Couple of IT interview questions..

rz30 said:
Point being that beacuase of this post i have now learned a fair amount over the last few hours.
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So you've read a few things on the web and now you think you understand them, I've just read a couple of interesting articles on brain surgery doesn't make me a brain surgeon does it!

Here's a very easy test question for you, you have server on a subnet behind a router, the server is able to ping the router but not able to ping anything on the internet. The server is able to ping other machines in the subnet and visa versa. Even thought the ACL's are open nothing from the internet can connect to the server even though the webserver is running.

Q. What would be the first thing you would check?

HEADRAT
 
rz30 said:
Nevertheless this is not a high end position i am going for it's to get my 'foot in the door' and give me some kind of income/experience.
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Which by all means go for it, but please please lose the "this is simple" attitude. Because you will either a) learn in due-course that it really isn't simple and is infact a hugeminefield of a subject, or b) not even get the chance to realise this before getting sent packing by the interviewing company.
 
This thread is awesome in so many aspects. As a undergrad coming out of a degree in "Games Computing" at Lincoln - which covers the basics principles in networking, programming, 3D content creation and such, and the only network unit I did was a compulsory one in the first year, was 8 weeks long and keeping in mind this was a beginners course but it was 10x more detailed than the 2hrs or so of Wiki'ing you have done in your background research.

I mean, I hope you get your job cause it means I feel more comfortable about getting a job in the IT Sector myself. :D

P.S. - Going into any IT field on a professional level without the intention to keep ahead of the curve with technology, learning, and general practice is a surefire way to get yourself replaced with a graduate in a few years time.
 
paradigm said:
He also only "switched on" the router. I assume its one of those magical corporate routers that manage to set themselves up.
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He also bought a router, rather than 10 dozen switches and the kit for some patching cabinets. Someone has only ever done home networking methinks.

Still, if he gets the right attitude, someone will hire him onto the learning curve.
 
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HEADRAT said:
So you've read a few things on the web and now you think you understand them, I've just read a couple of interesting articles on brain surgery doesn't make me a brain surgeon does it!

Here's a very easy test question for you, you have server on a subnet behind a router, the server is able to ping the router but not able to ping anything on the internet. The server is able to ping other machines in the subnet and visa versa. Even thought the ACL's are open nothing from the internet can connect to the server even though the webserver is running.

Q. What would be the first thing you would check?

HEADRAT
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oi He still has mine to do :p
 
optitech-uk said:
a foot in the door does not require knowledge like what 90% of this thread say.
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Quite, but it also requires an attitude that allows for acknowledgement of ones own shortcomings, and the realisation that the area in which you would like to work is not something which "can be learnt in a couple of hours".

Now, whilst 65-75% of the FACTS in this thread are beyond the technical capabilities of the OP, they were only used to highlight the attitude problems of the OP, and as such are 100% relevant.
 
HEADRAT said:
So you've read a few things on the web and now you think you understand them, I've just read a couple of interesting articles on brain surgery doesn't make me a brain surgeon does it!

Here's a very easy test question for you, you have server on a subnet behind a router, the server is able to ping the router but not able to ping anything on the internet. The server is able to ping other machines in the subnet and visa versa. Even thought the ACL's are open nothing from the internet can connect to the server even though the webserver is running.

Q. What would be the first thing you would check?

HEADRAT
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First thing you check is that the cabling is properly connected from router to the wall(terminology check).

Second check your password and username are correct.

You should also have some software from the routers manufactures that run you through the setup. (am assuming this has all been done)

Thirdly see if the ISP is assiging you an IP address if it isnt i would likely say the problem is at the ISP end.

If it is then you want to check that your firewall is not blocking the conection.
 
rz30 said:
First thing you check is that the cabling is properly connected from router to the wall(terminology check).

Second check your password and username are correct.

You should also have some software from the routers manufactures that run you through the setup. (am assuming this has all been done)

Thirdly see if the ISP is assiging you an IP address if it isnt i would likely say the problem is at the ISP end.

If it is then you want to check that your firewall is not blocking the conection.
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Not having a degree in networking or claiming to know the answer to this (after all im not applying for said job) but do CISCO grade switches/routers have "my first run setup pages"?
 
spicypixel said:
Thats very true, its not what you know its who you know for the best part of the employment world. Its just sub optimal isnt it lol.:D
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People work their way up. I myself come on this forum and everyone just seams to be full of knowledge and a lot of people seems stuck up their own bum holes. I can say now that at the 'foot in the door' job you will be used for your knowledge, took advantage of and expertise won't be used till a later age.
 
rz30 said:
First thing you check is that the cabling is properly connected from router to the wall(terminology check).
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To the "wall"? Which wall? :confused:
One can safely assume you have never seen a comms cabinet

rz30 said:
Second check your password and username are correct.
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Which username and password? For what? On what?

rz30 said:
You should also have some software from the routers manufactures that run you through the setup. (am assuming this has all been done)
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I refer you back to "you do realise that not all routers/switches/firewalls use packaged software for configuration". Look up Cisco IOS.

rz30 said:
Thirdly see if the ISP is assiging you an IP address if it isnt i would likely say the problem is at the ISP end.
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Check this where?

rz30 said:
If it is then you want to check that your firewall is not blocking the conection.
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This bit was stated in the question. Look up ACLs.

spicypixel said:
Not having a degree in networking or claiming to know the answer to this (after all im not applying for said job) but do CISCO grade switches/routers have "my first run setup pages"?
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Nope. They have a CLI based "setup" command which runs you through naming, access password and basic port control, but it won't actually get the router up and running to such a state where it does anything useful. You need to know what you are doing for that bit ;)
 
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rz30 said:
First thing you check is that the cabling is properly connected from router to the wall(terminology check).

Second check your password and username are correct.

You should also have some software from the routers manufactures that run you through the setup. (am assuming this has all been done)

Thirdly see if the ISP is assiging you an IP address if it isnt i would likely say the problem is at the ISP end.

If it is then you want to check that your firewall is not blocking the conection.
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1. How can it be a cabling problem if it can reach the router and other machines can ping the server!

2. What's a password username got to do with anything, this is a webserver!

3. The router ACL's are correct and other servers in the subnet work fine.

4. Unless your doing NAT/PAT then this server will have to have a public/routed IP address an corresponding DNS entry. For this question you can take it that it's a publically routed static IP address (just to make things really simple).

5. There isn't a firewall, just ACL's on the router.

This was a probably the easiest question I could think of, I'll give you a clue it's not a physical problem.
 
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Computer Networks - Andrew S. Tanenbaum (Fourth Edition)

Go read that. Covers all the layers, some with quite a bit of maths, but you won't need to know the maths off by heart.
 
I guess at this point we have to hope this isn't for a public company or a local council lol, if its a private company its up to them who they hire I guess.

As a subtle footnote, I'd probably kill for the chance to even get a shot at this job, and I sure as heck know I'd be studying networking principles and books till the cows come home.
 
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