Hire the Best Network Engineers

I'm the Level III IT consultant who works for other MSPs and IT consultancies — the senior hand you bring in for the hard problems junior techs escalate: network redesigns, cybersecurity hardening, server migrations, and emergency triage. 30+ years in the trenches, U.S. Navy trained, Top Rated with a 100% Job Success score. Based in the Chicago area / Northwest Indiana, with remote and on-site coverage nationwide. Where I go deep: - Networking & Security: Design, configure, and secure networks with SonicWall, Fortinet, Cisco/Meraki, UniFi/Ubiquiti, TP-Link Omada, and Netgear — firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, 2FA/MFA, site-to-site bridges. - Servers & Hosting: Nearly 30 years of cPanel/WHM, DNS, POP3/IMAP, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace; Apache/PHP/MySQL on RHEL/CentOS/AlmaLinux for reliable hosting and maximum uptime. - Systems & Cloud: Windows Server 2025, Windows 11, Linux, and macOS; Azure/Hyper-V virtualization and AWS/GCP deployments — from design through deployment and ongoing operations. - Microsoft Stack: Microsoft 365 administration and migration, Entra, Intune, and Active Directory Group Policy. Industry experience: HIPAA-compliant IT for medical/dental, Dealer Management Systems for automotive groups, secure corporate networks, and structured wiring and access control for warehouses. How I work: Precise and methodical. Project-based engagements first, hourly for smaller targeted work. I bring clear status updates and a bias toward documenting what I change, so the next person — internal or external — can pick up where I left off. I coordinate across internal IT teams, third-party vendors, and contract boards when an engagement requires it. Background: Self-taught IT professional since 1997; U.S. Navy Aircrewman, Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26), 1990–1995, earning a Navy Achievement Medal for technical expertise on a classified surveillance system. Network Operations Center engineer at eSignal/Interactive Data, 2000–2007. Founded Ateki LLC in 2002. If you need a senior consultant who can redesign a network, harden security, migrate a server room, or own the escalations your team is stuck on — and who shows up, communicates, and documents — let's talk about your project.

Networks look like a puzzle to most people. To me, they're just a problem I know how to solve. What I deliver: Network audits & optimization Design & migration - new builds, office expansion, hybrid/cloud Security hardening - ACLs, segmentation, firewall policies, VPNs Troubleshooting escalations - when your team is stuck, I step in. Root causes, not symptoms. Mentoring / on-call - fractional architect for teams without a full-time role Technical depth: Areas and stack: Routing & switching - Multi-vendor. Security - PFSense, OPNSense, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Cisco ASA/FTD, VPNs, segmentation Linux - Any distro, bash scripting, performance tuning Virtualization - Proxmox, VMware, Hyper-V, KVM Automation - Ansible, Terraform Observability - Zabbix, Splunk, SNMP, syslog Background: 30+ years in the field, 7 as a Cisco Networking Academy Manager and Instructor. I've designed large-scale enterprise networks for government, healthcare, and finance — example a maternity center where downtime isn't an option, campus networks for universities, and an airport-wide wireless solution. I've delivered security projects following both international best practices and local regulatory standards. I've trained and worked alongside engineers across Australia, New Zealand, the US, and beyond, and I learn as much from them as they do from me. I work self-paced, lead or go solo, and I'm still adding tools: Proxmox and Splunk a few years ago, Ansible and Terraform last year. This year I'm diving into AI infrastructure — GPU clusters, distributed training, high-throughput data pipelines. I'm also building deeper into Python and scripting to support automation and development from the ground up. How I work: Clear communication, no jargon. English fluent. Documentation-driven: diagrams, runbooks, handoff notes. Available 20–40 hrs/week. Fixed-price or hourly — whatever fits. Ready to solve your network puzzle? Send me an invite.

I am a CCIE-certified Network Engineer with over 14 years of experience designing, upgrading, and supporting on premise and hybrid enterprise network infrastructure across healthcare, financial services, professional services, public sector, and managed services environments. My background is rooted in deep hands-on expertise across routing and switching, data center networking, WAN architecture, and advanced troubleshooting in complex, multi-vendor environments. I have worked extensively with platforms including Cisco, Palo Alto, Infoblox, Arista, and Juniper. Throughout my career, I have led large-scale remote and hybrid deployments, stabilized critical network environments, and improved uptime, performance, and scalability across both data centers and distributed enterprise systems. I bring a strong ability to partner cross-functionally with infrastructure, security, and operations teams to deliver resilient, high-performing network solutions. CORE COMPETENCIES: ★ Data Center Architecture ★ Routing & Switching ★ SD-WAN ★ Network Security ★ WAN Architecture ★ Infrastructure Modernization ★ Advanced Troubleshooting ★ Cisco Nexus & Catalyst ★ Palo Alto / Fortinet Firewalls ★ Infoblox ★ BGP / OSPF / EIGRP ★ MPLS / DIA ★ Network Automation (Ansible) ★ High Availability & Resiliency ★ Leaf & Spine / Core & Distribution & Access TOOLS: Cisco IOS | Cisco NX-OS | Cisco Nexus (9000/7000/5000/2000) | Cisco Catalyst | Cisco ACI | Arista EOS | Juniper MX/EX | ArubaOS | Nokia OS | Cisco Meraki | BGP | OSPF | EIGRP | vPC | STP | VDC | VXLAN | EVPN | NAT | QoS | Multicast | VRF | DMVPN | IPsec | HSRP | VRRP | GLBP | LACP | LLDP | CDP | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN | Viptela SD-WAN | SilverPeak SD-WAN | MPLS | DIA | Metro Ethernet | Palo Alto | Fortinet | Cisco ASA | Cisco ISE | Cisco DNA | Wireshark | Ansible | TCL Shell | Python | SecureCRT | PuTTY | ServiceNow | Microsoft Teams | Zoom | Webex | Outlook | Visio CERTIFICATIONS: CCIE Routing & Switching #51201 | CCNP | CCDA | MCSE

Top Rated Plus, Experienced Network Engineer & Network Operations Manager With ⭐️ over a decade ⭐️ of experience in network engineering and operations, I bring a wealth of expertise to meet your business needs. As a seasoned Network Engineer, I have successfully handled clients across the globe, ensuring robust and efficient network solutions. ▶︎ PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Former Global Network Operations Manager at one of the largest BPOs worldwide. Led a team of network professionals to manage and optimize global infrastructures. ▶︎ SPECIALIZATIONS: 1. ⭐️ Unifi/Ubiquiti: Cloud gateways, routers, switches, access points, and cameras. 2. Cisco: Routers, switches, access points, firewalls (ASA and FTD), ISE, SD-WAN, DUO, and Umbrella. 3. ⭐️ VPN Expertise: AnyConnect, Secure Client, Wireguard, OpenVPN, IPSec VPN, and SSL VPN. 4. Meraki: Access points, switches, and routers. 5. Palo Alto Firewalls 6. Sonicwall Firewalls 6. Linux Servers 7. Synology NAS ▶︎ CERTIFICATIONS: ✅ CCNP ✅ CCNA Security ✅ Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt ▶︎ WHY CHOOSE ME? Proven track record of delivering high-quality network solutions. Extensive experience with a variety of network technologies and platforms. Committed to providing exceptional service and support to ensure your network's success.

With 10+ years in network infrastructure and security, I help businesses resolve the issues that stop daily operations: failed VPNs, blocked firewall traffic, unstable branches, cloud connectivity and VoIP/SIP problems. My focus is simple: find the actual root cause, restore services with minimum disruption, and avoid risky trial-and-error changes on a live network. I have supported enterprise, government, data centre and multi-site business networks using Fortinet, Cisco and other leading firewall platforms, with hybrid connectivity across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. My "Zero-Risk" Methodology Many engineers rely on "guess and check" troubleshooting. I don't. I never make blind changes on a live production network. Before altering your setup, I map your current design, analyze your routing, and review firewall policies. I always pull backups, engineer a rollback plan, and execute controlled, fully documented changes. My goal is permanent stability, not temporary patches. Core Expertise & Outcomes Delivered: Firewall & Threat Management: FortiGate, Cisco, UniFi, and MikroTik. (Comprehensive policy audits, legacy rule cleanup, and strict hardening). Complex VPN Troubleshooting: Site-to-Site, Remote-Access, IPsec, and SSL VPNs. If your tunnel is unstable or failing, I will stabilize it. Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure: AWS (VPC, Security Groups), Microsoft Azure (VNet, VPN Gateway, NSG), and Google Cloud. I build secure, seamless office-to-cloud and cloud-to-cloud bridges. VoIP/SIP Optimization: Resolving SIP registration failures, NAT traversal bugs, one-way audio, and call drops using precise QoS, Voice VLANs, and Cisco CUBE support. Advanced Routing & Switching: SD-WAN deployments, dual-ISP failover, VLANs, and comprehensive LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi troubleshooting. How We Can Partner: Emergency Troubleshooting: Rapid isolation and resolution of critical connectivity, routing, or security failures affecting your users. Network Health & Security Audits: Deep-dive reviews to identify vulnerabilities, clean up messy configurations, and provide actionable security roadmaps. Infrastructure Setups & Migrations: End-to-end planning for new branch offices, secure remote work environments, and physical security networks (CCTV/Biometrics). Retained Network Support: Dependable, on-demand escalation support for internal IT teams, MSPs, software companies, and business owners. My core technical experience includes: • FortiGate configuration, migration and troubleshooting • Cisco routers, switches, Firewall, Firepower, Voice Gateway and CUBE • Fortigate, Fortinet, Mikrotik, • IPsec, SSL and remote-access VPNs • Site-to-site VPN and multi-site connectivity • SD-WAN, dual-ISP failover and policy-based routing • VLANs, routing, NAT, DHCP, DNS and LAN/WAN troubleshooting • Firewall policy review, cleanup and security hardening • Wi-Fi, office connectivity and branch network support • AWS VPC, routing, security groups, VPN and hybrid access • Azure VNet, NSG, VPN Gateway, peering and hybrid connectivity • Google Cloud VPC, firewall rules, VPN and network access • SIP, NAT traversal, RTP, one-way audio and call-drop issues • Voice VLANs, QoS and firewall policies for voice traffic • Network diagrams, documentation and handover notes Where access permits, I take a backup, confirm the rollback plan, make controlled changes, test the traffic flow and document the result. This is especially important on production firewalls, remote branches, VPN tunnels and voice networks, where one quick change can affect another service. Let’s Secure Your Network Whether you need a one-time emergency fix, a comprehensive security audit, or ongoing support, I am here to help. Please share: Your primary firewall/hardware vendor and model. The exact issue or project scope (and any recent changes made). The number of sites or users affected. Once I understand your exact setup and the business impact, I will provide a clear, safe plan of action to get your network running flawlessly.

I’m a network engineer with over 9 years of experience in managing, optimizing, and securing complex network infrastructures in global environments. Professional Background: I offer end-to-end network solutions—from setup to optimization—designed to give your business uninterrupted performance, top-tier security, and long-term stability. Specializations: 1. Cisco Technologies (Routers, Switches, Firewalls - ASA, ISE, SD-WAN, VPN - AnyConnect) 2. Juniper (Routers and Switches) 3. Arista (Routers and Switches) 4. Meraki (Switches and Access Points) 5. Palo Alto Firewalls 6. Fortigate Firewalls 7. Linux Servers 8. VMWare vCenter Certifications: 1. CCNP Enterprise 2. CCNA Security and Data Center 3. AWS Cloud Practitioner If you’re looking for a reliable professional to manage your network, resolve technical challenges, and strengthen your infrastructure's security and efficiency, let’s connect.