros is a key skill for network engineers and developers. Using the CLI for a given vendor meant learning that vendor’s unique syntax. This meant that being able to configure a Cisco switch didn’t imply I could configure a Juniper switch.

Being familiar with TCP/IP protocols and along with developing an idea on how data travels through a network is highly valuable in this industry. This is the most important skill required to become a network engineer, as it is fundamental to the role of a network engineer. Fedora is an open source distribution equivalent to the community edition of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). RHEL itself is often chosen as the operating system for enterprise-level systems. As a result, network engineers using Fedora will become more familiar with the RHEL systems they encounter throughout their careers. Network engineer jobs exist across a wide range of industries, from private organizations to federal departments.

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If you want to perform testing and troubleshooting while monitoring system performance, then Linux engineer could be your next move. Companies are largely moving towards cloud services like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Therefire, for a network engineer it will be highly benefcial to learn and understand about cloud networking.

Network Security Skills

Network engineers looking to understand these open source projects should make sure they understand the Linux networking primitives that these tools leverage. These articles take an inside look at the roles related to CompTIA certifications. Each article will include the responsibilities, qualifications, related job titles and salary range for the role. As you consider the next move in your IT career, check back with CompTIA to learn more about your job prospects and how to get there.

1) A lot of network operating systems are based on Linux, or have a Linux shell you can access, or use Linux type commands. Virtual Lab provides hands-on, real-world practice using your newly gained skills on projects defined by industry experts, adding practical experience to your resume. Labs, periodic Master Classes, and access to an Online Professional Community allow you to solidify your technical expertise. Train to work with server and database administrators to identify network capacity requirements and recommend hardware and services to support network usage.

Having an understanding of the inherent networking features in Linux is a must if you want to understand how they can be used together. Furthermore, the Linux community is large and active, providing Linux Engineers with a wealth of resources and support. This includes access to open-source software, online communities, and regular events. Work with industry experts and create your own work portfolio on real projects.

Displays the distribution name, and version, in a shorter format compared to the previous command with additional information. Cisco systems,Netflix,Nasa,the international space station,and data centers spanning the globe,where can’t we see Linux? It’s the most powerful kernel developed by linus torvald when he was a student in Helsinki in Finland.

Im starting to look for network engineering jobs and alot of them are asking for linux experience. To conclude the role of a network engineer demands the above-mentioned network engineer skills and abilities to excel. These skills are highly in demand and can help you stand out to the recruiters. Continuously improving and updating your skillset will make you a strong candidate and give you a competitive advantage in today’s competitive job market. Network engineer skills primarily include knowledge of routers, switches, firewalls, and access points.

Some industries that employ network engineers include health care, financial services, technology, education, and telecommunications. Adjacent roles, such as help desk technician, IT support specialist, or junior systems administrator, can also give you opportunities to learn network engineering skills. Some jobs use these titles interchangeably, but each role has its own specifications that set it apart from the others. A network architect creates the designs for a network that other professionals use to build it. With different flavors called “distributions or distros,” there are currently more than 2 hundred in the industry!