IT Network Engineer

A Network Engineer designs, implements, optimizes, and secures enterprise and service-provider networks. The role focuses on scalability, high availability, performance optimization, and advanced troubleshooting across LAN, WAN, WLAN, and data center environments.

Core Responsibilities

• Design and deploy network architectures (enterprise and ISP-level)

• Configure and optimize routing and switching (OSPF, BGP, MPLS basics)

• Implement high availability and redundancy (VRRP, HSRP, LACP, ECMP)

• Manage firewalls, NAT, QoS, and traffic shaping

• Deploy and maintain VPNs (IPsec, L2TP, WireGuard)

• Monitor network health and capacity planning

• Perform root-cause analysis for complex network incidents

• Maintain network documentation, diagrams, and standards

Technical Skill Set

Networking

• Advanced TCP/IP, subnetting, and IPv6

• VLANs, trunking, STP/RSTP

• Dynamic routing (OSPF, BGP)

• QoS, traffic prioritization, and bandwidth management

Security

• Firewall policy design

• IDS/IPS fundamentals

• Secure remote access

• DDoS mitigation basics

Wireless

• Enterprise WLAN design

• Channel planning, roaming, and interference mitigation

Common Platforms

• Routers/Switches: MikroTik, Cisco, Juniper

• Firewalls: MikroTik, FortiGate, pfSense

• Wireless: CAPsMAN, UniFi, enterprise APs

• Monitoring: Zabbix, PRTG, The Dude, SNMP

Certifications (Highly Valued)

• CCNA / CCNP

• MTCNA, MTCRE, MTCWE, MTCTCE

• Network+ (entry level)

Where Network Engineers Work

• ISPs and WISPs

• Large enterprises

• Data centers

• Cloud and MSP environments