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Packet Pushers
N4N041: Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB)
If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB), today’s show is for you! Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky start with some history and the basics of communication between layer 2 and layer 3 and then explain how the concepts of SVI and IRB... Read more »PP083: A CISO’s Perspective on Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source protocol that enables AI agents to connect to data, tools, workflows, and other agents both within and outside of enterprise borders. As organizations dive head-first into AI projects, MCP and other agentic protocols are being quickly adopted. And that means security and network teams need to understand how... Read more »HW063: Designing a Wireless-First Office
A wireless-first office is a sensible goal these days when most laptops don’t have an Ethernet port and lots of devices use Wi-Fi. Wireless and network architect Phil Sosaya led the transition to wireless-first offices at sites across the globe. He details his design approach, including why he doesn’t bother with site survey software. He... Read more »TNO046: Prisma AIRS: Securing the Multi-Cloud and AI Runtime (Sponsored)
Multi-cloud, automation, and AI are changing how modern networks operate and how firewalls and security policies are administered. In today’s sponsored episode with Palo Alto Networks, we dig into offerings such as CLARA (Cloud and AI Risk Assessment) that help ops teams gain more visibility into the structure and workflows of their multi-cloud networks. We... Read more »TCG060: Rockets, Networks, and Markets With Michael Reid
Michael Reid went from studying aerospace engineering to becoming CEO at Megaport, a global network-as-a-service platform. How did he get there, and what can we learn from his journey? We walk his career path, including a pivotal role scaling ThousandEyes from 74 million to over 2.4x ARR post-acquisition, and how those experiences shaped his approach to... Read more »NAN103: The Evolution of Multi-Cloud Networking
We’re thrilled to welcome Tim McConnaughy back to the podcast. Tim is a hybrid cloud network architect, author, and co-host of the Cables to Cloud podcast. He recently wrote a 5-part blog series titled ‘Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road’ that reflects on his career path, including his decision to leave a startup. We discuss the impetus... Read more »PP082: Building a Workable Mobile Security Strategy In a World of Risky Apps
Today we’re bringing back one of our favorite guests — Akili Akridge. He’s a former Baltimore cop who transitioned to building and leading mobile offense and defense teams for federal agencies and Fortune 100s. These days he’s a straight-talking expert on all things mobile security. We’re digging into mobile threats, why they keep CISOs up... Read more »HS114: In or Out? Deciding Which IT Functions to Bring In or Push Out
In times of major change–whether in IT or the economy–organizations should take a fresh look at their sourcing strategy. Companies outsourcing key functions need to re-examine the reasoning and scrutinize the results. The same goes for in-house functions. IT leaders need to ask: is our sourcing strategy in line with our current corporate and IT... Read more »
TNO045: IP and Optical Integration: Automation Across Layers
LightRiver has software and service products focused on the automation, optimization, and simplification of multi-layer, multi-vendor, and multi-generation networking. Today we have a team from LightRiver lead by Jim Brinksma to help explain how LightRiver is advancing automation in optical and bridging the gap between the IP and optical layers. They discuss the challenges, obstacles... Read more »N4N040: Mock Interview for a Network Administration Job
The job interview is an inescapable part of a career journey. Today on N Is For Networking, we conduct a mock interview with a candidate who’s applying for a junior network administration role. The goal is to give Toni Mrowetz, our candidate, feedback. At the same time, we hope this helps anyone listening who might... Read more »PP081: News Roundup – BRICKstorm Backdoor Targets Network Appliances, GitHub Unveils Supply Chain Defense Plans
From a massive SIM farm takedown to dealing with supply chain attacks targeting npm, our news roundup provides context and commentary on a fresh crop of security news. We discuss exploits against Cisco firewalls and switches, a SonicWall firmware update to remove a rootkit targeting its SMA 100, and GitHub’s plans to harden npm packages.... Read more »HW062: Designing Access Points For the Enterprise
When vendors design and build enterprise Wi-Fi access points, they must balance performance and cost. With the help of guest Rosalie Bibona, Product Management Director for Wireless Hardware at Extreme Networks, we get a peek into the technical decisions that go into creating enterprise Wi-Fi access points. We talk about how every choice, from radio... Read more »TNO044: Inside a Global Enterprise Data Center Network Migration (Sponsored)
Today we get an inside look at a major data center migration that Nokia is undertaking. Nokia is our sponsor for today’s episode. The company is moving legacy sets of data center networking equipment to its own Event Driven Automation (EDA) solution. We go behind the scenes of Nokia’s own IT department, which is supporting... Read more »TCG059: From Source of Truth to Knowledge Graph – Rethinking Network Data
Network automation has a data problem. Traditional tools may hit limitations when managing complex infrastructure relationships. We explore how OpsMill’s InfraHub uses graph databases and temporal versioning to create what our guest calls “the knowledge graph of infrastructure” – enabling true version control at the database level while maintaining the flexibility to model anything from... Read more »NAN102: Practical Applications for AI in Network Automation
As AI becomes more integrated into the IT landscape, developers, engineers, and operators are looking for practical ways to use these new tools. Joining us today is Ryan Booth; he’s built a career around network automation, giving him a unique perspective on how network engineering, operations, software development, and AI intersect. We explore the practical... Read more »PP080: The State of OT Risks in 2025 (and What to Do About Them)
What does the risk environment for Operational Technology (OT) look like in 2025? JJ and Drew review four recent reports on the state of OT security from Dragos, Fortinet, and others. We discuss ransomware impacts, ongoing risks of RDP traffic, directly exposed OT devices, and overall attack trends and the tools and processes that organizations... Read more »HS113: Bad Tech Romance: Five Signs You’re In an Abusive IT Relationship
Sure, some days you hate your job. But how do you know when an IT position has gone from being run-of-the-mill annoying to truly toxic? And what do you do about it? Johna Johnson and John Burke are joined by Sandy Miller, a pseudonym for a CIO at a major global company who talks about... Read more »