What are typical morning tasks for a Network Engineer?

Mornings often begin with reviewing network alerts, checking system logs, and addressing any overnight issues. They may also verify backups and ensure connectivity is stable.

How much time is spent on troubleshooting?

Depending on the environment, 30?50% of the day may involve diagnosing connectivity issues, firewall misconfigurations, or user-reported problems across the network.

Do Network Engineers attend meetings?

Yes. They attend meetings to coordinate with IT teams, developers, or vendors?especially when managing large-scale upgrades, migrations, or implementing new tools.

What is a common end-of-day task?

Many Network Engineers wrap up their day by updating documentation, pushing out final configurations, running performance reports, or preparing for scheduled maintenance.

What are the top certifications for Network Engineers?

Cisco certifications like CCNA and CCNP are foundational. Others include CompTIA Network+, Juniper JNCIA, and cloud-specific ones like AWS Certified Advanced Networking.

What should a Network Engineer highlight on a resume?

Highlight technical skills like routing, switching, firewalls, cloud networking, and certifications such as CCNA or AWS. Include real examples of network optimization or security improvements.

What a Typical Day Looks Like for a Network Engineer

Network Engineers are the unsung heroes behind the reliable connectivity we often take for granted. Their day revolves around ensuring that networks—both on-premise and in the cloud—are fast, secure, and available. From troubleshooting outages to planning network expansions, a typical day blends technical depth, proactive monitoring, and collaboration. Here's what a day in the life of a Network Engineer usually looks like.

8:30 AM ? Start of Day & System Check-In

Most Network Engineers begin by checking dashboards, alerts, and overnight logs to ensure everything is functioning as expected:

Review alerts from monitoring systems like SolarWinds, Nagios, or Zabbix
Scan tickets in the ITSM tool (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira) for new issues
Log in to network devices to verify uptime and latency trends

If there were incidents overnight, these are triaged and addressed immediately.

9:30 AM ? Team Stand-Up or Daily Sync

Network Engineers participate in a quick stand-up with the broader IT or DevOps team to discuss:

Outstanding tickets or escalations
Upcoming changes, migrations, or deployments
Cross-functional dependencies with cloud, security, or product teams

This sync helps align priorities and minimize miscommunication across teams.

10:00 AM ? Troubleshooting and Ticket Resolution

Throughout the morning, the Engineer focuses on resolving issues such as:

Slow or intermittent connectivity in branch offices
Misconfigured VLANs or ACLs impacting application access
VPN connection errors for remote employees

They may run diagnostics using ping, traceroute, or packet captures with Wireshark to isolate root causes.

12:00 PM ? Lunch & Industry Catch-Up

Many Network Engineers use breaks to check on industry news, Reddit forums (like r/networking), or vendor updates to stay current on emerging tools, vulnerabilities, or best practices.

1:00 PM ? Configuration or Project Work

Afternoons are often reserved for planned tasks and longer-term projects:

Deploying new switches, firewalls, or wireless access points
Writing and testing Ansible playbooks for automation
Working on documentation, network diagrams, or inventory updates in tools like NetBox

For cloud-native teams, this may include managing VPCs, peering setups, or DNS changes.

3:00 PM ? Change Management and Approvals

If a configuration change or hardware rollout is scheduled, the Engineer prepares a change request (CR) and reviews it with peers or managers:

Submit CRs for firewall rule updates, VLAN additions, or WAN routing changes
Validate changes in a staging environment before going live
Coordinate change windows during low-traffic hours if needed

Documentation and rollback plans are key parts of this process.

4:30 PM ? Final Checks and Daily Wrap-Up

Before logging off, the Engineer checks for any late alerts or pending approvals:

Update tickets and change logs
Send handoff notes if the environment is monitored 24/7
Review calendar for upcoming maintenance windows or meetings

They may also review network capacity and performance metrics to flag any long-term concerns.

Final Thoughts

A Network Engineer’s day is a blend of structured operations and unexpected challenges. From keeping the infrastructure healthy to enabling new initiatives, the role demands both deep technical skills and real-time problem-solving. While no two days are exactly alike, the core mission remains the same: keeping the network secure, scalable, and running smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are typical morning tasks for a Network Engineer?: Mornings often begin with reviewing network alerts, checking system logs, and addressing any overnight issues. They may also verify backups and ensure connectivity is stable.
How much time is spent on troubleshooting?: Depending on the environment, 30?50% of the day may involve diagnosing connectivity issues, firewall misconfigurations, or user-reported problems across the network.
Do Network Engineers attend meetings?: Yes. They attend meetings to coordinate with IT teams, developers, or vendors?especially when managing large-scale upgrades, migrations, or implementing new tools.
What are the top certifications for Network Engineers?: Cisco certifications like CCNA and CCNP are foundational. Others include CompTIA Network+, Juniper JNCIA, and cloud-specific ones like AWS Certified Advanced Networking. Learn more on our Best Certifications for Network Engineers page.
What should a Network Engineer highlight on a resume?: Highlight technical skills like routing, switching, firewalls, cloud networking, and certifications such as CCNA or AWS. Include real examples of network optimization or security improvements. Learn more on our How to Write a Network Engineer Resume page.