ABOUT / ANDRE TURNER
I build to understand.
Then I share what helps.
I’m Andre. I work in networking and I’m building deeper expertise in Azure and hybrid cloud. Technology hasn’t always clicked quickly for me. Building helps me connect the pieces.
EncorAI is where I share practical lessons, visual explanations and projects that make difficult ideas easier to work through.
WHY I KEEP BUILDING
Learning took
more than one route.
I earned my bachelor’s in computer technology. After graduating, I still didn’t understand the material. Getting into IT wasn’t easy either. Certifications took work, and some exams took more than one attempt.
I used a range of study resources, including Boson, Cisco U, Udemy and other courses. Building gave me another way to connect the pieces: break an idea down, work through it and see what actually happens.
That became the reason for EncorAI. Not to make learning look effortless, but to make the next step clearer.
The path wasn’t a straight line.
SELECTED MILESTONESThese are milestones along the way, not a claim that I’ve figured everything out. Open any chapter to read more.
2018The foundation, then the search.
DEGREE & PRACTICAL LEARNING
I earned my bachelor’s in computer technology. I had completed the degree, but I didn’t yet understand the material. Getting an IT role wasn’t straightforward. Before landing my help desk job, I attended networking workshops to build more practical understanding.
2019Start with the person and the problem.
HELP DESK
I joined the help desk without any certifications. Working through real problems gave the theory context, while I studied for Network+. I wanted to understand what was happening beyond the screen, not just follow a fix.
2020–2021Progress, and the next gap.
NETWORK+ · SECURITY+ · NETWORK ADMINISTRATION
I earned Network+ in 2020 and Security+ in 2021, and moved into network administration in 2021. Those were important steps, but earning a certification didn’t mean everything suddenly clicked. Learning more kept revealing the next gap.
2023–2025Cloud still depends on the network.
AZURE · SENIOR NETWORK ADMINISTRATION · CCNA
I was drawn to cloud and earned Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate in December 2023. But I couldn’t skip the networking underneath it. I moved into a more senior network administration role in 2024 and earned CCNA in January 2025. I kept working on the foundations that connected those areas.
MAY 2026Change how I learn, not just how long I study.
ENTERPRISE CORE
ENCOR challenged me. I failed it multiple times, and repeating the same approach wasn’t enough. I started building a study portal, working through labs and breaking difficult ideas into smaller pieces I could see and test. Gradually, the connections became clearer. I passed ENCOR in May.
SEP 2026An earned milestone. Not the finish line.
CCNP ENTERPRISE
I completed Enterprise Cloud Connectivity and earned CCNP Enterprise. Connecting enterprise networks to the cloud brought together the areas I wanted to understand more deeply. That achievement matters to me. So does remembering what it took to get there.
NOWMake the learning useful to someone else.
BUILDING & SHARING
My focus is networking and Azure hybrid cloud, with automation and secure AI infrastructure as the direction I’m building toward. EncorAI brings that work together: labs, visual walkthroughs and projects that document what I’m learning. I’m still developing my skills, and I want the material to help someone working through the same questions.
How I work through something difficult.
- 01Question
- 02Visual explanation
- 03Lab
- 04Check
- 05Lesson
I start with something I don’t fully understand. I break it down, build or test it, and document what the evidence shows. When I find a mistake, I correct the explanation.
Other places I keep learning
Courses, YouTube, workshops, conferences and Cisco Live have all been part of my learning. The useful ideas still need to come back to the lab, where I can work through them myself.
A systems instinct beyond IT
That interest wasn’t limited to networking. Managing Airbnb properties meant connecting booking platforms, pricing tools, operations and finances. I enjoyed seeing the pieces work together and knowing what was actually happening.
I bring that same instinct here: understand the process, connect the tools and make the result easier to use.
WHAT I’M WORKING ON
Build depth, one connection at a time.
Strengthen the foundations.
Understand the path, the protocols and what a troubleshooting test really proves.
Explore networking →Connect the environments.
Work through how enterprise networks and cloud resources fit together.
See the lab →Make useful work repeatable.
Develop the scripts and processes that make practical work easier to repeat and check.
Explore the direction →Secure AI infrastructure is a longer-term direction I’m building toward, not something I’m claiming to have mastered.
AWAY FROM THE LAB
A little more about me.
Outside the lab, I enjoy soccer, cycling, video games and a good book. Learning is a big part of my life, but it isn’t the whole picture.
A few of my favorite books
- Think and Grow RichMy all-time favorite.
- The Compound Effect
- The Richest Man in Babylon
- Profit First
Personal reading favorites, not a technical curriculum or a promise of results.
START WITH SOMETHING USEFUL
Your path doesn’t have
to look like mine.
If a concept takes a few tries to understand, you’re welcome here. Start with the foundations or follow the first practical lesson.