What’s a good way to learn system and network administration?

Make the lab small enough that you’ll actually use it. A computer with enough memory can run several virtual machines, so you can practice Linux, Windows Server, directory services, DNS, and basic networking without buying a rack of equipment.

Give yourself tasks instead of just installing things: add a user, change permissions, break name resolution, then troubleshoot it. Once that feels familiar, add monitoring and try automating repeatable setup with a tool like Ansible or PowerShell.

For networking, pair a structured course or certification syllabus with labs. Videos are useful for seeing a concept explained, but make sure you’re also configuring subnets, routes, VLANs, and access rules yourself. The Art of Network Engineering podcast and networking-focused video channels came up as useful starting points, though no one creator covers everything.

For blogs, an RSS reader can be a nice way to follow a mix of networking, Linux, security, and infrastructure writing without relying on a single feed. Treat individual posts as useful explanations, not as universal operating procedures.

Don’t try to follow every popular tech account. Pick resources that match what you’re doing this month, and use documentation alongside tutorials. If you’re working on Linux, for example, read about the command or service you’re changing and test it in a disposable VM.

For a practical progression, learn troubleshooting fundamentals first, then scripting and configuration management. That groundwork transfers well if you later move toward DevOps.

A monitoring project is a good way to connect the pieces. Run a few services in your lab, collect basic metrics with something like Prometheus and Grafana or Zabbix, and investigate what happens when a service stops responding. You’ll get practice with both the systems and the question of what information is actually useful.

Keep the setup simple at first. One dashboard that helps you spot a real failure is more valuable than a complicated stack you never check.

Certifications can give you a sensible sequence, even if the credential itself isn’t your main goal. Use the objectives as a checklist, then prove each topic to yourself in a lab. For Microsoft administration, PowerShell and directory identity topics are worth exploring; for Linux, get comfortable with shell basics, services, logs, and permissions.

COBOL is a more specialized direction, but it still appears in some established business systems. I’d treat it as an option to investigate if you encounter that environment, not a required step for general sysadmin work.