Professional Competence Claim Report: Network Problem Solving Incident

This report presents a competence claim, detailing an incident where the author successfully resolved network problems related to people-counting devices losing communication with the server. The report outlines the problem, which involved devices in multiple buildings and issues with IP addresses, subnets, and VLAN configurations. The author, through quick analysis and hands-on troubleshooting, identified and corrected the root causes of the communication failures. The claim emphasizes the author's skills in resolving complexities, demonstrating autonomy, exerting influence, and utilizing business skills to ensure the efficient restoration of the network. The report also reflects on the author's ability to maintain a calm and professional demeanor in the face of customer concerns and technical challenges, highlighting the importance of a combination of skills, knowledge, and the right attitude in solving IT problems. The report concludes with a bibliography of resources consulted.

Competence Claim
Abstract – Competence is the inherent ability of an individual to perform a set of task in
efficient and effective manner. Competence is the amalgamation of three attributes – skill,
Knowledge and attitude. While skill is gained with experience on performing the same set of
tasks repeatedly with time, Knowledge is the basic wisdom gained through conventional
studies which increases the scope of abilities and understanding of an individual. It comes
with education , experience and practice. However the most subtle aspect of the competence
is the attitude manifested in the behavior of the individual whose competence is being
measured. It is inherent and is the fruit of upbringing and continuous cultivation. For example
a doctor is expected to be altruistic in nature. But this altruism in attitude is inherent and can
not be imparted with skill or knowledge . So while the expectation is altruism the person with
the wrong set of attitude required for the job of a doctor can be money minded instead
causing a menace in the medical industry though he may have the skill and knowledge of
becoming a good doctor. Hence we can say that competence is the amalgamation of skill,
knowledge and right attitude.
My competence claim document aims at establishing the skill, knowledge and attitude I have
in solving the network problem of the organization I am involved with.
Introduction
In the claim of my competence I am going to enumerate a concrete experience based on
active experimentation with some reflective observation. The same will establish my
competence claim for network problem solving.

The Incident shows my ability to work with autonomy, resolve complexities, insert influence
and develop business skills
The Incident –
Friday 5/06/17
Incident: Newly installed People counting devices lost communication with the server. They
need to be investigated and fixed. Location are building 1 and building 3. MAC address and
location of these devices have been provided.
1 of the device in building 3 has been fixed by assign it to the correct subnet. It was
previously in the Wrong subnet. Another device has been allocated dynamically with a new
IP Address 172.24.103.103 not 172.24.103.108 as it had before.
Among 8 of devices in building 1 faced different problem. They was assigned to the correct
Subnet which is Vlan 3971 name as B1 People Counter. I can read the MAC address on the
access switch for all of them but in the building 1 router there is no data for routing table.
There is no IP address corresponding with these devices. I check the subnet which they
should get were 172.24.101.1 mask 255.255.255.0. This subnet is, however currently
allocated to different Vlan (Vlan 3911) name as B1 Metering management. The building
router is linked to this access switch via linkagg 43 (trunk port). On linkagg 43, there is no
Vlan 3911, therefore I have to assign Vlan 3911 to linkagg 43. On the access switch, there is
no Vlan 3911, therefore I have to create the Vlan 3911 and also assign this Vlan to linkagg 43
which is the uplink to building router. The last step is I configure the port from 6/1/13 to
6/1/21 (where the device are directly connected) to be in the subnet 3911. Subnet 3971 is not
in used in this case. I tested the connection and all the devices start picking up it correct IP
address. I also can ping them perfectly.

My competence Claim:
Levels of responsibility – level 5
Resolving complexities: Skills and Quality : When I got information about the server
inaccessibility my experience had guided me to understand that there must be something
wrong with the allocation of the IP address or the subnet mask. Without wasting much time I
have checked both and found out the anomaly in the wrong allocation of the subnet mask
which was soon corrected. This establishes my skills and quality as a network engineer and
probably passes me through the test of resolving complexities. These skills come straight
from the understanding of how the network operates and the ability to provide solution for
the fallacies at place .
Autonomy: While the complaint was lodged various reasons were cited from aggrieved
customers including some phobia of network failure due to virus and so on. But my
experience has taught me to look at the basics and see the root cause of the failure. I first
checked whether all other systems were running properly and then checked the addresses of
the IP configuration and the subnet mask of the system that was faulting. To say the least I
was successful in my endeavor. The decision to work independently on personal haunches
calls both for experience and skills and an attitude to find out and investigate the truth behind
the mal-working of the system. Hence my independent mentality and ability to take actions is
established from this situation.
Influence: I have been able to handle the customer’s grievance by assuring him that the
system will resume soon and asked her to allow me to check the configurations first. Due to
my reputation of the ability to solve such problems and the confident tone in which I assured,
I was given access to check the system of the faulting computer system. I exerted my

influence to check the system of the other co-workers to be sure of the configuration of the
subnet mask and the Vlan. This helped me to pinpoint the root cause of the fault and
delivered the desired results early. I found my acceptability as an expert among my fellow
workers and colleagues and they relied on my ability to provide a solution which at the end
proved to be fruitful. My interpersonal skills and man-management as well as the inherent
capability of leadership is established through this action.
Complexity: The root cause detection was not possible until my going to the basics without
paying heed to the unnecessary panic about hacking and virus attack. Matching of the subnet
and the Vlan was tedious but Network engineering requires meticulous detailing in solving
complex problems and I was quite successful in it. An analytic mind can resolve such
complexities an in my case my ability to take out the root cause of problem with my basic
knowledge and experience was established.
Business Skill : I have made the right choices from the available standard of solving such
problem as has been enumerated and have taken the right option without being biased with
the general opinion. This proves my skill on Information technology networking as my ability
to deal with issues as an IT Engineer as a whole. The business skills encompasses my ability
to deal with the particular business of Information technology with its gamut of every day
issues and complexities.
Enumerating from the above case it can be establish that I can claim the competence in terms
of skill, knowledge and attitude in solving issues of the information technology problems

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