What Next After Char, Block, Serial & Parallel Drivers

[Sasha Mckinsey]

Hello,
Finally I can say I have completed learning the following (to a certain extent)
    -C and Data structures    -Operating system concepts ( covered in my undergrad course)    -Linux kernel Development - Robert Love    -Linux Device Drivers - Partially (just finished Char, block, serial & parallel )
A book called "Essential Linux Device Drivers" - It looked rich a first look but I could go anywhere with it considering I didn't have the required Hardware. I have now cut my teeth into some bit of kernel but still I am not sure where to go from here. I know things but I am not happy or satisfied with what I now. I don't have the feel of a professional device driver programmer. 
Here are my questions - two different questions and necessarily not connected to each other
What should be the next steps besides looking for a job. Getting a new hardware to write a driver I guess is not feasible all the time. Any ideas

During my Linux journey i realized Linux network stack development interests me alot but a friend of mine told me to stay away from it as its very vast and would consume me. Any ideas how should i approach it if I want to learn it from practical point of view. I am not looking for the names of books or resources I have all of them including the book understanding Linux network internals. I want to learn it from a practical point of view where in I can be actively involved unlike my status today in the world of device drivers.
Thanks!
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