Highly skilled network architect and engineer with over 20 years experience on various Cisco and Arista platforms integrating datacenter technologies. Bring me in if you're looking for an extra set of eyes on a complex infrastructure project. I provide perspective and a different point of view. I'll push your vendors to identify weak points or incompatibles before purchasing. I can help run Proof of Concepts. I can help troubleshoot problems within existing infrastructure. My most successful contracts have been with companies looking for someone that their engineering staff can us as a resource. I build relationships with your engineers. I joined UpWork to connect with companies that would like access to a non-partial Senior level Network Architect and Engineer without having to hire one full time. Areas of strength - Datacenter switching - 100gb MLAG/VPC, leaf/spine architectures - VXLAN with an EVPN control plane for layer2 extension to multiple datacenters. - Internet connectivity - Multicarrier BGP active/active failover - F5 Global and Local load balancing - DNS / DHCP deployment options - Campus networking - User wired/wireless connectivity with dot1X port authentication/authorization and machine posture - Cisco ISE and Aruba ClearPass - Controller and cloud based wireless technologies - Guest access control and auditing

Let's discuss how I can enhance your security posture. Certifications: 3x Fortinet FCSS - SDWAN & Network Security / Zero Trust / Public Cloud 3x AWS - Solutions Architect / Advanced Networking / Security Speciality Cisco CCNA and Cisco IOT SM Skills: Secure Enterprise Network Advanced SDWAN Configuration Fortinet SDWAN and FortiManager Templates ZTNA Public Cloud Security Directory and Authentication Systems SIEM technology Advanced Technical Support and Troubleshooting

As a certified IT and Network professional with 12 years of experience, I offer top-notch services to ensure your IT infrastructure runs smoothly and securely. Certified CCNP, HCIE,VCP, CompTIA Security,Huawei Cloud, ISC2 Cybersecurity, Fortinet Firewall Administrator. Services I Offer: 1. IT Consultancy, Network Design, Equipment Planning, Business Proposals, Network Analysis, Pre Sales of IT Solutions, Project Delivery & Management. 2. Full network setup and configuration of servers,routers,switches,firewalls, load balancers and cloud platforms. 3. Network security assessment and enhancement 4. VPN setup for secure remote access 5. Server installation and maintenance 6. Troubleshooting and technical support 7. Cloud integration and migration Hands-on : Cisco,Fortinet,Huawei,Juniper,Ubiquiti,Palo Alto,Splunk,IBM,DrayTek,TP-Link,H3C,Nokia IT Elements: Routers,Switches,WLAN,Firewalls,SIEM/SOAR,Network Monitoring & Controllers, VMs,OS IT Domain: IP Core, SD-WAN,Enterprise WLAN/LAN/WAN , Site to Multi-site, IT/Telco Datacenter Please get in touch if you think my background can be helpful to you.

IT Expert with 8+ years of experience in Managing Windows and Linux-based server infrastructures, Network security and administration, and software solutions. Here are some major services on which I am working: ☑️- Server Administration : ✔️ Windows server : Intune , ADDC, DNS, DHCP, WSUS, Group Policy Management, RDP Server, WDS Server, IIS Server, MS Exchange Server, MS SharePoint, MS Office 365, MS One Drive, MS Teams, File Server (NAS & SAN) , FTP, NTP and many more ✔️ Linux Server : SAMBA ADDC LDAP, SAMBA File Server, DNS, DHCP, Mail Servers (Zimbra, PMTA, Send grid, Squirrel mail, Roundcube). Web Servers (Tomcat, apache, nginx, light speed), MySQL, MariaDB, Postgres, FTP, NTP, Ticketing tools (Manage engine, OS ticket, OTRS Ticket, Citrix XenApp, JIRA, Service now), Monitoring Tools ( Check_mk, Syslog, Nagios, Cacti, ELK Stack, Zabbix, PRTG), IDS Server ( OSSEC, WAZUH, SNORT, Suricata, BRO, Tripwire, Security Onion), DLP/Encryption/ Threat Prevention Server ( Symantec, Sophos, McAfee), Threat Intelligence server (MISP, Mitre, OpenCTI), The Hive with Cortex, ArcSight Server, Dialer Server ( VCdialer, go autodialer, ViciBox, Altitude Dialer), Virtaul Hypervisor ( VMware ESXi, Proxomox, Virtual Box, VMware Workstation), GenieACS TR-069 remote management server, Vulnerability Assessment Scanner Tools (OpenVAS, Nessus Professional, Wireshark, Comodo cWatch, Tripwire IP360) , SonarQube Code analysis Tool, NXfilter URL Filtering tool and Many More.. ☑️- Network Administration: Key Network Skills & Security Products Experience: o Firewall – Checkpoint, Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, Fortigate, Sophos, o Router & Switches : Cisco, Mikrotik, Ubiquiti, Netgear, Aruba o Intrusion Detection & prevention – Cisco, Checkpoint, Sophos o Switching: Vlan, Inter Vlan, Stp, Vtp, EtherChannel, Switch Port o Configuration and troubleshooting of routing protocols OSPF, RIP, EIGRP, BGP o Setup of security implementations (Filtering Tool ACL, route map, port security.) o Well versed in the operations, configuring, and troubleshooting of various issues in Checkpoint and Cisco, Mikrotik, Ubiquiti, Netgear & and Aruba Devices. o Checkpoint IPSec VPN Blade, Application & URL filtering Blade, IPS Blades, o Configuration & troubleshooting of IPSEC and S2S VPN ☑️- Information Security I help organizations stay compliant with all the important standards like PCI DSS, HIPPA, ISO 27001, GDPR, FISMA, and GLBA. In addition to these compliances, I also help companies with Information Security Assessments and Penetration and vulnerability Testing for identifying loopholes in their security infrastructure and BCP/DR consulting for building programs to stay ahead of future security incidents. ☑️- Cloud Solutions: I Help organizations to deploy their services on AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure cloud & Freshservices. Projects not for me: ✖Asking to hack/crack/access someone else accounts, systems, social media, etc

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.

I am an IT professional with experience in several domains. I work approximately 25 hours per week for a manufacturing company, managing infrastructure, and allocate time to honing my skills within the freelance market. One of the managers I have worked with calls me a "Truffle Pig" meaning I enjoy rooting out problems and finding solutions. "Let's transform your IT challenges into opportunities. Message me to begin the conversation!" Key Skills: IT Infrastructure Management Cloud Deployment (VMWare, Hyper-V) Network Engineering (Cisco, EMC) Systems Administration (Windows & UNIX) Project Design & Implementation Troubleshooting & Problem-Solving Below is an overview of my background and experience. I provide services as an IT Systems and Network Engineer and Administrator. With over 29 years of experience spanning a wide range of skills, including project design and implementation, I have experience working in both Windows and UNIX environments. My background covers general IT knowledge, with ongoing efforts to expand my skillset. I have worked with various vendors, particularly those specializing in medical and enterprise systems. My experience includes troubleshooting, research, and providing support across different teams. Project Highlights: • Led deployment of private cloud and IT system upgrades; served as subject matter expert. Functioned as Systems/Network Administrator for a public health district hospital, responsible for setup, automation, and monitoring of a private cloud environment. • Managed transition from legacy systems to new infrastructure; deployed and administered monitoring and management systems; handled special projects, including testing and deploying new systems, addressing longstanding issues, and overhauling monitoring and asset tracking systems. Oversaw transitions to a High Availability “A side/B side/C remote BDR” Data Center design, resulting in improved system reliability and reduced manpower needs. • Served as consultant for a public health district hospital to deploy a private cloud. • Deployed and configured a private cloud based on Cisco UCS/EMC VNX/Hyper-V/VMWare VSPEX reference platform for a regional hospital. Collaborated with employees and vendors to complete the project and was later retained to improve existing IT systems (including SNMP monitoring, Syslog, Helpdesk, security, and maintenance automation). These changes enhanced network reliability and reduced management effort. • Managed cloud-based application development projects as project manager and technical lead. • Acted as Systems Administrator/Engineer for deployment and integration of cloud-based applications with mobile and local systems. Researched, selected, and integrated cloud-based products to create an IT services management solution using Autotask, N-Able, QuickBooks, StoreGrid, and Channel Online for an MSP provider. The final implementation addressed quoting, ticketing, purchasing, billing, and time management, involving collaboration with consultants and technicians for integration and training. • Oversaw replacement of existing PACS/RIS solution with RAMSoft PACS/RIS solution. • Coordinated with multiple vendors and providers to facilitate hardware removal and installation, as well as software integration across eleven vendors. Completion occurred on schedule and within budget, with minimal impact on office operations. Managed HIPAA meaningful use EMR and specialty procedure management system upgrades and deployments. • Led upgrade and deployment of multiple VMWare server solutions for specialty medical offices. • Solutions incorporated various hardware and software, such as Windows Server, Small Business Server, SQL, Linux, VMWare, Proxmox, Cisco hardware, Qnap, HP, Dell, and StoreGrid. Supported medical software including GE Centricity EMR and Practice Management, GMed GGastro, Maximeyes, Paragon among others. Determined optimal upgrade paths, reducing project costs while meeting client requirements. Utilized VMWare and redundant servers to reduce costs by more than 30%, maintaining performance and reliability. Delivered a complete solution with email server and backup/disaster recovery at lower cost compared to competitor estimates. Identified and addressed key performance bottlenecks to ensure responsive, reliable local and offsite backup and disaster recovery systems.

Services: • Network Infrastructure Design & Implementation: Complete network architecture planning, equipment selection, and deployment for enterprise-grade systems with high availability requirements. • Network Security Assessment & Penetration Testing: Authorized security evaluations, vulnerability identification, and remediation planning to strengthen your network's defense posture. • Firewall Configuration & Management: Expert implementation and optimization of Fortinet, Cisco ASA, Juniper SRX, and Palo Alto firewall systems with advanced security policies. • VPN Design & Deployment: Site-to-site and remote access VPN solutions using IPSec, SSL, and advanced encryption protocols for secure connectivity. • Network Troubleshooting & Break-Fix: Rapid diagnosis and resolution of complex network issues, performance problems, and connectivity failures across multi-vendor environments. • Compliance Readiness Services: HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2, and regulatory framework assessments with documentation and implementation guidance for audit preparation. • Wireless Network Solutions: RF site surveys, access point optimization, 802.1x authentication implementation, and enterprise WiFi deployments. • Network Monitoring & Performance Optimization: 24/7 monitoring system implementation using SNMP, Solarwinds, and custom alerting for proactive issue resolution. • Cloud Network Engineering: Hybrid cloud connectivity, AWS/Azure integration, and secure cloud migration planning with proper network segmentation. • Network Documentation & Standards: Complete network documentation creation, configuration standards development, and technical knowledge transfer. A bit about me: I'm a Senior Network Security Engineer with 25+ years of enterprise experience and a passion for translating complex technical concepts into clear business solutions. With Fortinet NSE7, Cisco CCNP, and Juniper JNCIA certifications, I bring deep expertise in securing and optimizing network infrastructure for mission-critical environments. Background: I've designed and deployed networks for major enterprises, including Snap Inc., Fortinet Inc., InfoSpace, and Costco Wholesale, managing everything from global campus networks to multi-datacenter deployments across continents. I work with clients ranging from cold storage logistics to emergency response services requiring 99.999% uptime. My experience includes leading data center consolidations, managing teams and budgets, and implementing enterprise security frameworks. I've successfully migrated infrastructure to AWS, deployed networks in China, and managed SeaTac Airport's WiFi infrastructure transition. Technical Platforms: • Security Platforms: Fortinet (FortiGate, FortiNAC, FortiSASE, FortiEMS), Palo Alto Networks, Juniper SRX, Cisco ASA/FWSM • Network Infrastructure: Cisco Nexus (N5K, N7K), Ruckus/Extreme switches, F5 Load Balancers (LTM, GTM, APM), Aruba Wireless • Monitoring & Management: Solarwinds (NPM, NCM, APM), Infoblox (DDI, IPAM), FortiManager, Algosec, Wireshark, TCPDump • Cloud & Authentication: AWS networking, PKI (MS Cert CA, NPS), 802.1x, Free Radius, SNMP (v1, 2c, v3) Certifications include: Cisco CCNA, CCNP, Fortinet NSE4, NSE5, CWNA, Ekahau ECSE Design, Juniper JNCIA, and ITIL Foundations. I specialize in environments where network reliability is critical, combining enterprise-level security practices with practical implementation approaches that make sense for your business. Let's discuss your network challenges and develop solutions that actually work.

🥇 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭% 𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 | 💰 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝟮𝘅–𝟱𝘅 | 📈 𝟮𝟮𝟬+ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 | ⚡ 𝟵𝟵.𝟵𝟵% 𝗨𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 | 🚀 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗩𝗠𝘀 | 𝗣𝗕-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 | 🧠 𝟮𝟬+ 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 | 🎯 𝟲𝗸+ 𝗨𝗽𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 | ❌ 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 | 📩 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟰𝗵 I help companies cut infrastructure costs 2x by migrating from expensive cloud and SaaS solutions to efficient private cloud environments built on Proxmox and Ceph. Whether you're paying too much for cloud, struggling with scaling, or dealing with unstable infrastructure - I design and implement systems that are faster, cheaper, and easier to manage. I work with high-load production environments: clusters with 1000+ VMs, petabyte-scale storage, and fully automated infrastructure. What I can help you with: • Reduce cloud and infrastructure costs by 50–80% using Proxmox-based private cloud • Migrate from VMware, AWS, or other platforms to cost-efficient infrastructure • Build and optimize Ceph storage (RBD, CephFS, S3) for performance and reliability • Fix performance issues, instability, or scaling problems in existing clusters • Design HA architecture with backup and disaster recovery • Automate infrastructure using Puppet and provisioning pipelines Typical problems I solve: • Infrastructure costs are too high and keep growing • Cloud bills are unpredictable • Ceph clusters are slow, unstable, or constantly rebalancing • Proxmox clusters break, failover doesn’t work, or nodes drop • Backup systems are unreliable or too slow • Monitoring systems (Zabbix) overloaded and ineffective Why clients work with me: • 20+ years in enterprise infrastructure • 200+ real-world projects (not lab setups) • Experience with large-scale production systems • Focus on measurable results: cost reduction, stability, scalability Technologies I use: Proxmox VE, Ceph, Zabbix, Puppet, BGP, VPN, HA clusters, Backup & DR systems If your infrastructure is getting expensive, slow, or hard to manage — I can fix it or rebuild it properly.

I am a Dynamic, Dedicated, Passionate and Quickly Adaptable Freelancer with Technological innovations. I am a 🏅Upwork-Skill-Certified Freelancer with ✅100% JSS ✅ 70%+ Long-Term Clients ✅ 80%+ Clients Recommendation ✅ 90+ Active and Completed Jobs with Positive Feedback🏅Architect Certified on Sophos, Fortinet Firewalls and Endpoints Managements ✅ Others Certification on Network and Security✅ Strong and long Experiences on Fortinet, Sophos, SonicWall, Palo-Alto, PFSense Infrastructures Deployments, Migration and Managements✅ Any kinds of Wireless and Voice Solution Deployments✅ Network, System Security & Compliance Managements✅ Strong Experience on Routing & Switching🏦 Long-Experience with MSP, Corporate and Solution/Service-Provider Sectors. 🏦 Already worked with 90+ clients from different regions such as Asia, Africa, US, Europe etc. 🎖️Certifications (Completed & Enrolled) • Upwork Skill Certification - Customer Service. • Certified Architect by Sophos and Fortinet. 🏅 Sophos Certifications: • Sophos-Firewall v19.5-Engineer. • Sophos Firewall v19.5-Architect. • Sophos Firewall v19.5 to v20.0 Certified Architect Delta (AU80). • Sophos Firewall v19.5 to v20.0 Certified Engineer Delta (EU80). • Sophos Firewall v20.0 to v21.0 Certified Architect Delta (AU80). • Sophos Central Endpoint and Server v4.0-Engineer. • Central Endpoint and Server v4.0-Architect. • Sophos Central Endpoint v4.0 to v5.0 Architect Delta (AU15). • Sophos Central Engineer Delta v4.0 to v5.0 (EU15). 🏅 Fortinet Certifications: • NSE-7 (Network Security Architect) –NSE-ID:- 0Qjbf0qGSd • NSE-4 (Network Security Professional) – NSE-ID:- GThFxY1viO • NSE-5 (Network Security Analyst) on FortiAnalyzer- NSE-ID: - 8gIRCniwPN. • NSE-1 (Network Security Associate) By Fortinet License Number: OYBF7cetpL. • NSE-2 (Network Security Associate) By Fortinet License Number: FTsFjlmHck. 🏅 Other Certification: • CNSS (Certified Network Security Specialist) By ICSI, UK License Number: 18427811 • Cisco Certified Network Associate (Routing & Switching) Cisco-ID: - CSCO13303817 Here, I would like to share my Working experiences, fields of expertise and much more- ✅ I have 9 years plus hands-on experiences on Network, System, Security administration, Deployment and Migrations on different Infrastructures along with direct involvements/cooperation on different known issues from Deployment stage to end-user’s support. ✅ Fields of Specialization: 1. Because of having 9 years plus exclusive experiences on different Fortinet, Sophos, SonicWall, PFSense, Palo-Alto and other Infrastructures Deployments and Administration I can work with the Complete Design, Deployments, Migrations and Integrations on these Different types of Infrastructures such as- • Fortigate, Forti-APs, Forti-Switches, FortiVoice-Enterprise, Forti-Manager, Forti-EMS,FortiAnalyzer, FortiAuthenticator, FortiNAC, Fortinet Security Fabric Devices, FortiSandbox, FortiToken/Mobile/Service. • Sophos Infrastructures Managements such Firewalls, Endpoints, Switches, APs etc. • SonicWALL Infrastructures Managements such as Firewalls, NSM, Capture-Clients Endpoints etc. • Palo-Alto, Barracuda, PfSense, Cisco-Firepower, Firepower-Thread Defence and FMC and Others Firewalls Managements. • Migration To/From any of these above Infrastructures. 3. Long experiences on the Network and System Administration on these Infrastructures- • Routing & Switching on Cisco, Mikrotik, Juniper, HP, Dell, Aruba etc. • Wireless Implementation on Cisco, Aruba, Ruckus, 4Ipnet, Unifi/Ubiquiti, Forti-AP, Cambium, Altai, TP-Link-Omada, Teltonika etc. • Mail-Server Administration on Office365, G-Suite by Google, Zimbra etc. • Windows Server Managements. • Virtualization & Datacentre Managements on VMware, ESXi, vSphere or VCenter, Hyper-V, Synology-NAS/SAN and Others. • Voice Solution implementation on renowned Voice Solution Providers such as FortiVoice Enterprise, Grandstream, 3cX, Synway, Yeastar-PBX, FreePBX etc. • Endpoint Solution Deployments on TrendMicro, Sophos Endpoint Protection, FortiClient by Forti-EMS (Endpoint Management Server), ESET etc. • Complete Video Conferencing Solution on Dahua, Polycom etc. • Surveillance, Attendance reader solution on Hikvision, Dahua, ZKTecho, Handuri etc. 4. I am a quick and dynamic learner. I can adjust myself with the Technological innovation within a very short amount of time. 5. I am a technical person with a Never Give-Up character. I have multiples valuable feedback with great reviews on Upwork. You can also have a look at that. If you have any further query on me just send "Hi" in Upwork.

Hi, My name is Zafar. I am a System and Network Engineer have 15+ years of hands-on working experience and Certified in -CCNA -CCNP -MCSE -Hyper-V -Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Highly skilled and results-oriented Network Administrator with 15 years of hands-on experience in managing and optimizing network infrastructures. Proven expertise in firewalls Fortinet, SonicWALL, Sophos, PfSense, network switches Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, HP, Ruckus, H3C, Ubiquity,Unifi and access points Cisco, Ruckus, Ubiquiti/UniFI zabbix. Proficient in VPN, routing and switching, and various protocols from layer 2 to layer 7. Committed to delivering robust and secure network solutions. zabbix network monitoring. As a skilled System Administrator, I have strong background and expertise in OpenStack Cloud Computing, HAProxy, Keepalived, CEPH, ZFS, Proxmox, HCI, kubernetes k8s, virtualization, Docker and Opensource Platform. With a strong background in designing, implementing, and managing complex infrastructure solutions, I am dedicated to delivering high-performance systems that optimize efficiency and ensure seamless operations and zabbix. I have strong Expertise in following Routing & Switching Topology Design and Configuration Layer2 & Layer3 Protocols Fortinet Sonicwall FirePro Firewalls Cisco Switch, Cisco Access points, ASA Ruckus Switch , Ruckus WiFi, Ruckus Controller HP Aruba Switch, Aruba Access Points, WiFi controller H3c Switches, TPlink, Brocade, Huawei ubiquiti UniFi switch, ubiquiti UniFi UDM Pro, ubiquiti UniFi USG, ubiquiti UniFi Access Points, ubiquiti UniFi Controller Windows Server Administration DNS, DHCP, Group Policies Active Directory Hyper-V Linux Administration Opnstack HAproxy Keepalived Pacemaker Docker Kubernaties (K8s, K3s) KVM CEPH ZFS File system Proxmox Rancher Zabbix, Nagios VMware Nextcloud LDAP Mysql, MariaDB Python zabbix