I few months ago, I've decided to focus on getting into computer networking as a profession. (I have an IT degree already, but I am narrowing down my field of interest.) My personal interests are more on the theoretical side (e.g., understanding the various protocols) but for financial reasons I'm trying to be well prepared on the more practical side as well (e.g., being familiar with the hardware, installing cable, etc.)

One of my weaknesses, however, is I don't have any kind of construction or engineering background. I'm a bit concerned that a future boss will ask me, e.g., to set up a network closet, and I won't know anything about how to properly set up the ventilation, or making alterations to the walls/ceiling for bring cables through. So a few questions:

- What kind of knowledge should/will a network tech be expected to know about these sort of things?
- Is this experience I should expect to get through entry-level experience, or are there some things I should do to prepare?
- With the previous question: Are there particular sorts of classes I should consider taking? Are there books or online materials that would be worth my attention?

Honestly, if you get a job where you have to do ANY of that...you need to find another job. As a network engineer, the most you'd have to do would be assemble an equipment rack. Pulling cables wouldn't be TOO far out of scope, but even that is typically not something that a network engineer would do. Ventilation and infrastructure modifications wouldn't be something they'd have someone just do...doing things according to building codes is a skill-set unto itself, and if they make YOU do it, then your company would be liable to repair anything later.

Even if you get a job as a cable-installer only, the most you'd be responsible for would be installing a piece of conduit to get cables into a closet. Ventilation and structure modifications won't enter into it.

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Most of what you have mentioned falls under various contractors. Electicians, Hvac, Plumbing, Carpenters,.. Those are not things you should be doing as an IT person. Those are things that either the Datacenter you are renting space from will take care of, or things that you should be sub-contracting out.

There should be no-one out there expecting an IT person to know how to properly install and balance a duct run, or bang out a new circuit in the sub-panel for the servers.

You might be required to work *with* them occasionally, making decisions on where things need to go, simple amperage questions, things of that sort. But you should NOT be attempting any of that yourself since you don't know any of the commercial or residential or municipal related codes. Also, you don't want to be liable for the BIG problem of FIRE.

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Many cities require you to know an extensive amount of building issues. Things that relate to electrical installation and permit processes that could be unique to the city. Things that could include power and hvac may also be required. Just because you finished some course doesn't mean you can do a high value install in just any old city. You would need to be aware of things too that include fire and safety. If you were to damage or impede any of those systems you could cause a death. For example. Some idiot ran a large bundle of cat 5 cables in a plenum. He passed all of them through a fire damper. When the server room caught fire it fed out into the offices destroying the building. Some idiots have run wires from sprinkler systems. Some idiots drill holes in supports and so on. It's not the obvious issues that could get you sued but the technical ones that could have you loose your shirt on if an inspector see's it.

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Unless you are at a very small company, I doubt they would expect you to do all of those things. If they did, they better pay very very well. I do more AV/Media related work but I have had to build out several rooms at my current job. I work as the defacto project manager on those projects and my responsibilities have been spec out the equipment (related AV/Media) and do drawings in Visio/CAD that are basic room lay outs to then hand them over to contractors that are doing the construction/electrical/hvac etc and manage them throughout the process.

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