Comtel - Systems Administrator Comtel Employee Review

Engaged Had working Executive/Ownership team

No Cons to mention if you want to work

Good experience as Linux, Windows, Outlook server and Network administrator. Wore many hats in this Pay-as-you-go international calling card company. The calls ran on Linux. Implementing an OpenVPN became a big project for me and was successfully. Freedom to luck up and learn new things if desired. Got to use a Linux server to function as a network bridge. I requested to use a test env during a test phase of implementing OpenVpn. I informed network guys I'll bridge the network and asked for a TST env. I was told they didn't have one that really simulated everything and they repeatedly assured me it would not be possible on the Linux server so go ahead and use the PROD env. I insisted I will be bridging it and please take it serious. After many discussions with the team members and with clearance to go ahead, I bridged the networks thru the Linux server and began VPN tests. Monitoring their alerts dashboard I asked about alerts coming in fast and was told that it confused them. I asked if it was because I bridged and they were amazed. After a big pow-wow, I rolled back the change and all was good. Nothing bad happened with the network traffic, brushing was benign as I had stated, but it had triggered certain network probe alerts they had never seen. They could use better testing procedures and environments.

After nearly 6 mos working there and haing extremely positive feedback on multiple occasions I was told "thanks for your service but your no longer needed." Shocked, I requested (many many times) for the reason, if if done something wrong, was I not suitable or offend anyone etc etc but they said no, the work was good everything was ok etc so I was incredibly confused and frustrated with no reason despite them insisting they were indeed happy with my work. I was never given a real answer. A month later two coworkers there told me that the female director rehired the sys admin I replaced because the mortgage company was folding during the mortgage crisis at the time. I had just had a newborn baby and had just bought a house with a really great rate due to the crisis. They knew about my newborn and house purchase and when I asked if it was safe to buy a house they gave the green light. Still they let me go and rehired their disgruntled friend who had left them for a more promising company. They could use better testing procedures and environments. The Linux systems admins and the Network admins disguised each other and I became the intermediary which was fine and worked well however the teams should be able to be professional and work together when needed.