Should you be a network engineer vs network architect? Which one is better to make a career in the IT sector with a better salary package? The massive growth in internet technology has provided several career opportunities for young technology enthusiasts. There are thousands of job opportunities available in the IT industry for network engineers and network architects.
But which one you should choose, and is there any difference between the two. These are the common questions that you may struggle with and try to find. Thus, in this article, we will help you by telling you about the difference between network engineer and network architect.
Who is Network Architect?
Network Architect is an expert who has a profound understanding of computer networking. And they can understand and organize the design of the computer and can make it better for effective communication.
Network Administrator and Network Architect are two similar phrases that are used interchangeably. And here, if we look deep, we will find that the network administrator is not an engineer. Also, it is not an architect; however, it manages the network operations.
Network architects can perform their duty in the internal and external environment. And they feel confident to work with LAN, WAN, and also the cloud networks. Their primary role is to ensure and design the secure network design and infrastructure that fulfills its goal.
They can also make the conversion with the higher-level management like CEO and CTO. So that company can understand the trends and technology market and make a better decision.
Role of Network Architect
There are many roles and duties of the network architect; here are some significant duties you should know.
- A network architect plans and designs the network projects and can also install or upgrade the same.
- They also work around troubleshooting and other similar issues. So the next time, they can improve such issues and make a reliable design.
- The network architect can also work closely with upper-level management like CTO and CEO. So they can reduce the expense and buy the best quality material.
- Sometimes they also require documentation about the network.
- They make the necessary workflow, requirements, and roadmap chart for the network projects.
- They also require them to complete the project with less time and less cost.
Who is Network Engineer?
A network engineer is also a technical professional who works in the IT field. And they are responsible for building the infrastructure as per the design that the company approves. They also hold the deep commands in a voice call, data, and other network-related service technologies.
The company’s network engineer is responsible for maintaining, implementing, and formulating the internal and external network. However, many people get confused when they listen to network or tech consultants. The network engineer is the person who builds the network channel that the network architect designs. And a tech consultant is the person who repairs or replaces the parts of the network system.
So, in short, the network engineer is the professional who builds and formats the company’s infrastructure.
Role of Network Engineer
As we have understood, the network engineer implements, develops, and designs the company’s network infrastructure. But still, you might be willing to know the work and responsibility of a network engineer, so look below.
- The network engineer is required to maintain the software, applications, and hardware of the company.
- They also need to update the virus protection software so that the company’s data stays safe.
- Keep taking backup of the data for safety purpose and store it in a safe place.
- A network engineer is responsible for installing and configuring the networking accessories. These accessories can be load balancers, routers, switches, and VPNs.
- Perform the work related to the ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting and keep improving this.
- They can also collaborate with the third party for the network and its operation for better usability.
Network Architect vs Network Engineer
From the above discussion, it is clear that both professionals have different sets of roles. However, they can replace each other or overlap with others’ work too. Hence in many startups and small businesses, you will mostly find either network engineers or network architects. Although, in big organizations, both two hold their significant position and execute accurately.
| Network Engineer | Network Architect | |
| Position Level In The Organization
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The network engineers are the executor of the network task. They implement the project in action and develop it in real life. | The network architects are the leaders, planners, and decision-makers in the organization. And they plan the project and take the approval from the management.
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| Work Focus
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Their focus is to execute the project and make sure to do every aspect of the project, just like mentioned in the design.
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The goal of network architects is to make the network project design meet all the requirements.
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| Educational Qualification
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To become a network engineer, you need to have basic networking knowledge. However, this field is more practical; hence you need to have excellent practical skills. | To become a network architect, you need to complete a bachelor’s or masters in computer architecture or complete a networking certification.
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| Work Or Duties
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The network engineer communicates with the internal network team and experts. And they can also train the juniors so the network engineer team can execute the network project in a better manner.
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Communicate with the higher rank professionals and suggest the ideal network installation. And they also ensure every project takes place complete with an optimum budget.
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| Position Rank
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They hold a lower position than the network architect but a higher ranking than the tech consultants.
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They hold a higher position than the other network professionals.
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| Alternative Of
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A network engineer can work as a tech consultant or can replace a tech consultant. | Network architects can be the alternative of the network administrators.
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Conclusion
So, in this article, you learned about network architect vs network engineer. Here we also learned their duties and worked responsibilities with a detailed discussion. And we also covered the comparison to understand the difference between a network engineer and a network architect.
Hence I hope now this topic is cleared, and if you were willing to be either a network engineer or network architect, that is also clear.