Hey everyone! I'm an intern in the sysadmin field and I'm curious about the physical tools that experienced sysadmins still keep on hand nowadays. Do you guys still carry USB drives, cable testers, and similar tools for hands-on work in server rooms and networking closets? Or has there been a shift towards relying more on remote tools and automation? I'm interested to know what's in your go-bag or work drawer, especially any non-tech items you might find essential!
5 Answers
I have quite the toolbox! It includes USB sticks for Rufus, networking tools like a Fluke tester, a WiFi analyzer, flashlight, cable testers, and various HDMI and VGA adapters. I also carry an iFixit toolkit and some electrical tape. It's handy to have everything in one place!
If only I had room in my bag for a snake camera and laser ruler too!
Honestly, I keep it pretty minimal these days. Just a YubiKey for security and a good memory for everything else!
No eyes or hands? Impressive!
For me, it really depends on my role. I mainly work in virtual environments, so I carry a laptop and one USB stick. But when I was in field support, I had to lug around a whole toolbox filled with various cables, screwdrivers, and more!
Well, things sure change as you move up the ranks. That's a huge difference!
When I was deep into desktop support, my backpack was packed with cables, a USB cdrom, and all sorts of tools. Now that I'm managing servers, everything's on my laptop or accessible remotely, now I barely need anything physical!
That's so true! I've learned to carry less and handle Issues with just my smartphone and a pocket knife.
As someone who mainly works with servers now, I hardly carry any tools. I keep a YubiKey, a screwdriver, and a cable tester at my desk but that's really it. It’s all about working efficiently with software these days.
You just wait until you discover the power of an NVMe USB enclosure + Ventoy. It changes everything!