Hire the Best
Network Administrators

Clients rate our Network Administrators
Rating is 4.8 out of 5.
4.8/5
Based on 3,992 client reviews
Aleksandar S.

Belgrade, Serbia

$40/hr
5.0
368 jobs
More than 20 years of working experience in networking and server administration. Administering and scripting networking applications, database applications, web applications and internet & intranet servers In position of expert engineer for networking infrastructure, IT security expert and senior linux/windows/OSX administrator In charge of designing of LAN/MAN/WAN networking infrastructure, designing and implementation of fiberoptic backbone and copper networking installation. Administration of linux servers and networking devices (switches, routers, firewalls, NAS) am in charge of more than 150 linux servers, both physical and virtual Working with L2/L3 switches, routers, firewalls, NAS devices, switching&routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, SNMP, IGRP/EIGRP, VTP, BGP). Certified Cisco and Mikrotik networking engineer. OS platforms - Red Hat/Centos, Debian/Ubuntu, Gentoo, OpenSolaris, BSD flavors, Windows, OSX Server. Networking equipment - Cisco, HP, Mikrotik, ZTE, Huawei Some of the open-source technologies and daemons I have experience with: - bash, perl and python scripting - apache/nginx web servers (standalone, or in backend mode for tomcat, with one or many virtual hosts) - mysql/postgresql database installation and administration - squid (with or without dansguardian+clamav as content filter/realtime AV) - cloud (openstack, AWS, Azure, gcloud, OVH, rackspace, digital ocean....) - snort (with BASE and Snorby as web GUI) and suricata IDS - iptables (with or without web GUI) - BIND (standalone or master/slave) - postfix (as MTA, combined with alot of different tools such as spamassassin, amavis, clamav, roundcube, postfixadmin, dovecot, cluebringer, mailgraph) - zenoss, zabbix and cacti (with plugins and OUIs) - dovecot (as pop3/imap server of choice, combined with postfix and amavis, clamav, roundcube, postfixadmin, spamassassin) - amavis (with alot of customized settings for things such as double AV scanning, DKIM support, catching of spam headers...) - spamassassin (standard and heuristic bayesian analysis, fine tuning of scoring, OCR integration, SPF integration....) - ClamAV (using both standard and unofficial virus definitions, making of 0-day virus signatures caught in the wild...) - freeradius (with MySQL backend for AAA) - samba (in all possible variatons - standalone simple CIFS sharing, member of windows AD, standalone AD controller, one of the controllers in windows AD) - pureftpd, vsftpd and proftpd (as standalone servers or with virtual users) - xen, vmware, hyperv and kvm virtualization (stock or Xenserver/Proxmox distributions) - asterisk (via Elastix linux distribution) - roundcube as preferred web-mail interface (with alot of customized plugins) - openmediavault/openfiler linux distros for NAS - HA clustering (failover based on DRBD and heartbeat/pacemaker+corosync) - NUT (daemon for UPS monitoring and controlling) - openvpn (with various configurations and backends) - pptp vpns (with various configs and backends) - all kind of linux distributions - RH, CentOS, openSuSe, Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch.... - hardening of linux distributions (iptables, fail2bain, allow/deny mechanism, AIDE, SELinux, AppArmour, occasional pen testing) - puppet automation - rancid (centralized backup of config files) - bacula, urbackup and rsync backup
  • Network Administration
  • CentOS
  • Network Security
  • System Monitoring
  • Docker
  • NGINX
  • cPanel
  • MySQL
  • Varnish Cache
  • Linux System Administration
  • Postfix SMTP Server
  • MikroTik RouterOS
  • Citrix Hypervisor
  • Plesk
  • Cluster Computing
Olexiy B.

Zaporozhye, Ukraine

$45/hr
5.0
113 jobs
I'm UNIX/Linux System Administrator and DevOps engineer with 20 years experience. I have in setting up and managing servers, optimizing them for best performance and security aspects. I have expertise with setting up baremetal servers of various brands via IP KVM, IPMI, DELL DRAC, HP ILO. I'm working with virtualization platforms such as - VMWare, XEN, KVM, Microsoft Hyper-V, VirtualBOX. I'm working with cloud solutions as Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure I have set up and manage web servers using Apache/NGINX, configure HA clusters by using NGINX, Haproxy. The database servers administration MySQL, MariaDB, Percona, Oracle. Also, I have strong knowledge and experience with Windows Server various editions and Windows Dekstop platforms (Windows 10/11) I have great knowledge and strong experience with VPN technologies OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, Wireguard. Very good knowledge and experience in troubleshooting.
  • Network Administration
  • NGINX
  • Amazon Web Services
  • DNS
  • FreeBSD
  • Iptables
  • Firewall
  • Apache Administration
  • MySQL
  • VMware Administration
  • Windows Administration
  • VPN
  • OpenVPN
  • Linux System Administration
Muhammad Yousuf K.

Karachi, Pakistan

$25/hr
5.0
51 jobs
✅ 16+ Years of Experience in Cloud & System Administration, DevOps, Cloud Architecture & Security ✅ Expert in Project Planning, Deployment & Client Engagement ✅ Specialist in Migrations, Federation, SSO & Cloud Formation ✅ DevOps Pro with Kubernetes (EKS/AKS/Rancher), Docker & Automation ✅ Certified in AWS, Azure & GCP – Strong Multi-Cloud Expertise ✅ Hybrid / Public / Private Cloud Architect – Linux & Windows Expert ✅ Cloud Security Design & Compliance Strategist ✅ Web Hosting Expert – WHM/cPanel, DNS, Email, Monitoring ✅ Multi-Tier Clustering – ZFS, CEPH, NFS, iSCSI, DRBD ✅ High Availability, Auto-Scaling, Load Balancing – Cloud Ready ✅ Disaster Recovery & Backup Automation Specialist ✅ Office 365, Google Workspace & Email Server Guru ✅ Firewall, VPN, Routing, and DDoS Security Expert ✅ Network Architecture, Design & Implementation Specialist ✅ Advanced Bash Scripting & System Automation ✅ Fluent English, Fast Communication, Vendor & Customer Friendly ✅ Flexible Availability Across Time Zones – Quick Response Time
  • Network Administration
  • WordPress
  • Firewall
  • Proxmox VE
  • Solution Architecture
  • Linux System Administration
  • Information Technology Operations
  • Network Security
  • MySQL
  • Git
  • Puppet
  • CI/CD
  • DevOps
  • Cloud Engineering
  • Jenkins
Vitalii F.

Batumi, Georgia

$45/hr
5.0
42 jobs
As a senior linux system administrator with over 24 years of experience, my objective is to utilize my expertise in managing, maintaining and troubleshooting complex Linux-based systems to enhance organizational growth and ensure high availability of services. My exceptional problem-solving skills, coupled with my ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, make me an asset to any organization seeking to leverage the power of Linux systems to streamline operations and drive business success.
  • Network Administration
  • Linux
  • NGINX
  • System Monitoring
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Linux System Administration
  • Performance Optimization
  • Cloud Management
  • Cloud Computing
  • Database Optimization
  • Database Administration
  • High Availability and Disaster Recovery
  • LEMP Stack
  • Firewall
  • VPN
Jonathan B.

Long Beach, United States

$100/hr
5.0
41 jobs
I am a seasoned, dedicated, and dependable IT Professional with a diverse background. I've done everything from pulling network cable and terminating ends to managing an entire enterprise IT department. Whether you are looking for expert assistance with your servers, network, storage, phone system, applications, databases, or code, I am here to help! I've been in IT for over 15 years and have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars by using my skills to automate tasks, improve processes, implement new technology, and increase productivity. I have a knack for developing dynamic code, which increases the overall effectiveness of the projects I complete. You can count on me to strive to exceed expectations to ensure my work is a blessing to the people affected by it.
  • Network Administration
  • Microsoft Exchange Server
  • Microsoft Active Directory
  • Office 365
  • VMWare
  • Cisco CallManager
  • Oracle APEX
  • Oracle PLSQL
  • Scripting
  • Email Deliverability
  • Windows Administration
  • Cisco Meraki
  • VMware Administration
  • Cloud Architecture
  • Microsoft Azure
Mikel S.

Tirana, Albania

$35/hr
5.0
39 jobs
Experienced System and Network Engineer with several years of experience on different fields, environments and projects. Master of Science in Computer Sciences On site working experience in different countries (Albania, Italy, present in Germany) Successfully performed with great results and professionalism various startups and offered the best solutions for various companies and clients Several years of experience on Windows Server environments starting from Windows Server 2008 and all the latest editions till now in Office 365 Cloud environment. Several years of experience on Linux Systems (Centos, Ubuntu, Redhat). Offering the most up to date solutions for your needs: On premise and cloud solutions and consulting Disaster recovery solutions (Backups and restore, redundancy, HA) Logging and Monitoring Solutions Asset Management Security consultant (ISO27001, C5 Cloud Security) Working with passion and responsibility for every request from the easiest one to the most complex ones. Always available, high response time, and support for every question.
  • Network Administration
  • Windows Server
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Firewall
  • IT Service Management
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • IT Asset Management
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • Jira
  • JAMF
  • Network Monitoring
  • Atlassian Crowd
  • Linux System Administration
  • Asset Management

How it works

Post a job for free Post a job

Tell us what you need. Create your own job post or generate one with AI then filter talent matches.

Hire top talent fast

Consult, interview, and hire quickly, so you can meet the freelancers you're excited about.

Collaborate easily

Use Upwork to chat or video call, share files, and track project progress right from the app.

Payment simplified

Manage payments in one place with flexible billing options. Only pay for approved work, hourly or by milestone.

Don't just take our word for it

Hire anyone,
anywhere.

Sign up for free

Write a Job Description to Hire Network Administrators

Maintaining all the technology behind the scenes that makes an organization run is no small feat. IT needs fluctuate, change, and need constant monitoring and tweaking to stay at peak performance, which means it’s crucial to have a seasoned network administrator. This professional can ensure all these components—servers, data storage, Internet connections, user accounts, security protocols, email providers, firewalls, and more—are working in harmony like a well-oiled machine.

A network is your business’s lifeblood; when it goes down, so does your ability to be productive and provide a service to your customers. Ideally, you want a network that’s optimized to do what you need when you need it, with minimal downtime—and a network administrator is the professional trained to maintain that architecture for you.

“A system administrator is an essential member of a well-functioning company. System administrators ensure that all IT assets of a business work effectively, serving company employees best and streamlining company operations.” – System Administrator, A Secret Weapon to Keep a Software Company Organized

Businesses of all sizes need the help of a network admin at one point or another to maintain or expand their networks. And as businesses grow and change, so do requirements from their networks. While there are day-to-day tasks and incident response needs associated with network administration, you may need a dedicated network administrator for specific scenarios, whether that’s to help you scale up, overhaul, or switch services.

No matter what level of help you need, hiring a freelance network administrator is a cost-effective way to generate stability within your organization and help you develop confidence that the core of your business communication and data sharing will be reliable in times of high use and stress. Here’s a quick overview of what a network admin does and some tips for writing a job description that helps you find the best one for your needs.

Related:

What does a network administrator do?

Network administration specialists are highly trained computer information technologists with plenty of experience in maintaining, securing and diagnosing business networks.

A network administrator can provide your organization or business with a variety of services, whether they’re day-to-day, incident-based, or general improvements. What you need from a network admin will depend on the current phase of your network’s life cycle, whether it’s scaling up to meet new bandwidth requirements or in response to a recent security breach. They can include:

  • Network maintenance, and expansion
  • On-site server management and/or servers deployed in the cloud
  • Regular updates and maintenance to software, security systems, and software licenses
  • Security—which can include firewalls, email filters, vulnerability and penetration testing, installing and updating security systems, training users on best practices, etc.
  • System monitoring (for performance, security breaches, and data management practices)
  • Setting up users, email accounts, security protocols, endpoint security, etc.
  • Specific server operating systems (e.g., Windows, Cisco, etc.)
  • Wireless network implementation and communication protocols
  • Router management
  • Hardware updates and implementation, if required

Many organizations use an incident tracking system to flag, prioritize, and delegate network issues that need resolving. Depending on the size of the organization, network administration can be a sole person’s responsibility or can be divided up between people and teams.

A note about certifications

There are a number of industry-recognized certifications for systems/network administration that make it easier to note the skill level of a potential professional such as CompTIA certifications, Cisco certifications, and Microsoft Certified Solutions certifications. A good network admin won’t need to have all of these, but having up-to-date ones is a good indicator they’ve got current skills and will be able to help you set up a future-proof network, not one that will be outdated and prone to failure, requiring you to hire another network admin to make fixes behind them.

Defining your network administrator project

The first thing you should nail down is what you need the network admin to do. As mentioned above, what you need from a network administrator is going to largely depend on the size of your network and where yit is in its life cycle. Do you have an existing network but are experiencing some performance issues? If so, you’ll want a network administrator to run an audit that assesses the health of your system and to then provide a plan for upgrading, augmenting, and expanding your hardware and software to beef up bandwidth. You might just need a network pro to troubleshoot some issues, or update a few systems. Or, do you need a network admin to handle day-to-day support tickets?

Provide a full list of all of the hardware, systems, software and security measures you currently have in place. If possible, generate a report about network traffic, performance, and how many servers, offices, and end users you have. Give as much detail as you can (e.g., is your system LAN?); this will paint a picture of what the network admin will be working with, and provide context around your project description. Finally, briefly explain your goals. What do you need their help accomplishing? What are your end goals—better performance, better security, more bandwidth?

Finally, you’ll probably want to specify for certifications to make sure they’re qualified and their skills are up to date. Good ones to look for include Cisco CCIE, Cisco CCNP, and CompTIA Network+. While not mandatory, these help ensure you’re getting a network admin who’s using the newest best practices. If you’re setting up a new network from scratch, filtering out the “old dogs with old tricks” will ensure your network is future proofed—not merely a functional but outdated network that’s likely prone to failure.

Writing a network administrator project description

Now that you’ve clearly defined your project deliverables, it’s time to write your network administrator project description. The description will determine the quality of the system administrator you’ll attract, so be sure to include as much context and detail as possible.

Be clear and succinct in your title and include any relevant technology they should know in order to work within your system. If you have enough information to provide a set list of deliverables, include those with any hard and fast deadlines you may have. Also, provide information about how you’ll give the professional access to your systems.

Note: For security reasons, you may choose to be vague or open-ended when describing your project, which is fine—just be sure to provide enough context so the candidate knows if he or she is a good fit up front, and can respond with a detailed enough proposal.

Sample Project Description

Below is a sample of how a project description may look. Keep in mind that many people use the term “job description,” but a full job description is only needed for employees. When engaging a freelancer as an independent contractor, you typically just need a statement of work, job post, or any other document that describes the work.

Title: [Certified] Network Administrator Needed to Help Expand and Integrate Existing Network & Overhaul/Upgrade Security Protocols for Merger

Description:

We are a medium-sized (~115) advertising and PR agency that recently acquired a small pharmaceutical ad agency to ramp up our existing healthcare expertise and offerings. Our existing network is at capacity for users and data and has experienced some lags in performance lately. With our new acquisition, we’re looking to add more servers, expand our bandwidth, onboard the new users and integrate their data into our system. Most importantly, we’ll need to implement some new, tighter security measures to protect the sensitive data and communications of our new pharma clients.

Project Scope & Deliverables:

We need an assessment of our current system, a detailed plan for an overhaul of our architecture, and detailed suggestions for a new system. The merger will be finalized EOY ‘17 so we’d like to have an actionable plan in place and assistance with day-of migration of their systems to ours.

Additional: If phase one goes well, we’d love help with planning and implementing an employee training program on email, internet, device and data security best practices as we onboard new talent.

About Us:

We are Paddock Partners, a medium-sized PR and advertising firm with a growing specialty in healthcare and pharmaceutical advertising. Our recent acquisition of HealthStar Marketing will make us a fully equipped healthcare marketing agency able to take on high-profile drug and pharma clients with education, launch, OPDP approval, and more.

View less