EP 480 | MAY 27, 2024

New Dell Switch Targets Ethernet AI Fabrics; Nvidia Net Income Leaps 628%

We cover: New data center Ethernet switch from Dell for AI fabrics. Alkira raises $100 million in funding. Broadcom and Allegro Packets both announce 400G NICs. Tech workers in Kenya demand accountability from their US companies. Nvidia posts astounding 1Q results. SpaceX releases a video of a live test of its cellphone-to-satellite offering. | LISTEN NOW

EP 073 | MAY 28, 2024

Failure and Resilience

Firing the wrong person, mistakenly rebooting core switches in a massive network, not passing the CCIE exam– today we talk all about failure. For this conversation, we’re joined by fellow Packet Pushers Kyler Middleton and Ned Bellavance, hosts of the Day Two Cloud podcast. We swap stories, discuss response and prevention, and talk about accountability, forgiveness, and resilience. We pick apart the three main overlapping layers often involved in tech failures: Systematic, individual, and equipment (vendors). While all four of us have slightly different levels of tolerance and approaches to failure, we agree on one thing: What matters most is how you respond to it. | LISTEN NOW

EP 028 | MAY 28, 2024

Highlights from Wi-Fi World Congress 

A cardboard box with a circuit printed on it that harvests just enough power to activate a radio and have it chirp something out a short distance: that’s just one of the cool products and 802.11 standards that stood out at this year’s Wi-Fi World Congress USA. Drew Lentz joins the show to recap the event. We dig into three of the 802.11 standards highlighted: 802.11ah (HaLow), 802.11az (positioning down to a foot or less), and 802.11bp (energy harvesting). We also discuss the residential theme that ran throughout, including APs in MDUs and home routers with AI processing chips. Plus we talk about meeting new companies like LATYS and Infinite Clouds, while reuniting with companies we hadn’t seen in a while such as Epitiro. | LISTEN NOW

EP 016 | MAY 28, 2024

Tabletop Security Exercises: D&D for Grown-ups

Tabletop security exercises can help organizations game out their response to a security incident. From the technical and business considerations to legal and PR implications, a tabletop exercise, like Dungeons and Dragons, lets you play-test attack and defense scenarios. Johna Till Johnson, CEO of Nemertes consulting firm and co-host of the Heavy Strategy podcast, joins us today to explain the who, what, when, where, and how of tabletop security exercises. She walks us through how as a third-party consultant, she develops the scenarios, releases information, and creates final recommendations for the company based on the results. If your company has an incident response plan (IRP), it should have tabletop exercises– and yes you’re probably going to have to invite the kids professionals from Human Resources, Public Relationships, and senior executives. | LISTEN NOW

EP 64 | MAY 30, 2024

Get to Know NAF Co-Founder: Scott Robohn

Scott Robohn is responsible for so much of the current buzz and awareness of network automation. Today, we sit down with the co-founder of Network Automation Forum to learn about his own journey. We chat about his education and the question of if college degrees are necessary. We also talk about his experience at big telcos during the 90s boom of the internet and his different experiences as a trainer vs. a TAC engineer (you get yelled at a lot more in TAC). Scott describes lessons learned about transitioning to a management role and then a very high level management role, and gives tips on delegation and coaching. We leave him at the point in his journey where he has just started to feel confident and comfortable in his own skin– over 20 years into the industry. Don’t worry, we pick back up in the next episode of this multi-part series. | LISTEN NOW

EP 736 | MAY 31, 2024

Understanding VMware by Broadcom

Today on Heavy Networking, sponsored by Broadcom, we talk about VMware’s transition under Broadcom’s ownership. The acquisition has led to big changes that rolled out very quickly, including how VMware sells products and services – subscription only licensing, bundles of products, a hard stop on sales of existing licenses, overhaul of license issuance, and more. We dig in to these changes and what they mean for customers with Prashanth Shenoy, VP of Marketing, VCF Division, Broadcom. | LISTEN NOW