The Art of Network Engineering

Radia Perlman, legendary computer scientist who invented Spanning Tree Protocol, shares sharp historical and technical perspectives. She explains why many networking problems stem from solving the wrong thing. Short, thought-provoking takes cover Ethernet’s original intent, why Spanning Tree was a stopgap, blurred Layer 2/3 lines, BGP’s real role, and risks around quantum and AI.

Gregory Grimes, a wireless networking engineer who specializes in Wi‑Fi technologies, walks through Wi‑Fi evolution and real deployment experience. He breaks down Wi‑Fi 7 features like wider channels, OFDMA resource units, and multi‑link operation. They discuss where Wi‑Fi 7 truly matters — high‑density venues, AR/VR, and specialized enterprise cases — and when upgrades can wait.

Mike Bushong, a pragmatic network engineer who brings operational perspective. John Capobianco, Head of AI & DevRel at Itencho and MCP proponent. They explore why automation adoption lags. They unpack LLMs, RAG, agentic workflows and MCP. They advise a safe read-only, human-in-the-loop hello world: connect AI to NetBox/Nautobot and build from there.

Josh Morris, longtime St. Jude network engineer focused on campus access, security, and automation. Remington Luce, strategic architect shaping high-performance research and clinical networking. They discuss research vs clinical data demands. They explain connecting custom instruments, packet-level troubleshooting, DPUs and visibility, guest Wi‑Fi for patients, automation, and AI/HPC needs for pediatric research.

Erika Dietrick, developer and educator behind the Learn to Code with AI series and Cisco DevNet contributor. She outlines a three-level course: programmatic thinking, AI as a learning accelerator, and responsible code generation. Short, practical lessons aim to make coding approachable for CLI-focused engineers. Topics include using AI wisely, learning libraries for network automation, and building confidence through hands-on labs.

Yvonne Sharp is an expert in managing the human side of technical projects, while Mike Bouchong advises engineers on bridging the gap between tech and business. They discuss why engineers often struggle to illustrate the business value of their work and emphasize that most project failures stem from people issues, not technical ones. Healthy escalation practices are highlighted alongside the importance of concise communication and ownership. Yvonne shares a light-hearted story about using cheesecake to build crucial networks, all underscoring the need for strong relationships in project success.

Colin Doyle, a network engineering practitioner and speaker, dives into the crucial art of technical communication. He shares tips on enhancing public speaking, such as embracing silence and structuring talks for audience retention. Colin also addresses the slow adoption of network automation, citing tooling fragmentation as a barrier and advocating for Python as a beginner-friendly language. He reframes overlays like EVPN/VXLAN as transformative for intent-based networking, shifting focus from configuration to assurance, making this conversation a vital resource for engineers looking to elevate their skills.

Russ White, a seasoned network architect with expertise in routing protocols, and Mike Bushong, a practical network engineer, dive deep into the world of IS-IS. They explore why BGP dominates but often lacks flexibility, the architectural benefits of separating underlay and overlay networks, and the simplicity of IS-IS. The discussion highlights the declining deep protocol knowledge among engineers, the operational risks involved, and why IS-IS could be the underrated hero of modern data centers. Hands-on tips and resources for learning IS-IS also make an appearance!

Kevin Myers, an experienced network engineer and architect, shares his extensive knowledge on vendor selection and building effective networks. He emphasizes the importance of starting with business requirements before diving into vendor choices. The discussion covers the complexities of multi-vendor environments and the hidden costs associated with them. Kevin also highlights how understanding business outcomes can drive better technical design, offering insights on whitebox networking and its implications for modern network architecture.

William Collins, a Cloud and NetOps expert and speaker, dives into pivotal themes in today’s tech landscape. He highlights the AWS US-East-1 outage, challenging the notion that cloud services guarantee resiliency without strategy. William shares insights on public speaking, noting its power to boost careers through storytelling and effective Q&A. He also demystifies the Model Context Protocol (MCP), explaining its role in standardizing connections for tools and LLMs, streamlining workflows while ensuring secure access. Perfect for anyone eager to enhance their tech and communication skills!