James Kelly

Most of the skills I developed in this area were from necessity. I was constantly placed in positions where I was surrounded by people who knew what they wanted to do, and with no capability to do them.

This typically resulted in ”trial by fire” situations where the deadline was yesterday with maximum performance expected and no down time.

I typically excel in this type of environment and can’t think of one incident where I didn’t deliver.  Were there ever mistakes?  Sure, and I usually recovered from them quickly and completely.  I typically would test out theories and unproven knowledge on non-critical systems first, a must when working in a production environment.

Regarding Novell: I have experience with Novell Netware although not too many people appear to be using Novell in my area anymore. Even though I don’t include a section for Novell I am familiar with their concepts and, of course, IPX.

I also don’t speak directly to my design experience, that not withstanding, I’ve designed several corporate networks and local school networks from the infrastructure up.

I have experience with switches, routers, firewalls, Wi-Fi, cabling, connectors, wiring specifications, and multi-homed systems to name a few knowledge areas.

Most of my experience in networking has been with Microsoft technology. I’m familiar with and have implemented solutions using Active Directory, Exchange Server, and many other Microsoft technologies.

I’ve never been certified mainly because I’ve been too busy solving problems and haven’t spent any time working toward the paper trail. I’ve recently started looking into the certification process and intend to work toward getting certified. I know how much of a gamble it can be for employers to hire those with nothing but their word of their track record.

I’m currently working toward my Cisco certification and once complete will work toward both Microsoft networking and programming certifications.

The most common client and server systems I’ve installed, configured, and maintained include:

• Windows for Workgroups 3.11
• Windows 95, 98, and ME
• Windows professional
• Windows XP Home and Professional
• Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows 2003 Server
• Exchange Server
• Active Directory

I have experience with Cisco switches and routers and I’m currently working toward my Cisco CCNA certification. With a lot of work and my current knowledge I should be able to pass this exam by the end of October, 2006.

I am familiar with TCP/IP, IPX, and network layers. I believe my programming and application development background gives me an advantage here because I have a more thorough understanding of layers 5 - 7 than some network technicians.

Most of my experience with the application of Cisco systems is from a local small ISP that serviced several hundred dial-up customers, DSL customers, and a few dedicated Permanent Virtual Connections utilizing frame relay. In that regard I am familiar with Data Terminal Equipment and Data Communications Equipment from an ISP’s perspective.

Once I’ve acquired my CCNA my intention is to get MCP certified. I will be working toward completion of the network and programming tracks combined.