▶ Network & Infrastructure Engineer

Building
Secure
Networks.

I design, deploy and manage enterprise network infrastructure, firewall systems, servers and routers. This is where I document real-world problems, solutions and everything I learn along the way.

Read the Blog About Me
okan@network:~
okan@net:~$ whoami
Network & Infrastructure Engineer

okan@net:~$ nmap -sV 192.168.1.0/24
Starting Nmap scan...
Host: 192.168.1.1 → Router ✓
Host: 192.168.1.10 → Firewall ✓
Host: 192.168.1.20 → Core Switch ✓
Host: 192.168.1.99 → Unknown!

okan@net:~$ systemctl status all
● All services: RUNNING ✓

okan@net:~$
5+
Years Experience
50+
Blog Posts
200+
Issues Resolved
24/7
System Monitoring
// 01

About Me

Hi, I'm Okan Kaipoğlu — a Network & Infrastructure Engineer with over 5 years of hands-on experience building and managing enterprise IT environments.

My day-to-day work involves managing enterprise firewall systems such as FortiGate and Sophos, designing and maintaining switching and routing infrastructure, and administering both Linux and Windows Server environments.

I work extensively with Cisco and TP-Link routers and switches, configure VLANs, set up VPN tunnels, and handle Active Directory, DNS and DHCP services for corporate networks.

On this blog I document real problems I encounter in the field — with step-by-step solutions, CLI commands and practical notes. No filler, just things that actually work.

🔥
NSE 4
Fortinet
🌐
CCNA
Cisco
🐧
LPIC-1
Linux Professional
🖥️
MCP
Microsoft
🔥
FortiGate / Sophos
UTM, VPN, IPS/IDS, SSL inspection
🌐
Network Design
Routing, Switching, VLAN, STP, OSPF
🔀
Routers & Switches
Cisco, TP-Link, Mikrotik, HP
🐧
Linux Server
Ubuntu, CentOS, Bash scripting
🖥️
Windows Server
AD, DNS, DHCP, GPO, RDS
🔍
Security & Monitoring
Nmap, Wireshark, Syslog, SNMP
☁️
Virtualization
VMware, Hyper-V, Docker
⚙️
Server Hardware
Dell iDRAC, HPE iLO, rack management
// 02

Experience

2022 — Present
Network & System Engineer
Corporate IT Department
Responsible for the full network infrastructure including FortiGate firewall management, VLAN design, inter-VLAN routing, VPN tunnels, and core/distribution/access layer switching. Manage Windows Server AD, DNS, DHCP environments and Ubuntu Server deployments. Handle server hardware installation, iDRAC/iLO configuration and VMware virtualization.
2020 — 2022
System & Network Administrator
IT Services Company
Deployed and maintained LAN/WAN infrastructure for multiple clients. Configured managed switches, set up site-to-site IPSec VPNs, and managed firewall rulesets. Performed network audits using Nmap and Wireshark. Administered Active Directory and group policies for 200+ user environments.
2018 — 2020
IT Support Specialist
Tech Support Provider
First point of contact for network and system issues. Resolved hardware and software problems, configured routers and access points, maintained patch panels and structured cabling. Gained hands-on experience with Windows Server and Linux environments.

What I Work With Daily

FIREWALL
FortiGate 60F / 100F · Sophos XGS · pfSense
SWITCHES & ROUTERS
Cisco Catalyst · TP-Link SG · HP Aruba · Mikrotik
SERVERS
Dell PowerEdge · HPE ProLiant · Windows Server 2019/2022 · Ubuntu Server 22/24
MONITORING & TOOLS
Uptime Kuma · Zabbix · Wireshark · Nmap · Syslog · SNMP
VIRTUALIZATION
VMware Workstation · Hyper-V · Docker · VirtualBox
// 03

Topics

🌐
Network
Routing, switching, VLANs, STP, firewall topologies, and enterprise network architecture design.
18 posts
🛡️
Security
Penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, Nmap, Wireshark, firewall rule configuration and hardening.
14 posts
⚙️
Systems
Windows Server, Linux, VMware, Active Directory, iDRAC/iLO, and server management guides.
22 posts
💻
DevOps
Docker, automation scripts, monitoring tools, Syslog setups, Samba/NFS file sharing, and CI/CD basics.
10 posts
// 04

Latest Posts

Network
Cisco Static Route vs Default Route Configuration
What's the difference between static and default routes? When should you use each one, and how do you verify them?
Mar 13, 2026 Read more
Security
Network Vulnerability Scanning with Nmap — Practical Guide
Step-by-step method to detect security vulnerabilities on your own network using Nmap's scanning engine and NSE scripts.
Mar 15, 2026 Read more
Systems
Monitoring PoE Switch Ports with FortiGate
How to track which ports are connected or disconnected on your PoE switches using FortiGate logs, CLI and SNMP traps.
Mar 17, 2026 Read more
DevOps
24/7 System Monitoring with Uptime Kuma
Deploy Uptime Kuma with Docker, configure Telegram alerts, and build a public status page for your infrastructure.
Mar 18, 2026 Read more
Network
What is the Distribution Layer? Core vs Distribution Switch Explained
Understanding the 3-tier network architecture — Core, Distribution, and Access layers — and how to design them correctly.
Mar 19, 2026 Read more
Systems
iDRAC & iLO Setup Guide — Dell and HPE Servers
Physical installation, static IP assignment, and security hardening for Dell iDRAC and HPE iLO remote management cards.
Mar 20, 2026 Read more
Network
FortiGate IPSec Site-to-Site VPN Setup
How to configure a site-to-site IPSec VPN tunnel between two FortiGate firewalls — phase 1, phase 2, and routing.
Mar 22, 2026 Read more
Systems
Active Directory: Creating Users, Groups and GPO from Scratch
A beginner-to-intermediate guide on setting up AD users, security groups, OUs and applying group policies in Windows Server.
Mar 24, 2026 Read more
DevOps
Centralized Log Management with Syslog on Ubuntu Server
Set up rsyslog on Ubuntu to collect logs from Windows machines, Linux servers and network devices in one place.
Mar 26, 2026 Read more
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Get in Touch

Have a technical question, a project you'd like to collaborate on, or just want to talk infrastructure? Feel free to reach out — I'm always happy to connect with fellow engineers and IT professionals.

📧 okan@okankaipoglu.com 💼 LinkedIn / Okan Kaipoğlu 🐙 GitHub / okankaipoglu