+++
title = 'Amacom'
date = 2004-01-01
[extra]
years = '2004'
+++

As one of only two technicians at the dial-up and fixed-wireless ISP in my
home town, I had a wide range of responsibilities.  Amacom not only provided
Internet access to business and residential customers all over town, but also
offered general computer repair services.  When I was not busy tracking down
runaway growth of someone's e-mail inbox, I always had at least a few machines
that had a hard drive that was failing or a modem that had been damaged by
lightning.

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## ISP Systems Operator

* Deploy and maintain Red Hat Linux servers hosting DNS, RADIUS, SMTP, IMAP,
  and HTTP services for Amacom customers
* Install long-range 2.4 GHz fixed-wireless equipment on customer premises,
  including Wi-Fi network adapters and Wi-Fi/Ethernet bridges, high-gain
  outdoor antennas, and signal amplifiers
* Troubleshoot network connectivity issues for customers, including resolving
  IP addressing issues, Windows driver conflicts, defective hardware, damaged
  coaxial cable, etc.
* Work with the upstream network provider (AT&T, later Savvis) to diagnose and
  resolve T1 connectivity problems, bandwidth constraints, and link congestion


## Desktop Repair Technician

* Diagnose and repair all manner of consumer-grade software and hardware
  issues
* Replace damaged or defective computer hardware including CPUs, memory
  modules, video cards, sound cards, modems, and network adapters
* Locate and remove viruses and other malware from customer machines
* Troubleshoot software compatibility issues