EP 547 | OCTOBER 14, 2025

New Cisco Router Targets AI DCI; Salesforce Launches ServiceNow Competitor

This week's Network Break covers Cisco's newest router, a Broadcom ASIC boasting co-packaged optics, a GPU-for-stock deal between OpenAI and AMD, Salesforce taking on ServiceNow with an ITSM offering that pairs SlackOps with AI agents, and even more IT news analysis. | LISTEN NOW

EP 114 | OCTOBER 14, 2025

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. Whether functions are in-house or outsourced, IT leaders need to ask: is this approach in line with our current corporate and IT strategies? Are we succeeding with this approach? Are we spending too much? Are we mitigating risks? We dig into how IT leaders should weigh decisions on what to run in-house and what to push to outsourcing. | LISTEN NOW

EP 082 | OCTOBER 14, 2025

Building a Workable Mobile Security Strategy In a World of Risky Apps

From mobile apps that harvest personal information to risky libraries that open doors for attackers to protecting executives who basically run the company from their smartphones, this week's Packet Protector podcast digs into how to develop a workable mobile security strategy with return guest Akili Akridge. | LISTEN NOW

EP 103 | OCTOBER 15, 2025

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 for, and the results of, his blog series. We also discuss the evolution of multi-cloud networking to get Tim’s perspective on where the industry is headed and his own personal experience at a multi-cloud networking company. | LISTEN NOW

EP 060 | OCTOBER 15, 2025

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? Michael shares insights into technical leadership, finding market signals within the noise of the AI era, and the importance of balancing growth with profitability in an uncertain economic climate. We also discuss the evolution of multi-cloud architectures, the critical role of automation in modern networking, and the cyclical nature of VC funding and startup growth strategies. | LISTEN NOW

EP 002 | OCTOBER 16, 2025

Do You Need a College Degree to Succeed in IT?

A college degree can be a useful stepping stone into a tech career, and it certainly doesn't hurt to have it on your resume. But do you really need that college degree to succeed in IT? Maybe, maybe not. Today's guest is Wes Noonan, whose non-traditional path into and through a career in IT has proved otherwise. Wes is currently a Cisco Solutions Engineer, and he is the co-author of a book called Firewall Fundamentals. He carved his own path into the IT industry through hands-on experience and a passion for problem solving. | LISTEN NOW

EP 046 | OCTOBER 17, 2025

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 also discuss Prisma AIRS (AI Runtime Security) and how AI can support network automation and help address the security of AI tools, applications, and workloads. Our guest is Mani Ganesan, Product Management Leader for Cloud and AI Security at Palo Alto Networks. | LISTEN NOW

EP 801 | OCTOBER 17, 2025

Will a Natural Language Interface (NLI) Replace Your CLI?

Could an LLM or some kind of an AI-driven language model, such as a natural language interface, someday replace our beloved CLI? That's the kick-off question for a wide-ranging discussion about how AI and LLMs could affect network operations. We dig into what language models are good at (and bad at), why non-determinism is a problem and how to address it, the role of guardrails, the rise of agentic AI and why LLMs won't be the only tool in the toolbox, and more. | LISTEN NOW