James E. Lucas III
Linux Systems Administrator • DevOps Engineer • ISP/WISP Infrastructure Specialist
541-408-5189
resume@cmsws.com
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Hands-on systems and software professional with 20+ years supporting ISP and WISP environments and 25+ years of PHP and Linux experience. Trusted by clients for root-cause troubleshooting, practical implementation, and long-term platform support across Linux infrastructure, network operations, virtualization, monitoring, and the Freeside billing platform.

Core Strengths

Freeside Administration Linux & BSD Systems ISP/WISP Operations Network Troubleshooting DevOps & Automation Virtualization Monitoring & Observability PHP / Bash Development Infrastructure Support

Technical Proficiency

Platforms & Services

  • Freeside, Zabbix, cnMaestro, AirControl, UISP
  • Apache, nginx, Postfix, Dovecot, RADIUS
  • PostgreSQL, MySQL, TinyDNS, NSD

Infrastructure & Virtualization

  • Proxmox, VMware, VirtualBox
  • TrueNAS, Synology
  • LAN/WAN operations, multi-site environments, NOC workflows

Operating Systems & Tools

  • Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat, CentOS, Linux Mint
  • OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Windows, Windows Server
  • BIND, Asterisk, Kamailio, uISP, NMS platforms

Networking & Development

  • IPv4/IPv6, VLANs, VPN, VoIP, BGP, OSPF, SSH, HTTPS
  • PHP, Bash, Python, Perl, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Ruby
  • Cisco, Juniper, Ubiquiti, Siklu, DragonWave, Adtran

Professional Experience

Linux Systems Administrator & DevOps Engineer
Self-Employed — Johnstown, PA
2018 – Present
  • Provide remote systems and network administration for clients in ISP/WISP and related technical environments.
  • Manage and support the Freeside billing platform and the infrastructure that surrounds it, including deployment, configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and ongoing operational support.
  • Administer Linux and BSD systems, virtualization platforms, monitoring stacks, DNS, mail, storage, and internal service infrastructure.
  • Handle troubleshooting, implementation, consulting, and long-term support engagements with a practical, methodical, root-cause-oriented approach.
Network Operations Center Manager & Senior Network Administrator
BendTel, Inc. — Bend, OR
2006 – 2016
  • Led NOC operations and supervised technical staff supporting voice and data network infrastructure.
  • Designed, deployed, and maintained VoIP and network solutions across multi-vendor environments.
  • Built internal tools for communications auditing, management, and operational visibility.
  • Improved service reliability and support effectiveness through stronger processes, troubleshooting, and infrastructure oversight.
Technical Support Manager
Central Oregon Internet — Bend, OR
2002 – 2004
  • Supervised and trained support staff in a service-provider environment.
  • Improved support workflows, internal documentation, and day-to-day issue resolution for customer-facing operations.

Additional Strengths

  • Strong background with small to mid-sized WISP companies across technical support, field installation, inventory, deployment, and internal systems.
  • Comfortable with one-time troubleshooting projects, build-outs, implementations, consulting work, and long-term support relationships.
  • Known for clear thinking under pressure, organized execution, and solving problems correctly rather than relying on guesswork.

Professional Focus

  • Primary: Freeside, Linux systems, network operations
  • Environment: ISP / WISP / service-provider infrastructure
  • Engagements: Support, troubleshooting, deployment, consulting
  • Work Style: Practical, dependable, long-term minded