Q. How long have you been in the networking industry and why did you get involved in it? A. Networking has always been in my blood. I started networking at the age of 13 when I started my own BBS (Bulletin Board System). I went on to expand its use and capabilities with Personal Netware followed by Windows For Workgroups and Windows NT.
My first job came at the age of 19 building, managing and designing networks for a private boarding school. The network encompassed multiple buildings stretched over 385 acres. I have since moved on and am now the sole Network Engineer for a network that reaches 80 buildings over 500 acres. At times I am very challenged by the complexities a networking environment can create, but that’s what I love. I love facing new challenges and learning new things. In short, I love what I do.
Q: How did you hear about SolarWinds? A: I started using SolarWinds products back in 1998, before Orion, when tools in the toolsets were sold individually. I’m not sure where I first heard of SolarWinds but their powerful, inexpensive and sometimes free tools made them a household name to Network Engineers everywhere, in much the same way Sysinternals was to Windows Sysadmins.
Q. What were the specific business problems and challenges facing your work that influenced you to use SolarWinds? A. As our network grew, we quickly realized the need for a network management solution that not only provided us with green light / red light up/down status, but with true network performance monitoring. Like many other organizations we started with HP OpenView, which at the time was the de facto standard in network management. After spending weeks alone with the product and then spending thousands of dollars in professional services attempting to get some useful and meaningful information out of the product, we realized this wasn’t the product for us. I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t need a PhD in network management to get value out of a network management product.
After evaluating several other products, SolarWinds won our internal product shootout based on its ease of setup, ease of use and quick return on investment. Other factors such as customization and price played a significant role in the decision making process but without the simplicity Orion provided and it’s ROI then we’d just be purchasing another OpenView.
Q: Are you a member of other networking communities? A: I mostly lurk in other online networking communities. I occasionally post in Cisco's NetPro Community, as well as the Cacti forums and Experts Exchange. Unfortunately with other networking communities, I find there is a lack of knowledgeable people willing to help those in need of assistance. Thwack is different in the sense that there is a genuine desire to help each other and show off their latest creation/customization. The Thwack community is like a big family with a great mix of people seeking help and others offering their guidance.