Network Engineer · Developer · Belgium

Flint
Fritzsche

Break · Fix · Replace · Automate

A dedicated Network Engineer who loves to programme — and a hobbyist who builds complete digital environments from enterprise switching to self-hosted AI, out of genuine passion.

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Flint Fritzsche
profile.jpg
LocationBelgium
Experience6+ years
AvailabilityOpen to projects
FocusNetworks · Infra · AI
SkillsProgramming · Networking
01 — About
Who I am & what I do

I'm Flint Fritzsche, a dedicated Network Engineer who loves to programme — and above all, a hobbyist who does this out of genuine passion. I have a unique blend of networking, programming and hands-on hardware work, including soldering and building electronics from scratch.

That combination lets me design, implement and optimise complex network infrastructures while understanding how modern hardware and electronic architecture fit into the bigger picture. I work across a wide range of technologies, which lets me tackle the real challenges of modern networking environments from every angle.

Outside of tech, I'm just as hands-on. I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, exploring new places while travelling, and I play chess — always looking for the most efficient path, whether on a board or in a network.

Plain terms: I built the equivalent of a company's entire IT department at home — private cloud, email, networking, security and AI — and operate it solo. Not for work. Because I enjoy it.
Chess — strategic thinking
Cooking
Travelling
Hardware & Soldering
Spoken languages
NL
Dutch native
Advanced
EN
English
Advanced
FR
French
Basic
DE
German
Basic
6+
Years hands-on
6
Lab Doc sections
5
Code languages
∞
Curiosity
02 — Languages
Code I write
88%
Bash
Advanced
Linux automation, server provisioning, CI/CD pipelines and network scripting.
72%
C
Advanced
Low-level systems programming, memory management and hardware-close code.
78%
C++
Advanced
Object-oriented programming, algorithms, Assembly integration and AI research.
85%
Python
Advanced
Scripting, data analysis, ML/AI pipelines, REST APIs and network automation.
80%
MySQL / SQL
Advanced
Database design, query optimisation, data integrity and backend integration.
03 — Career
My journey
2020 – 2023
CVO Verdieping
Linux, Web & Programming
CVO Verdieping · 2020 – 2023
  • Linux system administration and Bash scripting for task automation
  • Python for data processing, scripting and database integration
  • Web applications with HTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL — full front to back end
Key Skills Gained
Linux CLI
Full system control via command line — no GUI, pure terminal.
Bash Scripting
Automate repetitive tasks: backups, installs, service management.
Python
Scripts, data processing, REST APIs and database integration.
MySQL / SQL
Database design, queries and backend data management.
Web Development
HTML, CSS, PHP — full stack from design to server-side logic.
Package Management
apt, pip — managing dependencies and system packages on Linux.
Linux runs most of the world's servers. I learned to control it entirely through the command line — like driving a car without a steering wheel. The scripts I write automate hours of manual tasks in seconds.
BashPythonMySQLHTML/CSS/PHPLinux
2023 – 2025
Syntra-PXL Genk
Enterprise Network Engineering
Syntra-PXL Genk · Basic & Advanced · 2023 – 2025
  • Designed multi-VLAN architectures (Cisco & Aruba) — no default VLAN 1, management VLAN fully isolated
  • Configured LACP/LAG for redundancy and bandwidth between switches
  • DHCP per VLAN interface, BPDU Guard, PortFast and port security on all access ports
  • FortiGate firewall: object-based rules, VIP NAT, per-VLAN internet access control, inter-VLAN policies
  • Cisco, Juniper, Checkpoint: ACLs, zone-based security, multi-vendor environments
  • Ansible automation: push configs to all network devices without manual CLI
  • Python & Bash: auto-generate configs, parse device output, automate tasks
  • GNS3: full topology simulation before any production rollout
  • WireGuard VPN + Cloudflare Zero Trust — zero open inbound ports
Enterprise Network — Key Points
VLAN Segmentation
No default VLAN 1. Every device type in its own isolated zone. Security by design.
LACP / LAG
Link aggregation for redundancy and doubled uplink bandwidth. Auto failover.
FortiGate Firewall
Object rules, VIP NAT for inbound services, per-VLAN internet and inter-VLAN policies.
Ansible Automation
Push configs to all network devices automatically — no manual CLI per device.
Python & Bash
Auto-generate configs, parse device state, run bulk tasks across the network.
GNS3 Simulation
Every topology fully tested in virtual lab before touching production equipment.
Syntra-PXL · Basic Networking
Network Foundations
  • OSI & TCP/IP — every layer from cable to application
  • IP addressing & subnetting — IPv4, CIDR, network ranges
  • Switching — MAC tables, STP, VLANs, trunking
  • Routing — static routes, default gateway, inter-VLAN
  • DNS & DHCP — name resolution, auto IP assignment
  • Cisco IOS CLI — interface config, show commands
  • Topologies — star, mesh, hybrid network design
  • Juniper basics — JunOS CLI, routing fundamentals
Syntra-PXL · Advanced Networking
Enterprise & Automation
  • VLAN hardening — no VLAN 1, management isolation, port security
  • LACP / LAG — link aggregation, redundancy, failover
  • BPDU Guard & PortFast — edge port protection
  • FortiGate firewall — object rules, VIP NAT, per-VLAN policies
  • Ansible automation — push configs to all devices automatically
  • Python & Bash — automate tasks, generate configs, parse output
  • WireGuard VPN — secure remote access tunnels
  • GNS3 simulation — validate topologies before production
A network is like a city's road system. VLANs are separate lanes — servers, guests, cameras never share the same road. The firewall is the police deciding who goes where. Ansible is the robot that automatically applies all the rules to every device at once, instead of configuring each one manually.
Cisco IOSArubaFortiGateAnsiblePythonGNS3WireGuard
2026 – Present
U-Hasselt
Algorithms & AI Programming
Universiteit Hasselt · 2026 – Present
  • Algorithm design in C++ and Assembly: complexity analysis, sorting, graph algorithms
  • AI/ML with TensorFlow and PyTorch: machine learning pipelines, NLP models
  • Low-level programming in C: memory management, pointers, hardware-close code
Key Skills Gained
Algorithm Design
Sorting, graphs, Big-O complexity — writing efficient solutions from scratch.
C / C++
Object-oriented and low-level programming, memory management, performance.
Assembly
Directly programming the CPU — the lowest level language that exists.
Machine Learning
TensorFlow & PyTorch: building and training ML models from the ground up.
NLP
Natural language processing — teaching machines to understand text.
Data Structures
Trees, graphs, hash maps — the building blocks behind every fast application.
Algorithms are smart recipes for computers. Assembly is the language the processor itself speaks — the lowest level that exists. I learned from the highest level (AI that learns like humans) all the way down to direct hardware instructions. That full-stack understanding is rare.
C++CAssemblyTensorFlowPyTorchNLP
2023 – Present
Personal project
Full Infrastructure — Homelab
Own server & network · 2023 – present
  • Proxmox VE hypervisor: 195 GB RAM, 15 cores, PCIe GPU passthrough for AI workloads
  • 20+ VMs via Cloud-Init: automated OS provisioning, SSH keys and network config on first boot
  • Windows Server + Active Directory: domain management, DNS, DHCP and group policy
  • Complete CI/CD pipeline: Gitea → Drone CI, automated build/test/deploy
  • Local AI platform: Ollama, Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, MLflow — private, no cloud dependency
Key Skills Gained
Hypervisor / Virtualisation
Proxmox VE — running 20+ isolated VMs on one machine, GPU passthrough for AI.
Cloud-Init
Zero-touch VM deployment — OS, SSH keys and network fully configured on first boot.
Active Directory
Windows Server domain: centralised user management, DNS, DHCP and group policy.
Docker & Kubernetes
Container orchestration — running dozens of services efficiently and reliably.
CI/CD
Gitea + Drone CI: code automatically tested and deployed on every push.
Local AI
Ollama LLM, Stable Diffusion, MLflow — complete AI stack running on own hardware.
I built a mini data centre at home. Everything large companies outsource to Amazon or Google — storage, email, password management, streaming — runs locally on my own hardware. Fully private, fully in my control, fully automatic.
Proxmox VECloud-InitDocker/K8sActive DirectoryCI/CDOllama
04 — Projects
What I've built
01
Proxmox Homelab
Bare-metal Proxmox VE server (195 GB RAM, 15 cores, PCIe GPU). 20+ VMs via Cloud-Init, Windows Server with Active Directory, full self-hosted service stack.
A complete mini-cloud at home. All the services you normally pay Google or Amazon for run locally here — private, cheaper, full control.
NextcloudVaultwardenMailcowJellyfinGrafanaPortainer
Proxmox VECloud-InitDockerKubernetesWindows Server
Read in Lab Docs
02
Enterprise Network
Multi-VLAN network (Cisco + Aruba), LACP/LAG, FortiGate with inter-VLAN policies, VIP NAT, Cloudflare Zero Trust and WireGuard VPN.
Home network built like a bank's corporate network. Every device type in its own isolated zone. Nothing communicates unless explicitly permitted.
FortiGateCisco / ArubaLACP / LAGWireGuardPi-holeCloudflare
Read in Lab Docs
03
Local AI Platform
Ollama LLM inference, Stable Diffusion + ComfyUI, MLflow experiment tracking, Jupyter notebooks — all on own hardware with GPU acceleration.
A full AI lab on private hardware. Own private ChatGPT, own AI image generator, own model training — zero data to any cloud.
OllamaStable DiffusionComfyUIMLflowPyTorch / TF
Read in Lab Docs
04
Automation & CI/CD
Self-hosted Gitea, Drone CI for automated build/test/deploy pipelines, n8n workflow automation, Ansible for network config and Bash & Python provisioning scripts.
Everything runs automatically: new code is tested and deployed without touching anything. Network configs pushed to all devices at once.
GiteaDrone CIn8nAnsibleBash / Python
Read in Lab Docs
Deep technical reference
Every protocol, config and decision documented.
The Lab Docs are the full technical companion to this portfolio — VLAN tables, FortiGate rules, IPsec parameters, the complete network topology diagram, and an honest review of architectural choices. Each project above links straight into the relevant page.
01 Topology & Devices 02 Network Protocols 03 Security & Firewall 04 VPN & DDNS 05 Self-Hosted Services 06 Architectural Review
Open full Lab Docs
05 — Skills
What I work with
Proxmox VECisco IOSFortiGateLinuxPythonBashAnsible C / C++MySQLDockerKubernetesCloud-InitActive DirectoryVLAN / 802.1QLACP / 802.3adWireGuardCloudflare Zero TrustPi-holeNginx Proxy ManagerTensorFlowPyTorchOllamaStable DiffusionMLflowGiteaDrone CIn8nGrafanaPrometheusGNS3AssemblyHTML/CSS/PHPArubaJuniperCheckpointMLflowJupyterWindows Server
06 — Contact
Let's connect

I'm a student at U-Hasselt, currently learning the deeper theoretical side of computer science while running my homelab on the practical side. Open to internships, student jobs and side projects — anything where I can apply networking, infrastructure or programming skills in a real environment. Available for new challenges.

Download CV (PDF) Send Email Lab Documentation
Emailarrow@arrow12bit.com
GitHubarrow12-bit
LinkedInFlint Fritzsche
StatusStudent · open to opportunities
Credlyflint-fritzsche