Network Support Technician SOPs

This template contains a set of 10 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) designed for network support technicians. These SOPs cover a wide range of essential network administration tasks, including troubleshooting network issues, configuring and managing network devices, monitoring network performance, and handling security incidents. They also provide guidelines for IP address and DHCP management, backing up and restoring network configurations, managing patches and firmware updates, and configuring VLANs and subnets. Finally, the SOPs cover network access control and VPN configuration for remote access management.

The first SOP focuses on network issue troubleshooting and resolution, detailing steps to identify, diagnose, and resolve network problems. It emphasizes gathering user details, verifying connectivity, performing logical diagnosis, and checking network device logs. The second SOP outlines procedures for network device configuration and management, including preparing for configuration, connecting to devices, configuring basic settings, and implementing security best practices. It also covers remote management and monitoring, verifying configurations, and maintaining configuration records.

SOP 3 provides a guide to network monitoring and performance optimization, including establishing monitoring tools, tracking key metrics, setting up alerts, and analyzing network traffic. It also details optimizing network performance, performing health checks, and updating documentation. SOP 4 focuses on handling network security incidents, with steps for detecting, isolating, investigating, and containing security breaches. It also covers remediation, documentation, post-incident reviews, and reporting procedures.

The remaining SOPs include IP address and DHCP management, which covers planning, configuring, and maintaining IP addressing schemes and DHCP servers. SOP 6 details backup and restoration procedures for network configurations, emphasizing the importance of regular backups and secure storage. Patch management and firmware updates are covered in SOP 7, with guidelines for identifying, testing, and deploying updates. VLAN and subnet management is the focus of SOP 8, including creating VLANs, assigning them to switch ports, configuring inter-VLAN routing, and implementing security measures.

The final two SOPs address network access control and VPN configuration. SOP 9 outlines securing network access through authentication and access control mechanisms, including NAC solutions, user authentication, and RBAC. SOP 10 provides guidelines for configuring and managing VPN connections for secure remote access, covering VPN types, server configuration, client access, and security best practices. Each SOP provides detailed steps, examples, and best practices to ensure effective network management and security.