The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss significant vulnerabilities in HPE APs and Cisco Catalyst 9K switches, the benefits of bug bounties, how HPE is adding third-party device monitoring to Aruba Central, and whether Arista can succeed at positioning CloudVision as a management platform for enterprise data center, campus, and WAN environments. Alkira’s cloud... Read more »

Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE, brings together networking and cloud-delivered security services. On today’s Tech Bytes podcast we with talk with sponsor Fortinet about Unified SASE; that is, where a single provider offers both the networking and cloud elements of the service. We discuss essential elements of Unified SASE, Fortinet’s notion of sovereign SASE,... Read more »

The Packet Pushers and guest Mason Reimert discuss strategies he’s using to prepare for the Cisco CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab exam. Mason shares practical tips for hands-on labbing for both established and emerging technologies like SD-WAN and SD-Access, resource management, virtualization tools, and automation. He also highlights the importance of understanding APIs, data formats, and... Read more »

The concept of psychological safety originated from research on surgical teams. Psychological safety is essential as it allows team members to voice concerns without fear of retaliation. As a leadership tool, it can help people perform at their highest levels. In this episode of Technically Leadership, guest Wesley Faulkner talks with host Laura Santamaria about... Read more »

GitHub Codespaces aims to simplify spinning up a developer environment in the cloud. Containerlab, which provides virtual lab environments for network engineers, is now integrated with Codespaces to make it easy to set up and share network labs. On today’s Network Automation Nerds show, we delve into this innovative use of GitHub Codespaces and containerlab... Read more »

Today on Packet Protector we get into BGP security. BGP is an essential protocol for directing traffic across the Internet, but it wasn’t designed with bad actors in mind, not to mention plain old configuration mistakes. Without additional controls in place, BGP is susceptible to issues such as route leaks and route hijacks that can... Read more »

Network veteran Russ White joins the Heavy Strategy team for a rousing discussion on why protocols fail, how much complexity is too much, why “premature optimization is the root of all evil” (Donald Knuth) and why architects should always remember to think about state. Episode Guest: Russ White, Senior Architect, Akamai Technologies For the last... Read more »

Today on the Tech Bytes podcast we talk about GenAI apps. From search to software development to video creation, Generative AI tools are widely available as standalone apps and are being bundled into enterprise applications. Whether you want them or not, GenAI apps are out there and running wild. On today’s show, sponsored by Palo... Read more »

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Microsoft’s proposed deal to buy power from the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, new APs and switches from Juniper Networks, and T-Mobile landing a customer driven by the network slicing capabilities of 5G. China disbands a botnet, Nokia takes on data center switch giants with a new... Read more »

IPv6 Buzz welcomes back Nick Buraglio, a frequent guest, to discuss RFC 9637. We get into the details of RFC 9637, which describes the new documentation prefix space for IPv6. We also explore the process of how RFCs go from idea to standard in the IETF. (Cue the “I’m Just a Bill” song from Schoolhouse... Read more »

AI is everywhere. So are questions about AI’s value, how it really works, and how it will affect technology. Hannah Foxwell aims to demystify AI via a new conference, AI for the Rest of Us, taking place October 24-25, 2024 in London. Hannah hopes to create a collaborative learning environment. In today’s Day Two DevOps... Read more »

Today on Packet Protector we look at cloud firewall architectures. If you’ve deployed firewalls in the campus or a data center, it’s useful to know that there are differences in the public cloud. We’ll dive into what you need to know, including deployment options, the role of high availability in public cloud, selecting the right... Read more »

In today’s episode, guest Cheryl Connell joins host Keith Parsons to talk about the eduroam Visitor Access (eVA) system. Cheryl explains that eVA is a free add-on for institutions with an existing eduroam setup, allowing them to create temporary usernames and passwords for guests without needing a separate guest network. They discuss the challenges of... Read more »

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss the theft of 440Gbytes of customer data from a Fortinet cloud repository, how to think about resiliency after an AT&T network update kills access to Azure apps, and new troubleshooting features in Juniper Apstra. HPE goes to the bond market to raise as much as $6.5 billion... Read more »

On today’s episode, we cover open source Clabernetes, a tool that allows you to run Containerlab on Kubernetes. Containerlab provides a CLI for orchestrating and managing container-based networking labs. It starts the containers, builds a virtual wiring between them to create lab topologies of your choice and manages the lab’s lifecycle. We discuss the answer... Read more »

IT work requires ongoing training and skills development. Laura Santamaria and guest Scott Robohn discuss strategies for leveling up your team to ensure they have the skills they need. Laura and Scott talk about the need for continuous learning and explore options for encouraging skill development, even in budget-constrained environments. Good leaders should guide by... Read more »

This episode was recorded with Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, just days before his retirement in July 2024. Greg and Eric reflect on Greg’s influential career in network engineering and the evolution of the industry. Greg discusses the challenges of maintaining open-source projects amid increasing commercialization and corporate exploitation. He emphasizes the importance of... Read more »

Today’s Packet Protector is an all-news episode. We cover the Volt Typhoon hacker group exploiting a zero-day in Versa Networks gear and a multitude of vulnerabilities in Zyxel network products. We also debate whether Microsoft’s endpoint security summit will be more than a public relations exercise, a serious backdoor in RFID cards used in offices... Read more »

The low-code/no-code movement means business users who aren’t programmers can create software. This capability might make these citizen coders more efficient and productive, but could also pose risks due to a lack of formal training in software development and security. Is citizen coding a boon or bane to business? Johna Johnson and John Burke discuss... Read more »

Take a Network Break! This week we cover an AT&T lawsuit against Broadcom over changes to a support contract for VMware software, why Verizon is spending $20 billion to buy Frontier, and new critical security patches from Cisco. ASML, which makes the machines that make high-end computer chips, gets antsy over US restrictions to China.... Read more »

On today’s episode of Heavy Networking, Rob Sherwood joins us to discuss the impact that High Performance Computing (HPC)and artificial intelligence computing are having on data center network design. It’s not just a story about leaf/spine architecture. That’s the boring part. There’s also power and cooling issues, massive bandwidth requirements, and changes in how we... Read more »

Our series on IPv6 basics continues with Router Advertisements (RAs) within the Neighbor Discovery Protocol. We look at how hosts bootstrap onto a network using ICMPv6, discuss the timing of sending out an RA, and then cover the configuration of RAs, including key flags and options. We also talk about the importance of understanding the... Read more »

Cloud security and responsible disclosure are the focus of today’s conversation with guest Kat Traxler. Kat shares her insights on identifying vulnerabilities in cloud services, particularly Google Cloud, and the importance of curiosity in her research. The episode explores the role of bug bounty programs and the shift towards issuing CVEs for cloud vulnerabilities. Lastly,... Read more »

In this episode of Heavy Wireless, host Keith Parsons and guest Tom Hollingsworth delve into the “experience paradox” in the tech industry: to get experience, you need to have experience. They highlight the disconnect between job requirements and candidates’ actual experience. Tom emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning, home labs, and making mistakes as essential... Read more »

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a couple of listener FUs, and then dive into the news. Attackers exploit a zero-day in Versa to harvest credentials, AT&T agrees to a fine of nearly $1 million for a network outage that affected 911 calls, and Intel and Broadcom tout integrated optics for more broadband... Read more »

Today on the Tech Bytes podcast: network observability. SuzieQ is an open-source project that collects, normalizes, stores, and analyzes multi-vendor network data. This data becomes a foundation for network observability and automation. We talk with Dinesh Dutt, creator of SuzieQ and founder of Stardust Systems, which makes a commercial version of SuzieQ. Stardust Systems is... Read more »

On today’s Packet Protector we talk about how to talk about security objectives in ways that resonate with business and non-technical leaders in your organization. Tying security objectives to business outcomes can help you maintain (or increase) budgets, build trust and credibility with executives, and better align your risk management efforts with the organization’s broader... Read more »

Our Heavy Networking guest today is Hans Driessens, and we sat down at AutoCon1 to talk through some of his network automation projects. Hans shares his journey from a service engineer to a consultant specializing in network automation. We discuss the evolution of programming languages, the importance of foundational programming skills, and the practicalities of... Read more »

On this episode of Technically Leadership, we talk about the philosophical underpinnings of leadership. We discuss what it means to hold and drive a vision for a technical organization, how to build a strong team culture, handling layoffs and letting people go, and exploring what philosophy can teach us about leadership. Guest Matt Butcher, CEO... Read more »

On today’s episode we delve into Internet2’s mission to advance research and education through high-speed connectivity. University and research networks may have more complicated designs, requirements, and restrictions than you’d expect. We talk about these challenges, along with innovative network automation solutions. The discussion emphasizes the collaborative, member-driven approach of Internet2 and its commitment to... Read more »

IT tends to divide itself by job function and technological specialization, especially as technology gets more complex. However, each IT domain is part of a larger system, and these systems require coordination and cooperation to operate effectively. On today’s Packet Protector we look at how and why Security Operations (SecOps) and Network Operations (NetOps) should... Read more »

AI seems to be changing everything, including your IT infrastructure. Do you have a strategic plan for your AI infrastructure? Today we discuss the merits and challenges of cloud computing, on-premises solutions, hybrid models, and edge computing along with the importance of low latency for real-time AI applications and the potential of edge computing in... Read more »

On today’s episode we delve into OSPF filtering. That is, how to filter routes from a device’s routing table in an OSPF environment. This is a tricky business, because OSPF requires an identical database on every device in an OSPF area. That means you can’t stop announcing a route from one OSPF router because you... Read more »

Take a Network Break! A US appeals court will let a privacy lawsuit against Google go forward, striking telecom workers are a reminder to test your resiliency planning, and AMD spends nearly $5 billion to acquire systems engineering talent from ZT Systems. Juniper Networks offers deep discounts and other enticements to get network engineers to... Read more »

Today on the Tech Bytes podcast we talk cloud storage. More specifically, we dive into why it’s time for NFS to sail off into the sunset, particularly for cloud datasets. Our guest is Tom Lyon, an industry legend who has delivered a talk entitled “NFS Must Die.” We talk with Tom about the strengths and weaknesses of NFS, the... Read more »

The move from IPv4 to IPv6 is not straightforward. In a world where use cases for both protocols exist, there needs to be some sort of transition. Dual stack is one option but “IPv6 mostly” is another. On today’s show, guest Ondřej Caletka from RIPE NCC explores transitioning to an IPv6-centric network while retaining IPv4... Read more »

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is today’s topic with guest Ed Harmoush. TLS plays a critical role in Internet security, and we dive into the differences between versions 1.2 and 1.3 In addition, Ed shares his journey into TLS, explains its components, and addresses common misconceptions about certificates and their validation processes. The episode also highlights... Read more »

On today’s Network Automation Nerds, we get into the infrastructure required to support AI workloads. We discuss key considerations including bandwidth, the substantial power and cooling requirements of AI infrastructure, and GPUs. We also talk about InfiniBand and Ethernet as network fabrics for AI workloads, cabling considerations, and more. This is a sponsored episode. Our... Read more »

In this episode of the Heavy Wireless podcast, we talk with Howard Buzick from American Bandwidth about the evolution and current state of wireless connections, particularly in guest network environments. We explore advancements in Wi-Fi technologies, the workings of Passpoint (formerly Hotspot 2.0), and the differences between Passpoint and Open Roaming. Howard explains how American... Read more »

Smartphones use Wi-Fi based Positioning Systems (WPSes) to collect data about nearby Wi-Fi access points and other wireless devices to help determine the phones’ geographic location. Researchers at the University of Maryland show how WPSes from Apple and Google can be used for mass surveillance of access points and, potentially, owners and users of those... Read more »

Take a Network Break! Hackers may have stolen millions of US Social Security numbers, HPE acquires a multi-cloud management company, and Cisco announces plans to lay off 7% of its employees. Pure Storage joins industry efforts to make Ethernet suitable for AI workloads by signing on to the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Texas Instruments will add... Read more »

Today’s episode of Heavy Networking comes to you from AutoCon1 in Amsterdam, recorded live on premises. In today’s network automation discussion, we cover abstraction layers with guest Jaakko Rautanen. Practically speaking, what are abstractions, and how do they help make your network automation project successful? We’ll also discuss some of our guest’s automation projects, how... Read more »

Today we spotlight an open-source project called FakeNOS. Whether you’re a network engineer looking to experiment in a controlled environment, or a DevOps engineer wanting to run a network testbed for your processes, you can use FakeNOS for your projects. My guests are FakeNOS creator Denis Mulyalin and the maintainer of this project, Enric Pitarch.... Read more »

To borrow a phrase first used in a military context, no tech strategy survives its first contact with real users. Today’s Heavy Strategy explores common mistakes executives make when developing and executing a technology plan. They include poor communication, making assumptions, not understanding a system’s architecture or dependencies, and more. Co-hosts Johna and Jerry draw... Read more »

Remote work is now a norm. And whether it’s a day or two at home every week, or relocating overseas so you can log in to the office from an Italian piazza or a beach in Thailand, there are lots of opportunities to do our jobs outside traditional workplaces. On today’s Packet Protector, we look... Read more »

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a judge’s ruling that Google is monopolist and potential outcomes, the HPE/Juniper acquisition clearing regulatory hurdles, and Microsoft flipping the bird at Delta’s legal threats. HPE Aruba Networking adds NDR for IoT devices, Fortinet fortifies its DLP capabilities via acquisition, Azure lets you stack logs in different... Read more »

Today we explore a network automation use case for configuration compliance in the face of never-ending common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVEs. If you can automate that compliance, you have a shot at keeping pace with the bots and attackers attempting to exploit those CVEs and breaching your network. Our guest is Rekha Shenoy, CEO... Read more »

Nathan Sherrard shares insights from his Cisco Live US sessions on today’s show. We discuss the current state of IPv6 adoption, adoption challenges, and the strategic importance of transitioning to IPv6. Nathan rounds out the show with IPv6 topics worth keeping an eye on. Episode Guest: Nathan Sherrard, Sales Engineer, Cisco Nathan Sherrard is a... Read more »

On today’s Day Two DevOps we talk with Jen Stone, a technical security assessor and aerial arts competition organizer. Jen shares her journey from IT service desk to becoming a security assessor. She emphasizes the importance of creativity and empathy in regulatory compliance while advocating for a collaborative approach to assessments and auditing Episode Guest:... Read more »

Today on Heavy Wireless we discuss the LATYS Focus device.This innovative RF technology amplifies and directs signals without traditional networking layers. Our guest is Artmiz Golkaramnay, Founder of LATYS. Artmiz explains the device’s functionality, which includes a directional antenna for focused signal amplification; its technical specifications; practical applications in industrial settings; cost benefits; and ease... Read more »