Are you thinking about getting a job as a Network Engineer?  Are you considering leaving your present position and getting a new job at a new company?  Has it been a while since you've interviewed?   If you've answered yes to any of these questions then this is the post for you!  We've compiled a list of things you need to do to be prepared for on your next interview.  We've also compiled a list of some tips for making sure you ace that interview as well as a list of 20 Network Engineer Interview Questions.

Can you pass the test?

TIPS for PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

1. Study - Before you go to you Interview, open the books up and give yourself a general review of networking.
2. Update your Resume - Read your resume and update it.  The last thing you need when you are putting your best face forward is to have a resume that is full of grammatical errors.
3. Watch out for Social Networks - Many employers are getting very smart and will search on your name.  Be sure if they find your facebook or myspace page there isn't anything there that you wouldn't want them to see.
4. Google yourself - Search for yourself on Google and see what you find.  You would be amazed an what might pop up. Make sure nothing derogatory shows up.
5. Get Certified - One of the best things to do to prove you know what your talking about is a certification.  This gives a new employer an easy way to understand your  knowledge level.

Preparing for NETWORK ENGINEER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. IP Addressing- Make sure you know subnetting (without a subnet calculator!).  Know the value of every bit in each each Octet.   Know subnet masks and what their slashed notation is and CIDR
2. Memorize administrative distances of all routing protocols.
3. Review the simple stuff, like 3way handshakes in tcp, setting up hrsp, ip helpers, and vlans.
4. Review Spanning Tree - Know what a root bridge is, know what VTP does
5. Review VLANs and be able to explain what a vlan is.

Employers know you can look things up in a pinch but what do you know off the top of your head that you can hit the ground running and fix a problem if it arises.  Or if they send you out to a remote location to setup a router, with no internet, can you get the thing online and working?

Put yourself in their shoes, what will they need from you? Review the job description and target those things specific to the job your interviewing for.

SAMPLE NETWORK ENGINEER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is the subnet mask 10.2.1.3/22?
2. What is the administrative distance of EIGRP, eBGP, iBGP?
3. What is your favorite routing Protocol?
4. In EIGRP, what is a Stuck in Active route?
5. In OSPF, what is a totaly stubby area?  What does Area Zero do?
6. Which internal routing protocol would use if you needed to route between Cisco and non-Cisco equipment?
7. Explain what a 3-way handshake is in TCP?
8. What is a VLAN trunking protocol?
9. What is the different between 802.1q and ISL?
10. Explain what is an Ether-Channel?
11. What do you need to do to setup a VTP domain?
12. What is Spanning Tree used for?
13. What is a root bridge and why do you need one?
14. What is needed on a router interface to allow DHCP to function on a subnet?
15. Describe what a stateful firewall is?
16. What is HSRP?  Is this an open standard?
17. In a PIX/ASA, what are security levels used for?
18. What two things are needed in a PIX/ASA firewall to allow traffic to pass from a higher security level to a lower security level?
19. In IPSec VPNs, what is diffe helman?  What is it used for?
20. In an IPSec tunnel, what is main mode?

Do you know the answers to these questions?  Have any more questions you would like to add? Leave a comment below and let us know the answers or more questions?

Related posts:

1. We are Network Engineers
2. How to Become a Network Engineer
3. IP Multicast for the Intimidated: A Primer
4. Preparing for Major Network Outages: Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst
5. DHCP Snooping: Keeping Those Rogues in Check!