Picking a Part-Time Administrator and Providing the Right Resources

The larger the network, the more technical support it needs. Small networks-with just one or two dozen computers-can manage with just a part-time network administrator. Ideally, this person should be a closet computer geek: someone who has a secret interest in computers but doesn't like to admit it; someone who will take home books to read over the weekend; and someone who enjoys solving computer problems just for the sake of solving them.

REMEMBER 

The job of managing a network requires some computer skills, but it isn't entirely a technical job. Much of the work is routine housework. Basically, the network administrator does the electronic equivalent of dusting, vacuuming, and mopping the network periodically, to keep it from becoming a mess.

Here are some resources the network administrator needs:

• Allow enough time for network administration. For a small network (no more than 20 or so computers), an hour or two each week is enough time to do the job. More time is needed upfront while the network administrator settles into the job and discovers the ins and outs of the network. After an initial settling-in period, network administration for a small-office network doesn't take more than an hour or two per week. (Larger networks take more time.)

• Give the position some teeth. You need to make sure that everyone knows who the network administrator is and that he has the authority to make decisions about the network, such as which access rights each user has, which files can and can't be stored on the server, and how often backups are done.

• Provide backup. The network administrator needs an understudy-someone who knows almost as much about the network, is eager to make a mark, and smiles when the worst network jobs are "delegated."

• Supply a job title and a job description. The network manager should have some sort of official title, such as Network Boss, Network Czar, Vice President in Charge of Network Operations, or Dr. Net. A badge, a personalized pocket protector, or a set of Spock ears helps, too.

Here are some suggestions for picking a part-time network administrator. Make sure that the person you choose

• Is organized: Conduct a surprise office inspection and place the person with the neatest desk in charge of the network.

  Warning 

  Don't warn anyone in advance, or else everyone may mess up their desks intentionally the night before the inspection.

• Is assertive and willing to irritate people to get the job done: A good network administrator should ensure that backups are working before a disk fails and that everyone is following good antivirus practices before a virus wipes out the entire network.

• Knows how to install the software: Usually, the person who installs the network is also the network administrator. This is appropriate because no one understands the network better than the person who designs and installs it.