Network Engineer

Planning office and campus networks; setting up routers, switches, Wi-Fi and firewalls; watching network health; finding and fixing faults; keeping networks secure; documenting changes.

A day in the work
You start by checking the dashboard for overnight alerts, such as a slow link at a branch office or a Wi-Fi access point that went offline. You fix what you can, and raise a ticket or call the service provider for the rest. Later you might configure a new switch, test a firewall rule, or join a call to plan a planned shutdown. Before you leave, you write down every change you made so the next person can follow it.

1. Step 1 · Class 10–11Choose PCM, ideally with Computer Science or Informatics Practices. Or take a 3-year diploma in computer or IT engineering after Class 10. Start learning how Wi-Fi, routers and the internet work.
2. Step 2 · Class 12Apply to a B.Tech in CSE, IT or ECE through JEE Main, a state CET or the college's own test. Diploma students can later join B.Tech in the second year through lateral entry, which AICTE recognises. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · 3–4 yearsStudy computer networks, operating systems (especially Linux) and basic programming. Practise on free tools like Cisco Packet Tracer, and build small lab networks.
4. Step 4 · Final year or just afterTake the Cisco CCNA exam (200-301). It covers network basics, switching, routing, IP services, security basics and automation. Cisco lists no prerequisites, and the certificate is valid for 3 years. Cisco's current exam version (v1.1) can be taken until 2 February 2027. A new version (v2.0) starts on 3 February 2027, so check the Cisco site before booking.
5. Step 5 · First jobMost people start in network support or a network operations centre (NOC), watching alerts and fixing basic faults. The National Career Service describes this entry role as a desk job in IT-ITeS. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · After 2–5 yearsMove to design and bigger networks. Many specialise in firewalls and security, Wi-Fi, cloud networking or automation. Higher Cisco certificates such as CCNP are a common next step.

• B.Tech routeClass 12 (PCM) → B.Tech in CSE/IT/ECE (4 years) → CCNA → network or support engineer job. This is the most common route for design roles and larger companies.
• Diploma routeClass 10 → 3-year diploma in computer/IT engineering → CCNA → junior network job. You can later join B.Tech in the second year through lateral entry if you want a degree.
• Class 12 plus certified trainingThe National Career Service lists Class 12 plus certified training (aligned to the IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council's Associate Network Engineer standard) as the preferred entry for support-level network roles. Growth beyond that usually needs a degree and certificates.

Fees from: Cisco: CCNA exam cost and validity · AICTE Approval Process Handbook 2024-27 · KGEC Admissions 2026–2027 (official college site) · Haridwar University BTech fees 2026 post (university website; cites its fee page) · Government College of Engineering, Amravati fee structure page (official; PDFs listed, figures not read). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay starts modest in support and NOC roles and grows with experience, certificates and skills like security or cloud; it also depends on the city and on whether you work for an IT services firm, a product company, a bank or a telecom provider.

• Class 7–9Draw a map of the Wi-Fi at home: the router, every device connected to it, and which ones use wires. Ask an adult to show you the router's settings page.
• Class 10–12Take Cisco's free Networking Basics course and try the free Packet Tracer simulator to build a small network on screen.Open link ↗
• College or afterFollow the free NPTEL/SWAYAM Computer Networks course from IIT Indore, and add a small lab project such as setting up two networks in a simulator and linking them.Open link ↗

• CCNA is a voluntary industry certificate from Cisco, not a government licence. No law requires it, but many employers look for it.
• The CCNA exam is held at test centres or online and is priced in US dollars (listed at $300 by Cisco). The rupee cost depends on the exchange rate and taxes.
• Check that your college or polytechnic is AICTE-approved before you take admission.
• Networking overlaps with cybersecurity and cloud work. If you like this field, look at those careers too.