Allan Button
ISP Network Operations | High-Availability NOC & Incident Response | Routing, Switching & VoIP | Change Management | Automation & Linux
About

I am a Network Operations professional with nearly 20 years of experience supporting ISP and carrier-scale telecommunications environments. I currently work in a 24/7 NOC at Cogeco, where I monitor network infrastructure, respond to service-impacting events, and act as a single point of contact during outages to ensure fast and effective resolution.

My day-to-day work involves fault analysis, troubleshooting, and coordinating with engineers, field technicians, vendors, and other NOCs to isolate and resolve issues across switching, IP, and access networks. I regularly manage trouble tickets, escalate incidents, and maintain clear, accurate records to keep operations aligned during high-impact events.

Earlier in my career, I spent over a decade at a regional ISP where I led network operations and infrastructure development, gaining hands-on experience with routing, monitoring systems, VoIP, and service delivery. That background gave me a strong foundation in both the technical and operational sides of running reliable networks.

I am comfortable working in fast-paced environments where priorities shift quickly, and I take a proactive approach to problem-solving, communication, and continuous improvement. My focus is always on maintaining service reliability and delivering a high standard of support to both internal teams and customers.

Cogeco Connexion

Network Operations Center Technician

Cogeco Connexion · Permanent Full-time

Feb 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 3 mos

Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Monitor and support carrier-scale network infrastructure within a 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) environment, ensuring high availability across Data Communications, High-Speed Internet, VoIP, IP, and digital/analog video (including SDV) networks.

  • Act as first-line support for network incidents, proactively identifying, analyzing, and resolving service disruptions. Respond to network alarms and customer-impacting events by initiating trouble tickets, performing diagnostics, and coordinating rapid resolution efforts to minimize downtime.
  • Collaborate with field technicians, technical call center teams, and external carriers (NOC-to-NOC) to troubleshoot complex network and circuit issues. Coordinate testing, validation, and restoration activities across multiple stakeholders and infrastructure domains.
  • Perform outage analysis, trending, and risk identification by correlating network events, ticketing data, and customer impact signals. Identify patterns leading to large-scale service interruptions and contribute to preventative and long-term solutions.
  • Manage and coordinate change management processes, including E&O workflows, CAB participation, deployment planning, and cross-team communication. Ensure all maintenance and network changes are properly scheduled, communicated, and executed with minimal service impact.
  • Oversee ticket quality and workflow efficiency, including truck roll coordination, MRO validation, and escalation handling. Maintain accurate documentation, reporting, and operational visibility across network events and activities.
  • Partner with engineering and operations teams to improve processes, enhance monitoring capabilities, and drive continuous improvement across NOC operations.
NetAccess Systems Inc.

13 yrs

Manager of Network Operations

Jul 2016 - Feb 2022 · 5 yrs 8 mos

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Led Network Operations for a regional ISP serving ~3,000 customers, with end-to-end responsibility for network reliability, infrastructure, and service delivery across a 25-person organization.

  • Designed, deployed, and maintained ISP network infrastructure, including routing, switching, and access networks. Managed core services such as DNS, DHCP, authentication systems, and monitoring platforms to ensure high availability and performance.
  • Oversaw day-to-day NOC operations, including incident response, escalation, and root cause analysis for network outages and service degradation. Implemented proactive monitoring and alerting to reduce downtime and improve mean time to resolution (MTTR).
  • Planned and executed network expansion and upgrades, including capacity planning, hardware lifecycle management, and vendor selection. Evaluated and implemented new technologies to improve scalability, redundancy, and operational efficiency.
  • Established and enforced network security practices, including firewall configuration, access control, and risk mitigation strategies to protect infrastructure and customer data.
  • Managed backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity processes to ensure service resilience. Maintained system documentation, network diagrams, and operational procedures.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize workflows, improve customer experience, and support business growth. Provided leadership, mentoring, and technical guidance to staff while driving continuous improvement across network operations.

Senior Technical Lead

Jun 2015 - Feb 2022 · 6 yrs 9 mos

Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ontario, Canada

Provided technical leadership across network operations, infrastructure, and service delivery for a regional ISP, acting as the senior escalation point for complex network and systems issues.

  • Led the design, implementation, and optimization of ISP infrastructure, including routing, switching, access networks, and core services. Drove improvements in network reliability, scalability, and performance through proactive monitoring, root cause analysis, and system tuning.
  • Mentored and guided NOC and technical staff, establishing best practices for troubleshooting, incident response, and operational workflows. Acted as a bridge between engineering, operations, and business teams to align technical solutions with organizational goals.
  • Oversaw deployment of new technologies, network upgrades, and service rollouts, ensuring minimal customer impact and adherence to change management processes. Evaluated vendors, tools, and platforms to enhance network capabilities and operational efficiency.
  • Contributed to automation initiatives, internal tooling, and process improvements to reduce manual effort and improve visibility across systems and network performance.

Network Operations and Implementation

Mar 2009 - Feb 2022 · 13 yrs

Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ontario, Canada

Played a key role in building and evolving network operations and infrastructure for a growing ISP, supporting both day-to-day operations and long-term network expansion initiatives.

  • Designed, deployed, and maintained network infrastructure, including routing, switching, and access technologies. Participated in end-to-end implementation of new services, from planning and configuration to testing and production rollout.
  • Supported NOC operations through advanced troubleshooting, incident resolution, and escalation handling. Worked closely with field technicians and support teams to diagnose and resolve service issues across customer and backbone networks.
  • Led implementation projects for network upgrades, new customer deployments, and infrastructure expansions. Coordinated with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of network initiatives.
  • Developed and maintained documentation, network diagrams, and standard operating procedures to support operational consistency and knowledge sharing.
  • Continuously evaluated and implemented new technologies and tools to improve network performance, reliability, and scalability.

Manager of Business Services

Nov 2015 - Jul 2016 · 9 mos

Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ontario, Canada

Led business services operations for ISP commercial customers, focusing on service delivery, customer experience, and revenue-generating network solutions.

  • Managed provisioning, support, and lifecycle of business customer services, including dedicated internet, VoIP, and custom network solutions. Acted as the primary point of contact for high-value clients, ensuring service quality and timely issue resolution.
  • Collaborated with sales and technical teams to design and deliver tailored connectivity solutions, aligning network capabilities with customer requirements and business objectives.
  • Oversaw service delivery workflows, improving provisioning timelines, installation coordination, and customer onboarding processes. Identified opportunities to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Handled escalations for business customers, performing root cause analysis and coordinating resolution across technical teams. Maintained strong relationships with clients and partners to support retention and growth.
IPIT Telecomunications

SYSTEMS ARCHITECT

Jul 2007 - Mar 2009 · 1 yr 9 mos

Designed, deployed, and maintained Linux-based infrastructure supporting VoIP/PBX systems for Touch Communications. Acted as a full-stack developer and systems engineer across telephony platforms, backend services, and customer-facing integrations.

  • Built and managed scalable PBX environments (SIP, VoIP) including provisioning, monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance optimization. Installed, configured, and maintained switching systems, wiring infrastructure, and telecom hardware to ensure high availability and call reliability.
  • Developed custom reporting tools, internal dashboards, and API integrations to support business operations and client needs. Automated data collection and analysis workflows using server-side scripting and database-driven applications.
  • Diagnosed and resolved complex telecom and network issues by analyzing circuit behavior, logs, and system metrics. Performed root cause analysis on service disruptions and implemented long-term fixes to improve system stability.
  • Worked across the full stack, including backend development, database design, and frontend interfaces for internal tools. Integrated telephony systems with external services and business systems.
  • Ensured operational performance through continuous testing, monitoring, and tuning of systems and components. Maintained documentation, network diagrams, and system configurations to support ongoing development and troubleshooting.
Highlighted Skills
  • Networking75+ endorsements
  • Telecommunications50+ endorsements
  • Network Security45+ endorsements
  • VoIP25+ endorsements
Skills

Network Operations & Incident Response

  • NOC Operations (24/7 monitoring, alarm analysis)
  • Incident Management & Outage Resolution
  • Fault Isolation, Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis
  • Escalation Management & Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
  • Trouble Ticketing & Operational Documentation
  • Cross-Team, Vendor & Carrier Coordination

Networking & Telecommunications

  • Routing & Switching (IP, Layer 2/3, TCP/IP)
  • ISP Network Architecture & Service Delivery
  • VoIP / SIP Telephony (Asterisk, PBX systems)
  • DNS, DHCP & Core Network Services
  • Network Performance Optimization & Capacity Planning
  • Network Security & Firewalls

Systems, Tools & Infrastructure

  • Linux Systems Administration (Red Hat, Ubuntu)
  • Network Monitoring (SNMP, alerting systems)
  • Server & Data Center Operations
  • Virtualization (VMware)
  • Cisco Technologies (IOS, routers, switching)

Operations, Process & Leadership

  • Change Management & Maintenance Coordination
  • Process Improvement & Automation
  • Technical Leadership & Escalation Support
  • Service Provisioning & Lifecycle Management
  • Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

Development & Automation

  • Python & Scripting
  • Full-Stack Development (PHP, MySQL, APIs)
  • Internal Tooling & Workflow Automation
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