Intelligent Network Infrastructure Management & Automation
Network monitoring, configuration automation, routing optimization and VPN management on MikroTik and Cisco equipment, focused on reliability and maintainability.
Project status: Ongoing
Every digitalization project runs on a network. When routers and firewalls are configured by hand and without documentation, every small change risks an outage, backups are out of date, and nobody knows exactly why a given firewall rule exists.
I have spent more than ten years in IT and network infrastructure, from Windows Server and Active Directory to MikroTik, Cisco, Fortinet, virtualization and Linux. In this service I combine that operational experience with automation: a segmented, documented network, configurations that are versioned and backed up automatically, and changes that can be reviewed and rolled back.
Industry challenges
Flat, unsegmented networks
Office PCs, cameras and control equipment share one broadcast domain, so a single infection or misconfiguration can reach sensitive systems.
Manual, inconsistent configuration
Each device reflects the habits of whoever touched it last, with no common standard.
Missing or stale backups
When a router or firewall fails, the last known-good configuration is not at hand and rebuilding it takes hours.
Remote and harsh sites
Mines, pumping stations and warehouses connect over unstable links and are hard to troubleshoot without travelling there.
Untracked changes
It is unclear who changed what, when and why, which makes troubleshooting and audits difficult.
Technical solutions
Network design and segmentation
Separate VLANs and security zones for office, OT, cameras and guests, with minimal, documented firewall rules between them.
Configuration management
Standard templates for MikroTik, Cisco and FortiGate, with configurations stored in Git to compare versions and trace changes.
Automated backups
Scheduled export of every device configuration, success checks and storage of versions away from the devices themselves.
Scripting and automation
Ansible, Python or RouterOS scripts for repetitive tasks such as adding VLANs, updating VPN users or running compliance checks.
VPN and site connectivity
Site-to-site and remote-access VPN with IPsec or WireGuard, sensible routing and failover paths for unreliable links.
Monitoring and logging
Central collection of SNMP and syslog, alerts for link and resource problems, and up-to-date topology and addressing documentation.
Starting from the current state, not from tools
Automating an undocumented network only reproduces the mess faster. So the first step is always a careful inventory of what is there:
- Device list, OS versions and vendor support status
- Physical and logical topology, IP addressing plan and VLANs
- Existing firewall, NAT and VPN rules, and the reason each exists
- Current backup practice, admin access and logging
The result is a short risk report and a prioritized roadmap. Segmentation and automated backups usually end up at the top.
Tools and level of automation
The goal is to automate repetitive, error-prone tasks, not to replace engineering judgement. The choice of tools depends on network size and the skills of the team that will maintain it:
| Need | Typical approach |
|---|---|
| Configuration backup | Scheduled script or Ansible, stored in Git |
| Repetitive changes | Playbook or Python script with a fixed template |
| Compliance checks | Compare configurations against the standard template and report drift |
| Monitoring | SNMP and syslog in a central system with alerting |
Remote sites
For mines, pumping stations or outlying warehouses, the design assumes that the link will fail sometimes. Typical measures are an out-of-band access path, for example a second uplink or a cellular router, local logging that survives an outage, and VPN tunnels that re-establish themselves without manual intervention. Firmware updates on remote devices are only rolled out once a tested way back exists.
The article network automation in industrial environments covers the specific considerations for OT networks in more depth.
Change management and documentation
In an industrial setting, a network outage means a production stop. Every change therefore follows a defined path:
- Description of the change, its reason and the affected devices
- Test on a lab device or a low-risk site
- Execution in a maintenance window agreed with operations
- Previous configuration ready for immediate rollback
- Topology and configuration documentation updated afterwards
At the end, your team receives documentation that allows them to run the network without depending on me.
Frequently asked questions
Is network automation only worthwhile for large networks?
No. Even with a handful of routers and firewalls, automated backups and shared configuration templates shorten troubleshooting. The scope of automation is scaled to the network.
How do you handle mixed vendors?
A mix of MikroTik, Cisco and Fortinet is common. With tools such as Ansible and per-vendor templates, the devices can still be managed consistently.
Doesn't automation make wrong changes more dangerous?
Without controls, yes. That is why each change is first applied to one device or a test setup, reviewed, then rolled out, with the previous configuration ready for rollback.
Do you cover OT networks and control equipment?
At the network infrastructure level, yes: segmentation, firewalls and secure remote access. Changes to PLC logic or control systems are outside this service and are coordinated with the responsible automation engineer.