Hands-On IT Support.
Verified Systems Troubleshooting.

I operate a Windows Server Active Directory domain, maintain monitored Linux infrastructure, and build AWS applications. My project write-ups document troubleshooting steps, fixes, and verification—not just installations.

Currently completing a B.S. in Software Engineering at Western Governors University while building practical infrastructure and support experience through a dedicated homelab, AWS projects, and ongoing study of systems administration and cloud operations.

Home server rack and homelab workspace

Featured Projects

Hands-on infrastructure, support, and cloud work
ByteGeist AD homelab topology diagram — DC01, FILE01, OPNsense, WIN11-01

ByteGeist Windows Server Lab

Windows Server 2022 Active Directory lab in VMware: domain controller with AD DS and DNS, member file server with role-based SMB shares, Windows 11 domain client, and an OPNsense firewall segmenting the networks. Audited and fixed real problems (PDC time source, stale event log) via PowerShell and WinRM.

View Lab Details
ByteGeist Support Lab — live app screenshot

ByteGeist Support Lab

An interactive IT troubleshooting application on AWS (Amplify, Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB) with React. Realistic support incidents, command-line workflows, diagnosis, resolution, and scoring.

View Live Site
ByteGeist Infrastructure Lab live control plane showing host telemetry, container health, and service status

ByteGeist Infrastructure Lab

A self-hosted Hetzner Ubuntu environment running Docker-based services with Prometheus, node_exporter, cAdvisor, Grafana, Loki, Authentik, Gitea, Woodpecker CI, TLS routing, and a sanitized live status API. Built to practice deployment, monitoring, identity, security, recovery, and day-to-day infrastructure operations.

View Live Control Plane
AWS Cloud Study Tracker — live app screenshot

AWS Cloud Study Tracker

A serverless AWS CRUD application built with Amplify, API Gateway, Lambda, DynamoDB, and IAM. Used to practice AWS serverless architecture, permissions, and least-privilege access.

View Live Site

Technical Skills

Tools demonstrated in the linked projects

Windows & Identity

Windows Server 2022, Active Directory, DNS, domain joins, SMB/NTFS permissions

See Windows Server lab

Linux & Infrastructure

Ubuntu, Docker Compose, TLS routing, Prometheus, Grafana, Loki

See infrastructure lab

Cloud & Automation

AWS IAM, Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, Amplify; PowerShell, Bash, Git

See AWS project

Support & Diagnostics

TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS troubleshooting, secure-channel repair, access control, incident isolation

See case studies

Certifications & Credentials

Verified credentials issued through Credly

Troubleshooting Case Studies

Observed issues, diagnostic work, and verified outcomes
Windows Server 2022 · Time Services

PDC Emulator using its local CMOS clock

Problem: An AD domain controller reported Local CMOS Clock as its time source. Unreliable domain time can lead to Kerberos clock-skew failures.

Action: Checked the source with w32tm, configured external NTP peers, restarted Windows Time, and resynchronized.

Result: Verified time.windows.com as the source, stratum 5.

See commands and verification
Windows 11 · Active Directory

Restoring a broken domain secure channel

Problem: WIN11-01 was bridged onto the physical LAN and could not reach DC01 on the VMware NAT subnet. Trust repair initially failed.

Action: Changed the VM network to NAT, pointed client DNS at DC01, and repaired the machine-account trust.

Result: Test-ComputerSecureChannel returned True; nltest located DC01 successfully.

See audit evidence

About

Background and focus
Keith Casko

Keith Casko — Kalamazoo, Michigan

I'm transitioning into IT, cloud, and systems administration while completing a B.S. in Software Engineering at Western Governors University. My focus is practical, hands-on infrastructure work: Windows Server and Active Directory, Linux, AWS, Docker, networking, and technical troubleshooting.

My professional background is at Costco Wholesale as a Baker. The job is production-paced and team-based, and it's where I developed the habits I bring to IT work — customer service, teamwork, training coworkers, process discipline, prioritization, and real-world problem-solving under pressure.

Education & Experience

Current study and professional background

Western Governors University

Bachelor of Science, Software Engineering · In Progress

Relevant Study

  • Cloud Computing
  • Networking
  • IT Operations
  • Software Development
  • Java
  • Web Development
  • Security Fundamentals

Costco Wholesale — Baker

June 2015 – Present

Transferable Experience

  • High-volume production environment
  • Accuracy and process discipline
  • Prioritization under time pressure
  • Day-to-day troubleshooting of equipment and workflows
  • Coordinating with team members and supervisors
  • Training coworkers on procedures
  • Customer service and clear communication
  • Problem solving and follow-through

Open to IT Support, Help Desk, and Junior SysAdmin roles

Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan — available on-site, hybrid, or remote.

keith.casko@gmail.com