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Level III IT Consultant that works for other MSPs and IT Consultants. Self-taught IT professional with over 30 years of network administration experience, including almost 30 years specializing in both Windows Server based LAN/WAN and Red Hat Enterprise Linux derivative LAN/WAN networks. I have over 25 years experience with website hosting, cPanel/WHM, and LTS Linux distribution server management. I bring decades of expertise in delivering IT services for a wide range of clients. I have relevant experience in network design, cybersecurity, web development, server management, cloud solutions, and more. I have worked with startups, nonprofits, corporations, government, enterprise, and numerous small businesses in a wide variety of sectors. I am based in the Chicago area and offer remote and on-site support nationwide. I skillfully coordinate projects with daily client commitments, ensuring high standards, timely delivery, and clear communication, delivering results that boost efficiency and profitability. I primarily stick to Level III IT consulting work and I am very selective when accepting contracts. Specializations: - Networking & Security: Expertise in SonicWall, Cisco, Meraki, Fortinet, UniFi/Ubiquiti, Netgear, TP-Link/Omada, etc. I configure firewalls, switches, bridges, Wi-Fi, VPNs, 2FA/MFA, etc. for secure, scalable networks that protect and empower businesses. - Almost 30 years managing cPanel/WHM servers, handling DNS, POP3/IMAP mail, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Apache/PHP/MySQL on RHEL, CentOS, and AlmaLinux for reliable hosting and maximum uptime. - Microsoft: Skilled from DOS/Windows 3 to modern Windows 11 & Server 2025, with Microsoft 365 administration and migration expertise for seamless operations. Relevant experience with Entra, Intune, and Active Directory Group Policy implementation and integration. - Long time user of the Apple ecosystem. From Mac OS 8 to macOS Tahoe, iOS, iPadOS, etc. - Server Management: Physical/virtual server virtualization, automated backups, scripting to streamline deployments, reduce costs. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, etc. - Cloud & Emerging Tech: Azure/Hyper-V migrations, IoT integration for scalable, innovative solutions that drive growth. Industry Experience: - Medical/Dental: Delivered HIPAA-compliant IT for secure data management, compliance. - Automotive: Support for Dealer Management Systems, optimizing sales/service operations. - Corporate Offices: Secure networks, cybersecurity for productivity, reliability. - Warehouses: Access control, structured wiring for connectivity, safety. - Small Businesses/Remote: Tailored IT for scalability, cost-efficiency, growth. What I Offer: - Design/secure networks for reliability, scalability, growth. - Manage cPanel/WHM for seamless hosting (DNS, mail, Apache/PHP/MySQL). - Virtualize servers to optimize resources, cut costs. - Strengthen cybersecurity with modern tools, best practices. - Automate server tasks to save time, streamline operations. - Consult and train individual IT professionals for enhanced productivity and performance. Business & Leadership: As a freelancer, I optimize IT systems, streamline processes, and deliver measurable outcomes. My self-taught expertise enables rapid learning and system redesign for efficiency, with a client-focused approach. I adapt to each project’s needs, ensuring solutions align with business goals through clear communication and reliable execution, building trust with every deliverable. Military Experience: Decorated U.S. Navy veteran (Operation Desert Shield/Storm), served 5 years with Patrol Squadron 26 (P-3C Orion), earning a Navy Achievement Medal for technical expertise. This discipline drives my precision, reliability, and commitment to excellence in every project. Rates & Availability: - UpWork: I primarily use Microsoft Teams, but also have GoTo Meeting. I can support Zoom and have a ConnectWise ScreenConnect account via my company, Ateki LLC. My office, which is a small podcasting studio, uses several Windows 11 workstations connected with Mouse without Borders for seamless workflow. My hourly rate on UpWork varies by my current client workload. - On-Site Services: I travel regularly for clients and client projects. I charge a flat rate of $225 per hour (or $1,800 per day) plus expenses. Initial payments for small jobs are fifty percent of the labor and one hundred percent of expected expenses in advance.

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.

Versatile and strategic IT Leader and Systems Engineer with a proven track record of directing technology operations, strategy, and security across diverse, high-stakes sectors including finance, education, and managed IT services. Adept at building and leading high-performing teams, driving significant cost reductions and revenue growth, and architecting resilient, enterprise-level infrastructure. An expert in incident management, disaster recovery, and aligning technology with overarching business goals to ensure operational excellence and security.

I’m a Senior Network & Cloud Engineer with 10+ years of experience designing, troubleshooting, and optimizing enterprise-grade networks and SD-WAN environments for global clients. I specialize in SD-WAN (VMware VeloCloud, Cisco Meraki, Fortinet, CATO), advanced network troubleshooting (L1–L3), and hybrid cloud connectivity (AWS, Azure, GCP). I have hands-on experience working with major ISPs (AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Spectrum) and resolving complex WAN, MPLS, and internet performance issues. I’ve supported large-scale environments including telecom core networks (4G/5G, VoLTE, IMS), enterprise WAN infrastructures, and cloud-native Kubernetes deployments. 💼 Roles I Have Successfully Delivered: • Leve 2 Network Engineer 'RV Wifi Parks' - Access Parks USA • SD-WAN Engineer (Multi-vendor SASE environments) - ConfigureInc USA • Network Engineer (Enterprise & ISP Networks) - Airespring USA • Service Assurance Engineer (NOC L2/L3 Operations) - ATSG USA • Cloud DevOps Engineer (Kubernetes, CI/CD, Microservices) - Freelance • Telecom Core Network Engineer (4G/5G, VoLTE, IMS, NB-IoT) - Huawei Saudi Arabia • Technical Lead (Network Operations & Incident Management) - Ericsson Saudi Arabia 🎓 Certifications: • AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure Essentials • AWS Solutions Architect – Associate • Kubernetes Certified Administrator (CKA) • Kubernetes Certified Application Developer (CKAD) • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) • Juniper JNCIA Certified • CATO SD-WAN Certified • ADTRAN Certified • Ericsson Cloud Associate • Ericsson 5G Core & IMS Certified • Fortinet NSE-4 (In Progress) • Cisco CCNP (In Progress) 🔧 What I Can Do for You: • Design, deploy, and troubleshoot SD-WAN solutions (VeloCloud, Meraki, Fortinet) • Resolve packet loss, latency, and routing issues (BGP, OSPF, MPLS) • Configure site-to-site VPNs, Auto VPN, IPsec tunnels • Optimize WAN performance using QoS, traffic shaping, and business policies • Troubleshoot ISP/carrier issues and coordinate escalations • Configure and manage Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, MikroTik networks • Deploy and troubleshoot WiFi networks (Meraki, Mist, Aruba) • Setup hybrid cloud connectivity (AWS, Azure, GCP with on-prem) • Kubernetes deployment and networking troubleshooting (EKS, GKE) • Network monitoring and alerting (PRTG, SolarWinds, Wireshark) 💡 Why Clients Choose Me: ✔ Fast troubleshooting & root cause analysis ✔ Strong communication (clear updates, RCA reports) ✔ Experience with real production networks (not just labs) ✔ Proven ability to reduce downtime and improve performance If you’re facing network slowness, outages, SD-WAN issues, or need expert design/implementation — I can help you fix it quickly and efficiently. Let’s connect and get your network running at peak performance. 🛠️ Skills 🔹 Core Networking ✔ SD-WAN (VeloCloud, Meraki, Fortinet, CATO) ✔ Routing & Switching (BGP, OSPF, VLANs, STP) ✔ MPLS, VPN, IPsec, GRE ✔ Network Troubleshooting (L1/L2/L3) 🔹 Wireless & Access ✔ Cisco Meraki (MX, MS, MR) ✔ Juniper Mist (Marvis AI) ✔ Aruba Networks ✔ Cradlepoint / Peplink (LTE/5G) 🔹 Cloud & DevOps ✔ AWS (VPC, EC2, Load Balancer, VPN) ✔ Kubernetes (EKS, GKE, YAML, Pods, Services) ✔ CI/CD (Jenkins) ✔ Microservices Deployment 🔹 Telecom & 5G ✔ 4G/5G Core Networks ✔ VoLTE / IMS ✔ NB-IoT ✔ KPI Monitoring & Optimization 🔹 Tools & Monitoring ✔ Wireshark (PCAP Analysis) ✔ SolarWinds / PRTG ✔ PingPlotter / WinMTR ✔ ServiceNow / Netcool / BMC ✔ Meraki Dashboard / VeloCloud Orchestrator 🚀 Leadership Roles I Can Take / Have Experience Supporting: • NOC Team Lead – Leading L1/L2 engineers, managing escalations, and ensuring SLA compliance • Service Assurance Lead – Driving incident management, RCA, and network performance optimization • NOC Manager – Overseeing 24/7 operations, KPIs, reporting, and team performance • Customer Support Lead (Technical) – Managing client communication, escalations, and service delivery • Technical Lead (Network Operations) – Guiding troubleshooting, mentoring teams, and handling critical outages • SD-WAN / Network Architect – Designing scalable WAN and hybrid cloud solutions • Incident Manager – Managing P1/P2 incidents, bridge calls, and cross-team coordination • Operations Manager (Network/ISP/MSP) – Improving processes, reducing MTTR, and enhancing service quality

I aspire to contribute to an organization that recognizes my strengths, enhances my skills, and fosters professional growth in the field of networking. With around 10 years of experience in the IT industry, I bring expertise in networking, wireless technologies, security, and SD-WAN. As a versatile and adaptable professional with over a decade of experience in the private sector, I have extensive hands-on knowledge of routers, switches, firewalls, and a broad range of networking solutions. My technical proficiency covers Cisco Nexus Switches, Cisco Meraki devices, Cisco Wireless, Cisco Prime, Cisco WAAS, Aruba Wireless, Aruba ClearPass (CPPM), Aruba Central, Aruba Gateway, Palo Alto Firewalls, Panorama, Prisma SD-WAN, Fortinet products (FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiAP, FortiExtender, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiCloud), F5 BIG-IP, Silver Peak SD-WAN, Ubiquiti UniFi solutions, Cradlepoint, VMware Cloud, OpsRamp, MS Visio, ServiceNow, and various network-related projects. I am a dedicated, motivated, and adaptable professional with a positive attitude, strong problem-solving skills, and a commitment to maintaining high professional standards. My ability to quickly grasp new technologies, communicate effectively, and take on challenges allows me to work independently or as part of a team. Technical Expertise Routing OSPF, EIGRP, eBGP, iBGP, VRF, Static & Dynamic Routing, Cisco Routers, Cisco Meraki Appliance, Cisco WAAS, Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway Switching VLANs, Port Security, Trunking (802.1q), EtherChannel, VTP, STP, MST, RSTP, PVST Inter-VLAN Routing, CEF, HSRP, VRRP, GLBP, PoE, SPAN, MAC Table, VSS, vPC, Flex-Link Cisco Catalyst & Nexus Switches, Cisco Meraki Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches Security Policy-based & Route-based VPN, AAA, ACLs, Cisco ASA, FortiGate, Palo Alto Firewalls, Sophos Firewalls Panorama, Aruba CPPM, Aruba Gateway, Cisco Meraki Firewall (L2/L3 Security), NAT, SD-WAN IP Source Tracking, OpenVPN, pfSense Firewall, UniFi Gateway Wireless Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), Cisco Prime, Cisco DNA, Cisco Meraki, Aruba Central Aruba WLC, Aruba CPPM, WLAN, Cisco AP, Cisco Meraki AP, Aruba AP, Mist AP, UniFi AP Network Monitoring & Tools ServiceNow, OpsRamp, Remedy, JIRA, ScienceLogic, SolarWinds Certifications & Professional Qualifications Cisco Meraki Solutions Specialist (ECMS) CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Managing Campus Networks with Aruba Central Cisco Meraki Network Associate (CMNA) Aruba Mobility Fundamentals Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) NSE 1/2/3/4 Network Security Associate Silver Peak Technical Sales Professional, Silver Peak SD-WAN Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Firewall Vendors: Cisco (Cisco ASA, Firepower, Meraki MX) Palo Alto Networks (PA-Series, Prisma Access, Panorama) Fortinet (FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer) Check Point (Quantum Security Gateway, Harmony) Sophos (XG Firewall, SG UTM) WatchGuard (Firebox Series) SonicWall (NSA, TZ Series) Juniper Networks (SRX Series) Barracuda (CloudGen Firewall) Zscaler (Cloud Security) Forcepoint (Next-Gen Firewall) Hillstone Networks (A-Series, X-Series) Huawei (USG Firewall) Sangfor (NGAF – Next-Gen Application Firewall) F5 Networks (BIG-IP Advanced Firewall) McAfee (Trellix) (Network Security Platform) Cyberoam (UTM Firewall) Netgate (pfSense) Ubiquiti (UniFi Security Gateway) DrayTek (Vigor Security Firewalls) Lancom (R&S Unified Firewalls) GajShield (Next-Gen Firewall) Versa Networks (SASE & SD-WAN) Cato Networks (SASE) Hillstone Networks (Next-Gen Firewall) OPNsense (Open-source Firewall) Clavister (Secure SD-WAN & Firewalls) ZYXEL (ATP, VPN, USG FLEX Firewalls) Perimeter 81 (Cloud Firewall & SASE) Networking Vendors Cisco (Catalyst, Nexus, ISR, ASR, Meraki) Aruba (HPE) (Aruba Central, ClearPass, Instant APs, Switches) Juniper Networks (EX, QFX, MX Series) Extreme Networks (Summit, VSP, Fabric) Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) (FlexNetwork, Aruba Switches) Brocade (Now Broadcom) (ICX, MLX Series) Ubiquiti (UniFi Switches, Dream Machine, EdgeMax) MikroTik (RouterBOARD, Cloud Core Router, Switches) Dell EMC Networking (PowerSwitch, VxRail) TP-Link (Omada, JetStream Switches) Huawei (CloudEngine Switches, NetEngine) Netgear (ProSAFE Switches, Orbi, Insight Managed) Nokia Networks (Service Routers, AirScale) Zyxel Networks (Nebula, GS Switches) Ruckus Networks (CommScope) (ICX Switches, SmartZone) Ciena (Blue Planet, Adaptive Networks) Broadcom (StrataXGS Switches, Tomahawk) Arista Networks (CloudVision, EOS Switches) Radware (Alteon Application Switches) Cradlepoint (NetCloud SD-WAN, Wireless Routers) Silver Peak (HPE) (SD-WAN EdgeConnec Silver Peak (HPE) (SD-WAN EdgeConnect) Cato Networks (SASE & SD-WAN) Versa Networks (SD-WAN, Secure Networking) With my extensive experience and deep technical expertise, I am confident in my ability to deliver effective networking, security, and cloud solutions while continuously adapting to new technologies and industry trends.

Am a CCIE#26611 with extensive experience in Routing & Switching, Security, Datacenter, Virtualization, Public Cloud, Artificial Intelligence Network Skills & Agentics, Programmability & Automation. Am delivering unique & absolutely different service for the below technologies: * SDN Datacenter: Cisco ACI, VMware NSX, Nutanix Flow, Arista. * SDN Storage: Nutanix HCI, VMware VSAN. * SDN Access: Cisco DNA, LISP Implementation, Cisco Spaces, Cisco ISE, PacketFence. * SDN WAN: Cisco SDWAN, VMware VeloCloud, SilverPeak, PaloAlto SDWAN, FortiGate SDWAN, Meraki. * Programmability & Automation Controllers: Python & API tools to automate business intent & workflows within networks, Ansible, Chef, NSO, Terraform, OpenShift, AI network skills. * Monitoring Applications: Zabbix, SolarWinds, Home Made Custom Tools, Nmap, Packet Tracer (Wireshark), Splunk, Wazuh, ContraForce, ServiceNow and much more. * Routing & Switching and Wireless Technologies: Cisco, Mikrotik, Juniper, FS, Arista, HPE, Huawei. * Security: Cisco, PaloAlto, Meraki, FortiNet, Ubiquiti, VMware MDM, Infoblox. * Datacenter, Cloud Computing, Cloud Native, Virtualization & HCI Solutions. * Public Cloud: Design, Setup & Administer Tenants on AWS, Azure, GCP & OCI. * Micro-segmentation & Containerized Applications: Docker, Kubernetes. * API Gateways & Swagger Documentation. * Python Scripting for DevOps, SecOps, NetOps & I network skills. * Technical Writing & Documentation. Please refer to my LinkedIn account aossama. Certifications: * CCIE Enterprise CCIE#26611. * Cisco CCNP DevNet. * Cisco CCNP Enterprise. * Cisco CCNP Datacenter. * Cisco ACI Certified Specialist.