The Art of Network Engineering
by Andy and Friends
The Art of Network Engineering blends technical insight with real-world stories from engineers, innovators, and IT pros. From data centers on cruise ships to rockets in space, we explore the people, tools, and trends shaping the future of networking, while keeping it authentic, practical, and human. We tell the human stories behind network engineering so every engineer feels seen, supported, and inspired to grow in a rapidly changing industry. For more information, check out https://artofnetworkengineering.com
Episodes
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Why Network Engineers Are Built for the AI Era
What if network engineers are starting on third base in the AI era? While others are learning how complex systems communicate, how to troubleshoot failures, and how to validate results, network engineers have spent years doing exactly that. In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy...
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From Ethernet to AI: Earning a Network Engineer’s Trust
What does new technology have to prove before you trust it with your network? Scott Robohn joins Andy Lapteff for a conversation about earning trust, from Ethernet interoperability and vendor bake-offs to network automation and AI. Recorded at Networking Field Day 41, they explore how explicit...
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AI, Systems Thinking, and the Future of Network Engineers
AI can write code, troubleshoot systems, build applications, analyze telemetry, and increasingly take actions on our behalf. So what happens to humans? In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy sits down with Ryan Booth to explore what becomes more valuable as AI gets better at…
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The Network Automation Paradox - You Need Time To Save Time
Everyone says network engineers need to automate. Learn Python. Learn Ansible. Build a source of truth. Learn Git. Test your changes. Stop doing everything manually. There’s just one problem: When? At AutoCon 5 in Munich, Andy Lapteff sits down with Dutch network automation consultants Bart...
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The Power Of Curiosity | Drew Conry-Murray
How does an English major with no technical background become one of the most recognizable voices in network engineering? Drew Conry-Murray didn't start his career configuring routers, chasing certifications, or working in a NOC. He started as a copy editor who barely understood the networking...
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Stop Vibe Coding: Start Spec-Driven Development, with John Capobianco
John Capobianco is back, and this time the two of us are sitting in Munich building a subnetting game from scratch, live, with spec-driven development. I've been vibe coding automations for the show for about six months. Some of it works. A lot of it falls over, and I've spent too many late…
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500 Hours of Foosball, 20 Hours on Your Career | Mike Bushong on Staying Valuable
How much time did you invest in your career last year? At AutoCon 5 in Munich, Andy sits down with Mike Bushong for a candid conversation about career growth, automation, AI, and staying valuable as network engineering continues to change. Mike pushes back on one of the industry's most common...
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Cursor for Network Engineers? Meet Transit AI (Sponsored)
AI is rapidly changing software development, but why are network engineers still hesitant to trust it? In this sponsored episode, Andy welcomes back CBT Nuggets trainer and Data Knox creator Knox Hutchinson to discuss the intersection of AI, networking, and modern operations. Before building...
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whoami: Network Engineering's Identity Crisis
In Linux, the whoami command returns the identity of the current user. But what happens when engineers ask that same question about themselves? Who am I if I am no longer the person who knows every command? Who am I if automation can perform the work I spent years mastering? Who am I if AI can...
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The Biggest Myth About Open Source
Does making your code public mean giving away your best ideas? It's a question more developers are asking as AI makes software creation more accessible than ever. After spending decades believing software development wasn't for him, Andy Lapteff has spent the last several months building real...
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Why Most Network Designs Are Flawed
Andy Lapteff sits down with network architect James Bensley at AutoCon 5 in Munich to explore the realities of service provider networking, architecture, automation, and standards development. James shares his path from support engineer to architect, explains how network designs evolve, and...
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From Network Engineer to Product Marketing: A Career Path for Communicators
What happens when a network engineer realizes their biggest strength isn’t just technology, it’s communication? In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down with Patrick McCabe to discuss the transition from network engineering into product marketing and other...
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Networking for AI: Why Every Network Engineer Should Pay Attention in 2026
AI infrastructure is reshaping networking faster than most engineers realize. In this episode, Andy Lapteff sits down with Scott Robohn to discuss why traditional network engineers should start paying attention to AI networking, GPU infrastructure, and the massive changes happening inside modern...
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Why Most Engineers Struggle to Build Visibility (And How to Change That)
Andy Lapteff sits down in person with Tom Hollingsworth ahead of Networking Field Day 40 for a wide-ranging conversation about Tech Field Day, what makes a great delegate, how great technical conversations happen, and why curiosity remains one of the most important traits in networking. Tom…
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Tech Careers Are Built on Relationships, Not Resumes
In this episode, we break down why traditional job applications are failing and how networking communities like USNUA are becoming the fastest path to career growth in IT. You’ll learn: Why applying online isn’t working How real opportunities come from real conversations Why community matters…
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You Don’t Need Python Anymore: Hello World For AI
For years, network engineers were told the same thing: “Learn Python… or fall behind.” But what if that’s no longer true? In this episode, we walk through a real Hello World for AI in networking: connecting an AI agent to NetBox using Model Context Protocol (MCP) and querying network data in...
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Grow Your Career in 2026
What does a network engineer actually make in 2025–2026? How do you ask for a raise without making it weird? And what's the single biggest thing holding your career back? We recorded this one live. This episode comes straight from the US Networking User Association PA Network User Group 2026…
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Radia Perlman: You’re Solving the Wrong Problem
What if the biggest problem in networking is that we’re solving the wrong one? In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy and Lexie sit down with Radia Perlman, one of the most influential figures in networking history and the inventor of Spanning Tree Protocol. This conversation…
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Wi-Fi 7 Explained: What Network Engineers Need to Know
In this episode, Andy sits down with Gregory Grimes to unpack the world of Wi-Fi 7 and what it means for network engineers. If wireless has ever felt like magic compared to the predictability of route/switch, this conversation is for you. Andy and Greg walk through the evolution of wireless...
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The ABCs of AI
“AI Won’t Replace You, But Someone Using AI Might” AI is everywhere; stickers, marketing, hype. Network engineers are understandably skeptical. In this episode, Andy Lapteff is joined by longtime friend of the show John Capobianco (now Head of AI & DevRel at Itencho) and Mike Bushong for a...
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Life-Saving Networks
What does “mission-critical networking” really mean? At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it’s not about uptime SLAs or dashboard metrics; it’s about supporting the research and care that helps save children’s lives. In this episode, we sit down with Remington Loose and Josh Morris to…
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Learn to Code With AI
Erika Dietrick (aka “Erika the Dev”) is back on the show, and she’s days away from a major life change (welcome, Baby Dev). In this follow-up conversation, we dig into the thing that keeps coming up in network engineering careers: programming is no longer a “nice-to-have.” Erika breaks down her...
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Why Projects Fail
We've all worked on those technical projects that felt doomed from the start. In this episode, we're joined by Eyvonne Sharp and Mike Bushong to dig into what actually derails technical projects, and why the root cause is usually people, not packets. We unpack: - Why 80–90% of project failures...
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Why Engineers Struggle to Communicate (And How to Fix It Fast)
Recorded on-site in Austin, Texas, at AutoCon 4 (Network Automation Forum), Andy sits down with Colin Doyle to talk about the human side of technical communication and why it matters more than ever in technical careers. They dig into practical speaking advice for engineers: how to slow down…
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What is IS-IS?
Most network engineers know BGP, OSPF, and maybe EIGRP, but far fewer have hands-on experience with ISIS. In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down with Russ White and Mike Bushong for a deep, opinionated, and refreshingly honest discussion about routing protocol...
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Building the Right Network
In this special on-location episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down in person with Kevin Myers for a conversation that pulls no punches. Kevin brings decades of service provider and whitebox experience to the table as the two dive deep into one of networking’s most…
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Resilience, Reputation, and MCP
Andy sits down with longtime friend William Collins to unpack three big themes shaping modern NetOps. First: the AWS US-East-1 outage and the myth that “cloud = resiliency by default.” They explore blast radius, hidden regional dependencies, cost trade-offs (active/active vs. DR), and why...
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Learn the Business, Grow Your Career
Network engineers don’t tune into corporate all-hands because they’re “lazy,” they tune out because the message often isn’t for them. In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down with longtime industry leaders Scott Robohn and Mike Bushong to unpack the disconnect...
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Study Streams and Space Dreams with Lexie Cooper
Blue Origin’s Lexie Cooper is back! We riff on New Glenn’s first launch and what “vehicle #2” means for launch cadence, where to watch from Florida without getting arrested, and why streaming your learning, even when it’s awkward, is a cheat code for growth. Andy shares his live Python study saga...
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Python Party - Episode 2
Learning Python as a network engineer can feel confusing, frustrating, and let’s be honest, pretty dry at times. But Andy and Jeff are diving in together to make it real, relatable, and (hopefully) a little more fun. In this episode, they pick up where the last Python Party left off: exploring...
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Python Party - Episode 1
We’re kicking off a brand-new “Python Study Sessions” series—learn right alongside host Andy Lapteff as he starts from absolute basics and builds momentum one concept at a time. In this first session, Andy walks through the installation of Python, setting up VS Code, running “Hello, world,” and...
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What is BGP? A Simple Explanation Every Network Engineer Should Know
BGP isn’t just “the internet’s protocol”—it’s the most flexible policy engine in networking. In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff and Jeff Clark sit down with Kevin Myers (aka StubArea51) to unpack Border Gateway Protocol from the ground up: why BGP replaced EGP, how...
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Tom Lawrence: Building a Tech Empire by Leading with Value
What happens when a farm kid with a knack for taking things apart discovers computers? Meet Tom Lawrence, the tech polymath behind Lawrence Systems and a YouTube channel with over 375,000 subscribers. In this engaging conversation, Tom reveals how his curiosity-driven journey from 1990s Linux...
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The Art of Pushing Packets, with Ethan Banks
From refinancing a car to attend Novell School to founding one of networking's most influential podcasts, Ethan Banks shares his remarkable journey through the evolution of network engineering with raw honesty and deep insight. In this captivating conversation, Ethan takes us back to the mid-90s...
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AONE Behind The Scenes
Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes of a tech podcast? From planning to publishing, this episode lifts the veil on the entire content creation process that powers The Art of Network Engineering. The journey begins with planning—far from simply hitting record and talking…
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Rocket Networks Reach For The Stars
Have you ever wondered what happens when the networks we build leave Earth's atmosphere? In this mind-expanding conversation with Lexi Cooper, Network Integration Engineer at Blue Origin, we explore the extraordinary world of rocket networking and witness firsthand the emotional impact of…
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Tech Tidying: Sanity Saving Apps
Drowning in digital clutter? You're not alone. In this practical deep-dive, Andy and Jeff share the productivity systems that have transformed their professional lives as network engineers. We explore how Asana's Kanban-style boards create visual workflow management that prevents important tasks...
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LAN Ho! Navigating Cruise Ship Networking
Beyond the sundecks and buffet lines lies a technological marvel most cruise passengers never consider - the complex network infrastructure keeping these floating cities connected and operational. In this fascinating conversation with Will Robbins, we dive deep into the unique challenges and...
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Whiteboard Wednesday - AI in Action
Artificial intelligence isn't just a buzzword anymore. It's fundamentally changing how we approach networking and IT infrastructure. In the inaugural "Whitreboard Wednesday episode, Jeff Clark joins Andy to demonstrate practical AI applications that are transforming everyday tasks for network...
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The Unicorn Network Engineer
The networking industry stands at a crossroads where traditional command-line mastery meets modern automation requirements. Few professionals embody this intersection better than Muna Chimso, a Network Automation Engineer at Google who joins us to share his remarkable journey and insights. Muna's...
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What Does a Consulting Engineer Do? Salary, Skills, and Career Path Explained.
Consulting Engineers (CEs) at networking vendors blend deep technical expertise with customer-facing skills to bridge the gap between account managers and specialized solution design. They operate as specialists who support Sales Engineers when customer requirements demand deeper technical...
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Developers vs. Network Engineers
The divide between network engineers and developers has long been a source of frustration, misunderstanding, and blame in the tech world. When applications fail, the classic refrain "it's the network" often echoes through organizations, leaving network engineers scrambling to prove their…
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Fork Yeah! Git in Network Engineering
Network engineers have traditionally drawn a line between "our tools" and "developer tools," often rejecting powerful solutions that could dramatically improve our workflows. But what if we thought about tools the same way tradespeople do? A plumber wouldn't refuse to use a hammer just because…
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Firewalls Are Friends
Have you ever felt like your networking knowledge stops at layer three? You're not alone. In this eye-opening episode, we dive deep into the world of firewalls with security experts Jeff Clark and Matt Lushner, exploring why these critical devices are no longer just "edge protection" but have...
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Is Network Automation Worth the Struggle?
Network automation remains one of the most polarizing topics in our industry. Despite years of being told it will revolutionize our work, actual adoption rates hover around a dismal 20-30%. Why the resistance? And is there finally a path forward that makes sense for everyday network engineers? In...
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Making Ethernet Cool Again—The Ultra Ethernet Consortium
With the rise of artificial intelligence and its significant demands on network performance, experts are increasingly asking whether Ethernet can catch up to InfiniBand as the preferred choice for high-performance computing. Join us as industry veterans Mike Bushong and Dr. Jay Metz share their...
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Building Tomorrow's Network Engineers
The US Networking User Association's (PA)NUG podcast panel of William Collins, Andy Lapteff, Ned Bellavance, and Drew Conry-Murray highlights the evolving landscape of network engineering, focusing on the essential skills required for future success, including automation and cloud technologies....
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Reload in 10
This episode explores the theme of change, drawing on personal anecdotes from the hosts as they navigate transitions in their careers and lives. The discussion highlights the importance of embracing change and automation in the ever-evolving tech industry, fostering resilience, and nurturing...
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VXLAN Explained: How It Works, Why It Breaks, and When to Use It
This episode discusses the complexities of VXLAN and EVPN in modern networking, highlighting the transition from traditional layer 2 designs to more efficient layer 3 systems. With insights from expert Aninda Chaterjee, listeners learn the importance of understanding underlying technologies for...
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Net Eng career success now and in the future, with Dr Nic
What if the future of network engineering hinges on curiosity and adaptability? Join us for an enlightening discussion with Nicholas Calcutti as we navigate the fascinating evolution of networking technologies. Nicholas, with his impressive journey from a desktop support technician to a doctoral...
About this show
The Art of Network Engineering blends technical insight with real-world stories from engineers, innovators, and IT pros. From data centers on cruise ships to rockets in space, we explore the people, tools, and trends shaping the future of networking, while keeping it authentic, practical, and human.
We tell the human stories behind network engineering so every engineer feels seen, supported, and inspired to grow in a rapidly changing industry.
For more information, check out https://artofnetworkengineering.com
Hosted by
Andy and Friends
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