Network Automation Nerds

Network Automation Nerds is for network engineers and infrastructure professionals eager to learn more about automation. Join host Eric Chou as he explores how to take advantage of modern network programmability to automate tasks, build robust systems, and get more done in less time. You’ll hear from a lineup of seasoned engineers, avid learners, industry leaders, and tool creators as they share tips, best practices, and hard-won advice.

76 episodes

11d ago latest

fortnightly cadence

English language

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Episodes 76

NAN129: How Do We Make Network Engineering Cool Again?
11d ago · 44:28
Known across the industry for making network engineering cool again with her highly relatable tech content, Alexis Bertholf is a powerhouse when it comes to combining technical expertise with personal branding. Eric Chou sat down with Alexis at AutoCon 5 to chat about Alexis’ career, the art of storytelling in 60 seconds or less, the... Read more »
NAN128: Beyond RAG: Making Network AI Truly Agentic
25d ago · 45:19
Eric Chou welcomes Juulia Santala, a Solutions Engineer at Cisco, to discuss her transition from traditional network programmability to cutting-edge AI research. They explore how she moved beyond simple RAG to make AI truly agentic, while solving some hallucination problems in production configurations. They also cover the number one skill network engineers need by 2027,... Read more »
NAN127: Scaling Network Automation Communities
1mo ago · 47:01
Eric Chou welcomes Florian Lohden, a NetDevOps engineer and co-founder of the NetAuto Group, to discuss his community-building efforts and his latest adventures in network automation. Together they explore how adopting software development practices can help with network automation, and the importance of sharing knowledge within networking communities. Florian also talks about how he balances... Read more »
NAN126: Fine-Tuning Open Source LLMs for Network Engineering
2mo ago · 43:58
Eric welcomes Eduard Dulharu, a veteran network architect and the Founder and CTO of vExpertAI, to talk about how agentic AI, open-source LLMs, and digital twins are changing network operations. Eduard discusses the rapid evolution of generative AI, draws parallels between AI’s current limitations and early network protocols such as Spanning Tree, talks about why... Read more »
NAN125: Inside the Packet Pushers 2026 Salary Survey
2mo ago · 58:07
Early in 2026, Drew Conry-Murray authored the first Packet Pushers Salary Survey, offering a transparent look into compensation in the network engineering industry. Drew joins Eric to discuss the results of the survey, the challenges of interpreting global data, how to use this data to advocate for your market value, and more! AdSpot Sponsor: Meter... Read more »
NAN124: AI and Trust in Modern Network Automation
2mo ago · 54:49
Sif Baksh joins Eric Chou to share his professional experience and resources to help engineers get their arms around using AI in network automation. They discuss practical advantages of AI over standard Python scripts and the risks and benefits of vibe coding for prototyping. Sif also breaks down the P.E.N.E. framework, a structure for writing... Read more »
NAN123: How ION Meets the Out-of-this-World Challenges of Deep-Space Networking
3mo ago · 58:46
Eric Chou and guest host Drew Conry-Murray sit down with deep space networking specialist Scott Spicer. Following the Artemis 2 mission, they discuss the challenges of long-delay space communications and the essential technologies making it possible such as the Interplanetary Overlay Network (ION), Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN), and Contact Graph Routing (CGR). AdSpot Sponsor: Meter Meter... Read more »
NAN122: From Anxiety to Empowerment: Building Confidence into Machine‑Speed Network Updates (Sponsored)
3mo ago · 1:02:23
Network teams are being asked to move faster than ever as automation and AI-driven workflows increase the volume and frequency of network changes. In this episode, sponsored by Cisco, we explore how modern network operating systems make zero-downtime, zero-stress updates possible, even at machine speed. We’ll break down three key capabilities: Atomic Config Replace (ACR),... Read more »
NAN121: Simplifying Network Automation with NetGru
3mo ago · 52:36
Eric Chou talks with Adrian Iliesiu aka NetGru, a seasoned CCIE veteran and community leader known for his work to simplify network automation and make it accessible to network engineers. He focuses on helping network teams navigate the transition into AI and vibe coding while maintaining their core technical skills. Adrian shares insights and practical... Read more »
NAN120: How Network Engineers Can Thrive in an AI-Driven World
4mo ago · 57:44
Eric Chou is joined by Ashwin Joshi, a Senior Solutions Engineer at Keysight Technologies, to discuss the rapidly increasing demands that AI places on modern networks. They break down the differences between networking for AI and AI for networking. They also talk about how network engineers can adopt AI to help them do their jobs,... Read more »
NAN119: Adapting Core Automation Practices to Challenging Environments with Matt Campbell
4mo ago · 51:03
Eric Chou is joined by Matt Campbell, a seasoned network engineer whose career has taken him into some of the most demanding and high-stakes environments around. Together they’ll explore how Matt’s automation philosophy, lessons learned, and best practices adapt when the margin of error is razor thin. Whether you’re automating basic configs or tackling brownfield... Read more »
NAN118: The Importance of the Data Behind AI in Networks (Sponsored)
5mo ago · 43:23
When applying AI to network operations and automation, a strong data foundation is essential. In this sponsored episode, Eric Chou and Scott Robohn are joined by Surya Nimmagadda, Chief Data Scientist; and Joby Rudolph, Senior Distinguished Engineer, both from Selector. They discuss the importance of transparency in their data and how it can instill confidence... Read more »
NAN117: What You May Have Missed from AutoCon 4
5mo ago · 1:01:08
Eric Chou is joined by returning guest, Danny Wade a.k.a. Devnet Dan, to unpack everything you missed from AutoCon 4. AutoCon 4 had a heavy focus on AI’s role in network automation and Danny was there in person, has already blogged about his insights, and is here to break down the trends, takeaways, and key... Read more »
NAN116: From NSoT to Operational Automation: Fast Time-to-Value with Nautobot Cloud (Sponsored)
5mo ago · 56:49
Building a Network Source of Truth (NSoT) is only step one in an automation effort — turning it into operational automation is where outcomes happen. In this sponsored episode by Network to Code, Eric Fetty, a self-taught network engineer who literally automated his way through his CCIE lab, shares how he’s doing exactly that at... Read more »
NAN115: Simplifying Network Automation with Wingpy
5mo ago · 55:49
Wingpy is an open-source tool that aims to make it easier to automate network tasks that use Cisco APIs. Today Eric is joined by returning guest Andreas Baekdahl, the creator of Wingpy. They discuss why Andreas started Wingpy, how it can help streamline your workflows, and how you can start using it right away. They... Read more »
NAN114: Demystifying Automation Tools, Processes, and Culture Gates
6mo ago · 1:00:28
Eric sits down with David Henderson, Principal Architect for NetDevOps at Presidio, to discuss the practical journey for network engineers transitioning from manual CLI operations to scalable NetDevOps and automation. They discuss how traditional networking knowledge and certifications are foundational, and suggest essential tools and habits for beginning your automation journey. David also shares a... Read more »
NAN113: What Works, and What Doesn’t, in Network Automation Projects
6mo ago · 1:00:09
Today we are joined by Matt Remke, who has spent years in the trenches of network automation projects as a consultant. Matt offers a unique, non-engineer perspective on scaling network automation in real-world, complex environments for some of the world’s largest companies. Matt shares what worked, what backfired, and the hard-earned lessons he has gained... Read more »
NAN112: Inside the CU Boulder Network Engineering Master’s Program
7mo ago · 59:20
Eric sits down with two graduates from the CU Boulder Networking Engineering Master’s Program to discuss what they learned during their time in the program and how that translated into real world opportunities and experiences. They also offer some invaluable career advice from the “seven plus one” formula and the value of asking “dumb questions.”... Read more »
NAN111: Automation, AI, and the Future of Branch Networking: Inside Cisco Unified Branch (Sponsored)
7mo ago · 39:39
In this sponsored episode, Eric sits down with Lee Peterson, VP of Product Management for Secure WAN, at Cisco. Together they discuss how Cisco Unified Branch is helping organizations scale, automate, and secure their distributed environments. They also define the Branch Network, discuss the major challenges facing network teams, and walk through Cisco’s vision of... Read more »
NAN110: Bridging Industry, Academia, and the Future of Network Automation with Dr. Levi Perigo
7mo ago · 58:35
Eric Chou is joined by Dr. Levi Perigo, Scholar in Residence and Professor of Network Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. They discuss Levi’s non-traditional career path from being in the network automation industry for 20 years before shifting to academia and co-founding QuivAR. Levi also dives into the success of the CU Boulder... Read more »
NAN109: Simplify Your Network Operations with Extreme (Sponsored)
8mo ago · 49:28
Today Eric Chou dives deep into network automation and operational simplicity with guest Hardik Ajmera, VP of Product Management at Extreme Networks. In this sponsored episode, they talk about the ‘network fabric’, Extreme Platform ONE, and, of course, what’s next with AI in the world of enterprise networking. Hardik also shares how customers in complex... Read more »
NAN108: Perspectives, Hopes, and Challenges of Young Network Engineers
8mo ago · 1:11:13
Let’s hear from the next generation of network engineers. Eric Chou sits down with Sem Eyob and Damon Hoody, two early-career network engineers, to talk about how they got into the profession and where they hope to go. They share their views on AI and its effect on their generation, their struggles finding entry level... Read more »
NAN107: How AI is Changing the Networking Landscape
9mo ago · 1:06:19
The world of networking is changing at lightning speed thanks to AI. Today Eric sits down with Chris Kane to explore this new reality for network engineers. Together, they dive deeper into some of the changes that will be coming next, breaking down the technical demands and mindset shifts of intellectual curiosity and humility necessary... Read more »
NAN106: Unimus: Network Automation By and For Network Engineers (Sponsored)
9mo ago · 44:49
Tomas Kirnak, CEO of Unimus, joins Eric Chou in this sponsored episode to introduce Unimus, an on-premise network configuration management system built by network engineers to solve real-world problems. In this deep dive they discuss Unimus’ proprietary “Behavioral Tree” for automatic device discovery, the platform’s vendor support, the 70/30 rule, and lowering the barrier for... Read more »
NAN105: Campus Network Automation, Powered by Cisco Agentic Workflows (Sponsored)
9mo ago · 44:30
Cisco Workflows is a new platform that makes network automation easier, smarter, and safer. On today’s episode, sponsored by Cisco, we get introduced to Cisco Workflows by Stephen Orr, Distinguished Solutions Engineer; and Reid Butler, Director of Product Management. They break down how Workflows helps you ditch repetitive tasks, roll out changes faster, and plug... Read more »