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About COMPNET Services
COMPNET Services was started in 2003 with one mission in mind, To help clients feel confident about their computers and networks for their homes and offices.
With computers constantly changing and moving faster, it can seem somewhat intimidating when trying to find the right system for your needs. We at COMPNET Services are ready, willing and able to help with all your questions, comments and concerns. From breaking down the top brands, to the right operating system, to gaming or data entry, we are here to help you.
Looking to setup a network in your home or office? Not sure whether to go Wired or Wireless? Have a specific budget that needs to be kept?
Lisle Brathwaite is the owner and lead technician at COMPNET Services since 2003. Born and raised in St. Croix, USVI, Lisle had a curiosity and understanding of computers at a young age.
"When I was around 9 years old, my mother bought an IBM PS/2 and I couldn't get help but try and figure out how it worked. So I took some tools I found around the house, opened the computer and starting pulling chips, cables and looking around. Of course my mother wasn't too happy about that and got my butt handed to me until I put it back together, but that sparked my interest from that point on."
Following the introduction to computers, Lisle went to some local computer stores and saw how computers looked and worked. The technicians at the time were more than happy to show him the ropes.
"I thank those techs to this very day. They let me play with floppy drives, motherboards; I even built my first computer. Of course it couldn't leave the store but I loved the fact that they let me play with it."
Soon, Lisle went to a few offices around St. Croix and helped troubleshoot simple problems and even worked for free just to get experience. Lisle's love of computers sent him to the Air Force after high school. Due to a knee injury during basic, he was sent back to St. Croix where he began his college career at the University of the Virgin Islands studying Computer Programming.
"Programming was cool and I had a knack for it, but I really wanted to be hands on. I liked working with my hands inside a computer instead of behind a keyboard programming."
While attending UVI, he was the first technical support person at VIAccess. There he took calls for customers unable to get on the Internet using Dial up Access.
“I walked into the VIAccess office one day and for no reason, I told the owner at the time that I wanted to be his technical support. He gave me a tryout right on the spot and about six minutes later, he asked me how much do I want. VIAccess taught me how to interact with clients in a professional manner. Fixing the issue was one thing, but helping the client through it and making them comfortable about using their computer was the most rewarding part of the job.”
One year later, Lisle would go on to Radio Shack where he met the person who pointed his potential in the right direction.
“I met Jerry Smith, who is now the owner of Broadband VI, a wireless Internet company in the Virgin Islands. At the time, I was working on the floor as a sales rep for Radio Shack and I wanted to be in the back fixing computers that came in for repair. He saw this and for a time, allowed me to do that but I still needed to be on the floor. One day, he and my mom ganged up on me and told me that I need to go DeVRY. They thought that I was wasting my talents at UVI. Next day, I met the recruiter, took the entrance exam and I was in. To this day, I see Jerry as the one who helped guide me this far and taught me to go farther.”
Lisle moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended DeVRY University in Decatur. There he honed his skills with computers, and added data networking. Also, while attending, Lisle worked as a help desk technician for the campus.
“I was surrounded by the technology and tools that made me curious as a child. The saying “kid in a candy store” fit perfectly. I setup routers, switches, hubs, computers, phones; I was in heaven.”
A year before graduation, Lisle got a full time position at Access General Insurance where he did help desk support, data backup and recovery, and computer hardware support for employees. Also, Lisle worked as a Dell install team for a few government agencies. Lisle graduated from DeVRY with a Bachelors Degree in Telecommunications Management.
While in Atlanta, Lisle felt that as good and productive as things were going, he needed to come home.
“The money was good, and I loved every moment. Ultimately though, I wanted to come home because I wanted to open my own little repair shop and show kids how to fix computers the same way I learned. Plus I was getting phone calls from home of people asking how to fix their computer issues over the phone. So I told my family my plan, gave my notice to Access General and moved back to St. Croix. At first, everyone thought I was out of my mind, and I even wondered what I was doing when I was at the airport, but when I landed on St. Croix, and five minutes later got my first phone call asking for help, I knew that this was what I needed to do.”
Ever since that day, Lisle Brathwaite has opened his own consulting business called COMPNET Services where to this day, clients from all over St. Croix ask for his help and expertise in computers and networks.
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