One thing we have learned very well from being network and protocol analysts ourselves is the word budget. Many times we hear, Why do I need to learn anything except Ethernet and TCP/IP? Too many times, technicians find themselves in the inevitable situation of walking on site and realizing that they are not in Kansas anymore, and Toto has already left the building. What should you do if you find yourself in such a situation? Would you suggest that the company you are servicing simply upgrade everything because it is old technology, sidestepping the fact that this solution you are proposing stems only from your lack of knowledge of the current infrastructure? Of course not! In Chapter 10, when we cover reporting, you will see why this is a grave-digging proposal. In any case, this is where the word budget comes up again. Think about this: You are able to set up your Sniffer Pro analyzer, find a problem with a Token Ring NIC, change it, and save the network for a cost of about US$200. If they get a second opinion from someone who knows the basics of troubleshooting the technology, you will have a hard time explaining why you needed to upgrade the company s entire network for a price that might be through the roof.