Network Engineering Interview Questions

Front 1

What is your favorite routing Protocol?

Back 1

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Front 2

In EIGRP, what is a Stuck in Active route?

Back 2

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Front 3

In OSPF, what is a total stubby area? What does Area Zero do?

Back 3

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Front 4

Which internal routing protocol would use if you needed to route between Cisco and non-Cisco equipment?

Back 4

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Front 5

Explain what a 3-way handshake is in TCP?

Back 5

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Front 6

What is a VLAN trunking protocol?

Back 6

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Front 7

What is the different between 802.1q and ISL?

Back 7

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Front 8

Explain what is an Ether-Channel?

Back 8

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Front 9

What do you need to do to setup a VTP domain?

Back 9

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Front 10

What is Spanning Tree used for?

Back 10

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Front 11

What is a root bridge and why do you need one?

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Front 12

What is needed on a router interface to allow DHCP to function on a subnet?

Back 12

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Front 13

Describe what a stateful firewall is?

Back 13

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Front 14

What is HSRP?

Back 14

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Front 15

In a PIX/ASA, what are security levels used for?

Back 15

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Front 16

In an IPSec tunnel, what is main mode?

Back 16

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Front 17

What is one of the ways you improved on an existing system and delivered better results? (AT&T)

Back 17

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Front 18

DHCP address and no other special privileges. What are the steps you would take to discover the network topology? (AT&T)

Back 18

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Front 19

What is the connection between socket and session? (AT&T)

Back 19

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Front 20

What are the two types of OLTP? (AT&T)

Back 20

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Front 21

What is internet (Cisco)

Back 21

1

Front 22

General questions related to networking (NAT, ARP, OSPF, Spanning-Tree...) (Cisco)

Back 22

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Front 23

What is a firewall? / Define a network. (Cisco)

Back 23

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Front 24

Linux CLI questions and extremely detailed TCP/IP stack questions, HTTP questions and SSL questions. Know these backwards and forwards. (F5 networks)

Back 24

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Front 25

How many packets are involved in the TCP three way handshake (F5 NETWORKS)

Back 25

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Front 26

Describe IpSec phase 1/ phase 2 (F5 networks)

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Front 27

Name the 6 Flags within the TCP header. (F5 networks)

Back 27

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Front 28

Describe a full SSL session negotiation (F5 networks)

Back 28

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Front 29

Describe the OSI model and explain in details how it works and how it is used for troubleshooting (F5 networks)

Back 29

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Front 30

Describe the process of making a TCP connection from a browser to a server through routers, switches, and a load balancer (F5 networks)

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Front 31

Explain how tcpdump works and what the outputs mean. (F5 networks)

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Front 32

Communication between two computers using a cable and determining if packet will be received by the other machine. (F5 networks)

Back 32

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Front 33

Question were related from L1 up to L7 (F5 networks)

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Front 34

In a TCP session, how many sliding windows are there? Is it one which is shared between client and server or two for client and server? (F5 networks)

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Front 35

Which command is used to query a DNS server? (F5 networks)

Back 35

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Front 36

Where is the .config file located in a UNIX system? (F5 networks)

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Front 37

In which folder is the log file located in a UNIX system? (F5 networks)

Back 37

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Front 38

State which Layer4 transport protocol (TCP or UDP) each of the following uses: HTTP, HTTPS, IMAP, SNMP, TFTP, SMTP (F5 networks)

Back 38

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Front 39

Which class does the following IP address 158.0.0.0 belong to? (F5 networks)

Back 39

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Front 40

Private Address among IP (F5 networks)

Back 40

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Front 41

What options can be used for a tcp session (F5 networks)

Back 41

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Front 42

Describe routing protocols you know (F5 networks)

Back 42

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Front 43

TCP/IP OSI layer and How TCP connection is being established? (F5 networks)

Back 43

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Front 44

Name few UNIX file system (F5 networks)

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Front 45

Describe static variables, methods, and members. (F5 networks)

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Front 46

They asked a lot of BGP questions, some of which were difficult. Some of the more obscure commands also came-up and caught me off guard. (Nortel)

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Front 47

Routing questions (layer42)

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Front 48

Explain how to efficiently sort through data on a slow medium (Riverbed Technology)

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Front 49

If a client calls and reported she cannot access data from the server, where would you start troubleshooting this issue? (AirWatch)

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Front 50

They ask everything about the layer 2 and layer 3 concepts. Be strong in switching concepts, BGP, NAT, VLAN, VTP, OSPF, MPLS, IPsec tunnels and subnetting. Also know your resume well as they will ask (Virtela Technology Services)

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Front 51

What is the administrative distance of EIGRP, eBGP, iBGP?

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Front 52

What two things are needed in a PIX/ASA firewall to allow traffic to pass from a higher security level to a lower security level?

Back 52

1

Front 53

In IPSec VPNs, what is diffie hellman? What is it used for?

Back 53

1

Front 54

Walk me through architecture. (Cisco)

Back 54

1

Front 55

Explain OSPF/ explain the difference between TCP and UDP. (Cisco)

Back 55

1

Front 56

What is DNS (Cisco)

Back 56

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Front 57

How to set up network so no STP is required? (Yelp)

Back 57

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Front 58

How I would solve their current challenges. (Expedia)

Back 58

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Front 59

If you had an unlimited budget, what network would you build (Ares Management)

Back 59

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Front 60

Basic networking/BGP (Google)

Back 60

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Front 61

Most of the questions basic networking, some from VoIP (Adcap Network systems)

Back 61

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Front 62

All CCID level questions (Amazon)

Back 62

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Front 63

Do you know about or are you familiar with SCADA data? (AT&T Global Network Services)

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Front 64

VLANs, STP (Millennium Enterprise)

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Front 65

DMZ and how it works (Booz Allen Hamilton)

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Front 66

What are DNS glue records? (Pandora)

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Front 67

Scripting with Python - asked me to write a couple of programs. One of them was related to parsing large log files and recognizing. (Comcast)

Back 67

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Front 68

When asked what you’re most experienced expertise is in, expect to get a barrage of very deep questions about that specific technology. (Presidio)

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Front 69

Work through everything that could prohibit one host from reaching another. (Dell)

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Front 70

How would I configure QOS over MPLS? (Insight Global)

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Front 71

What are the 6 TCP flags? (Computer Science Corp)

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Front 72

Series of scenarios, and I would have to answer them, keeping in mind that they were testing my technical skills and ethical decision making skills. (Ben Jen Online)

Back 72

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Front 73

Some questions regarding BGP protocol (Amick Brown)

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Front 74

Can you do a NAT behind another NAT device? (Nuspire Networks)

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Front 75

Troubleshooting of MPLS and BGP (Fidelity Investments)

Back 75

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Front 76

Questions where basic A+ and Net + question nothing was too difficult. Question: what is the process of connecting an internal network to an external network (Ipswitch)

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Front 77

How to prevent DDoS attack from happening. (NextEra Energy)

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Front 78

What's is a VPN? Not it's definition but it's overall function (Union Pacific)

Back 78

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Front 79

802.11Q antenna coverage pattern and client loading setup question (Northwestern University)

Back 79

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Front 80

Basic questions regarding BGP (Rackspace)

Back 80

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Front 81

General network specific questions about routing, wireless, and firewalls. More specific to my background and experience. (Honeywell)

Back 81

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Front 82

What do you know about networks? (Windstream)

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Front 83

Describe how a packet flows through a network (Mercury Z)

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Front 84

8 hour hands on lab (Cal Net Technology group)

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Front 85

High level technical questions end to end data flow and overall architecture (Earthlink)

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Front 86

Describe the SSL communications between a server and a host's web browser. (Family Dollar)

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Front 87

Name 3 different load balancing methods on an F5 load balancer virtual server. (Family Dollar)

Back 87

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Front 88

Do you have any experience with BGP? Draw out a L3 network diagram of your current works' network (focused on OSPF). Why do you use OSPF and not EIGRP? (Family Dollar)

Back 88

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Front 89

Describe the technical differences between TACACS+ and RADIUS. (Family Dollar)

Back 89

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Front 90

There was also quite a bit of discussion about BYOD & IPv6. (Family Dollar)

Back 90

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Front 91

Troubleshooting OSPF issues (Aruba Networks)

Back 91

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Front 92

Technical question regarding use of multicast features of Cisco network equipment over tunnels. (OpenSky)

Back 92

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Front 93

How well do I work with the UAW Trades while on a project? (Ford Motor)

Back 93

1

Front 94

Describe how you would configure SSL offloading on a Cisco ACE load balancer. What's the difference between type 1 and type 2 LSA? (Publix)

Back 94

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Front 95

Details of network equipment protocols by OEM (Verizon)

Back 95

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Front 96

What is the purpose of a stub network and how would you handle the routing for it? (New York Life)

Back 96

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Front 97

A skills exam (SalesForce)

Back 97

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Front 98

Basic test on their computer based program of CadTel, Spatial Engineer and M6. (Frontier Communication)

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Front 99

TCP/IP and sub-netting (Palo Alto Networks)

Back 99

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Front 100

How to build an end to end circuit. (Time Warner Cable)

Back 100

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Front 101

Expect detailed questions regarding your skill sets, in my case it was around border network routing. (Trace3)

Back 101

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Front 102

How to mount a USB in Red hat (Ericsson-Worldwide)

Back 102

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Front 103

TCP windowing in detail (Cox Communication)

Back 103

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Front 104

Routing protocols and application load balancing (AirWatch)

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Front 105

Asked about different protocols and how packets are handled. (Charter Communications)

Back 105

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Front 106

Network applications and APIs (Art.com)

Back 106

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Front 107

Basic show commands like show version, show run, show cdp neighbors, show monitor (Blood Institute)

Back 107

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Front 108

How would you come to an agreement if you and another senior level engineer couldn't agree on a technical design? (Facebook)

Back 108

1

Front 109

STP, OSPF areas, BGP best path, ipsec, tcpdump (Facebook)

Back 109

1

Front 110

Technical question regarding network design and troubleshooting for a commonly seen deployment at the university (Texas A&M)

Back 110

1

Front 111

How to connect 2 switches using the GBIC (L-3 Communications)

Back 111

1

Front 112

Deep understanding and knowledge of TCP/IP protocols (Brookfield Properties)

Back 112

1

Front 113

How would you know if a port is open or not (Citrix Systems)

Back 113

1

Front 114

What switches from one utility to another when a failure is detected? (Citrix Systems)

Back 114

1

Front 115

Describe how to set up and configure an IPSEC VPN and diagram process (GoGrid Cloud Hosting)

Back 115

1

Front 116

What is an application firewall (Articon-Integralis)

Back 116

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Front 117

Describe all the OS you have worked on (Forrest General Hospital)

Back 117

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Front 118

What can you use to view a .tar file without decompressing it? (Voxeo)

Back 118

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Front 119

How would you load balance two network connections? (Keyon Communications)

Back 119

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Front 120

How would you deal with two networks with the same IP address scheme? (Keyon Communications)

Back 120

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Front 121

What technical skills do you have? (Walgreens)

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Front 122

What happens when a UE is in compressed mode? What is the process between the measurement control & handoff successful in compressed mode? (Qualcomm)

Back 122

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Front 123

Neighbor Strategy for a 4th carrier deployment (Qualcomm)

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Front 124

Tell me the most difficult situation you've faced [pertaining to professional IT work] and how you handled it? (IPSoft)

Back 124

1

Front 125

What software did you use for Network planning? (Qualcomm)

Back 125

1

Front 126

What's the difference between block code and convolution code? (Qualcomm)

Back 126

1

Front 127

Have you ever used Wireshark to solve packet loss issues and what did you do to solve the problem? (Trick question) (Connectria)

Back 127

1

Front 128

What is 802.1af (Radiss)

Back 128

1

Front 129

What is spanning tree protocol? (Radiss)

Back 129

1

Front 130

Explain the concept of TTL (Radiss)

Back 130

1

Front 131

What is three way Handshake? (Radiss)

Back 131

1

Front 132

Basics of L2, L3 protocols (T-Mobile)

Back 132

1

Front 133

What tools do you use for monitoring systems? (PDS Technical)

Back 133

1

Front 134

No Questions - Only tests (XR Trading)

Back 134

1

Front 135

Can you draw the HW block diagram of your latest project and explain? (Google)

Back 135

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Front 136

Using my Linksys router - VOIP call shuts down, all of a sudden.(Presuming all other ports are working) (Microsoft)

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Front 137

What is VTP & STP (Scientific Games)

Back 137

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Front 138

What is Calling Search Space and partitions (Scientific Games)

Back 138

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Front 139

MPLS explicit/Implicit Null (Amazon)

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Front 140

Describe the a generic cable network functioning from the ISP to the customer (Comcast)

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Front 141

How do you identify the pc and what port the PC is connected on a switch? (J.P. Morgan)

Back 141

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Front 142

What is bandwidth (J.P. Morgan)

Back 142

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Front 143

What is a route? (J.P. Morgan)

Back 143

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Front 144

How does STP work...how does it know who will control everything? (Computer Science Corp)

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Front 145

Explain the ospf adjacency process (Microsoft)

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Front 146

What are the fields (rows) required for a DNS entry? (Medicity)

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Front 147

What is the length of the TCP header if no options were set? (Webroot Software)

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Front 148

How you handle the situation when there is a power outage in the DC? (Expedia)

Back 148

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Front 149

Cisco-series of questions, almost 50 or 60. Define protocols, what is etc. and what sequence of events. (BB&T)

Back 149

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Front 150

From AT&T---describe the packet process as it goes through the network (BB&T)

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Front 151

How is mpls configured on a cisco router? (Bluewater Communications)

Back 151

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Front 152

What other MPLS commands are needed on the router? (Bluewater Communications)

Back 152

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Front 153

What are some possible methods of VOIP communication? (INC Research)

Back 153

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Front 154

What would cause a router to not route traffic? (INC Research)

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1

Front 155

How to design database for company like fandango - change movies regularly, have different show times per date etc. (Amazon)

Back 155

1

Front 156

What is the address in the IP field when it goes from one router to another (Arbor Networks)

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1

Front 157

What are virtual links in OSPF (Arbor Networks)

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Front 158

How many bits do you need for a subnet size (Ascend One)

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Front 159

What is the OSI model? (New York State CIO/OFT)

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Front 160

Can you subnet? (New York State CIO/OFT)

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Front 161

Scenario- 3 computers are drawn on a board with connections between them, one and only one of them can't communicate with any other. Nothing has been changed and all the most common (physical layer) questions answered. What is wrong? (Complex Drive)

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Front 162

What would you do if you had to critical issues that needed to be handled at the same time and they both required a reply immediately. (Internap Network Services)

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Front 163

Have you worked with DWDM? (Barclays Global Investors)

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1

Front 164

Redistribute OSPF into BGP (Vinakom)

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Front 165

How to control an attack on multiple switches at multiple locations within the switching firewall and security built-ins. (Saks)

Back 165

1

Front 166

What TCP port does BGP use? (Sprint)

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1

Front 167

Explain routing (Federal Reserve Bank)

Back 167

1

Front 168

Explain in detail what link fragmentation and interleaving is and how specifically to configure it. (Federal Reserve Bank)

Back 168

1

Front 169

Draw a typical 3-zone firewall setup on the whiteboard (R.J. O’Brien)

Back 169

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Front 170

Describe your experience working with QoS tools (R.J. O’Brien)

Back 170

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Front 171

Describe the path-mtu discovery algorithm (Amazon)

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Front 172

Describe the various transitions encompassed in the TCP state transition diagram (Amazon)

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Front 173

Why should I hire you? (AT&T)

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Front 174

Why it is that you want to work in the network engineering field? (AT&T)

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Front 175

What difficulty did you face in school or job, and how did you overcome it? (AT&T)

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Front 176

Tell me about a time when you were faced with a complex problem that didn't have a clear solution. How did you proceed? (AT&T)

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Front 177

Tell me a little about yourself. Do you think that your major (you’re major) qualifies you for this job? (AT&T)

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Front 178

What do you think is the most important element in a successful work environment? (AT&T)

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Front 179

Describe your leadership experience in school and previous jobs? (AT&T)

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Front 180

How do you deal with conflicts with your boss? (Cisco)

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Front 181

What is the most difficult business problem you have solved, how did you contribute, and what was the outcome? (Cisco)

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Front 182

What is your personal career goal and how do you think this job will assist you? (Cisco)

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Front 183

Business cases (Aston Technologies)

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Front 184

What kind of flower would you be? (Atlantic tele-network)

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Front 185

Tell me about what you did at your last job, white boarded environments from previous employer. (Home Depot)

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Front 186

What did your previous supervisors have to say about you that was bad? (NetBrain Technologies)

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Front 187

How do you handle a difficult confrontational peer in the work place? (Frontier Communications)

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Front 188

How does a nuclear bomb work? (Cobaltix)

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Front 189

What kind of company do you like to work for? (Telefonica)

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Front 190

Walk me through your routine day at your current job. (Amazon)

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Front 191

Why are you working at your present job? Don't you think you could do better? (Lowe’s)

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Front 192

What did you like about your previous job? (IPSoft)

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Front 193

How many floors were on the elevator when you came up? (Teksystems)

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Front 194

What is your biggest weakness? (ProFlowers)

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Front 195

How do you feel about filling out forms all day instead of actually fixing a problem? (RAND)

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Front 196

What does Crossmark do? (Crossmark)

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Front 197

What is the most emotional event in my life in front of eight people (IPSoft)

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Front 198

Career goals (IPI Gramm Technology)

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Front 199

If I flip a fair coin 100 times and it lands on heads each time, what will it be next time and why? (Nupire Networks)

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Front 200

Do you know what we do? (3rd Element Consulting)

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Front 201

Will you back stab someone to get ahead? (Scientific-Atlanta)

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Front 202

5 things that I could do with a pencil (Bally Technologies)

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Front 203

What positive contributions can you bring to our department? (J.P. Morgan)

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Front 204

3 Hour Online Profile Test (RealPage)

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Front 205

Describe a "day in the life" of your current position (Corporate Technologies)

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Front 206

How do you handle irate clients that are having technical troubles and need to work immediately? (Univision Management)

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Front 207

How would you deal with an angry customer? (Microsoft)

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Front 208

How many sailor can cross on a single boat with 2 trips? If there are 6 sailor and only 2 can jump in the ship. (Intel Corporation)

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Front 209

How many hours per week are you willing to work for your base salary? (Synovis Life Technologies)

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Front 210

How do you deal with people who don't know your field as well as you do. (Bebo)

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Front 211

How would you "categorize" yourself? (Teksystems)

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