Summary

I am a technical support engineer with over fifteen years of experience in the telecommunication and IT industry. I have several professional qualifications and a degree in Information Technology.

Professional Qualifications

3COM Master of Network Science now called Certified Solutions Expert.

Extreme Networks Specialist (ENS).

Netscreen Certified Security Associate (NCSA).

Academic Qualifications

Degree in Information Technology from the University of Glamorgan 1993.

HND Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic of Wales 1989.

Products and Training

Extreme Network Switches (ENS).

3COM Switches and Routers (3COM MNS/CSE).

Cisco Equipment (my expertise level is above CCNA to most of CCNP).

Netscreen Firewalls (NCSA and INHP).

Draytek (A)DSL Routers and Firewalls.

Bay Networks Routers (Basic and advanced)

Ericsson/ACC routers and access concentrators (Router and Tigris).

GDC ATM and TDM products (Basic and Advanced APEX and TMS).

Employment

September 2002 on

I am currently self-employed; I sub-contract to various companies on a pay as you go basis. My duties are wide ranging and cover anything from network design and support for my own customers too sub-contracted troubleshooting and installation work. I have conducted many equipment installations in France and Italy and I have current MOD Security Clearance, which was sponsored by BT. A recent large projects was for Trend/BT to supply a network upgrade for Qinetiq. I was a TDA providing technical documentation and on-site support and troubleshooting.

I have re-built a VPN network for Archers brewery and resolved several problems with their Windows domains. I have provided consultation and remote configuration for an ISP in Ghana. I have also been providing email and network consultancy for a mid-sized e-tailor in Manchester.

The last significant project was for Hamilton Rentals who regularly provide all the PCs Laptops and displays for the Cisco Networkers events. I was in charge of specification, building and delivery of the operating images to be installed on over 500 PCs and Laptops at the event as well as the domain controllers. This involved liaising with several departments within Cisco and its partners as well as 14 hour days on site in Cannes running the support team.

Vital Network Services (February 1998 to September 2002)

Technical Support Specialist providing onsite and telephone technical support network design and configuration. My work was quite wide ranging and covered many roles from Network Management to onsite troubleshooting. During my time at Vital I designed and implemented several network upgrades and replacements, the largest ones being the Kellogg Company European WAN and UK WAN to Cisco Routers. I also worked on the LAN upgrade to 3COM switches.

I was responsible for setting up and configuring the remote Network Management for these networks using tools such as HP NNM, Cisco Works and 3COM Transcend. I also introduced an open source traffic-monitoring package called MRTG, which has since been integrated into the network management packages.

I have attended site for installation or trouble shooting throughout the UK and many European locations, though I mostly provided technical support and direction for the field engineers.

ML Networks/Network Stations (1995 to 1997)

ML Networks brought Network Stations after its parent company Data Guild folded. During my time with these companies I was a technical support field engineer, providing telephone and on site support for remote access solutions and router products. I was also involved in product evaluation as well as configuration and testing of sold solutions. The work was varied and involved a lot of travel within the UK.

Workstation Source (1993 to 1995)

Workstation Source was a small business, which specialised in HP test and measurement equipment. This was my first real post and it taught me a lot about business operations. I was taken on as a Sales pre post technical support warehouse man including order processing. I later developed my post to pre/post sales technical support as the business grew. I was involved in many different jobs form stocktaking to building custom PCs for Motorola’s mobile phone production line.

Hobbies and Interests

I have a keen interest in Linux and Open Source, which take up some of my spare time. Home improvements and my children use up the rest.