Best Barely A Degree Podcasts (2025)

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HN804: How Prisma SASE Builds on Public Clouds for Scale, Resiliency (Sponsored) 56:07

Play Pause

1h ago56:07

56:07

How do you architect a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to provide critical security services to millions of endpoints distributed across the planet? How do you build such a service for scale, performance, and resiliency? One option is to build your own PoPs or use colocation facilities, run your own infrastructure stack, and connect everything...…

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TNO049: Automated Network Testing and Validation 52:50

37m ago52:50

52:50

What does network testing and validation really mean? How do testing and validation fit within an automation workflow? Is it possible to run meaningful tests without coding skills? Dan Wade from BlueAlly answers these questions and offers practical insights into building trust in automation through test environments, using AI for ideation and probl…

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IPB187: IPv6 RFC Updates 20:19

3h ago20:19

20:19

Today the IPv6 Buzz crew provides updates on the latest in IPv6 standards, RFCs, and best practices. They break down the recent discussions around RFC 6052, explore the options for RFC 8215, and share Nick’s spin on the now defunct testipv6.com site. Episode Links: RFC 6052 RFC 8215 RFC 6598 IPv6.army…

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N4N042: Meet MACsec 52:19

3h ago52:19

52:19

MACsec is a protocol for encrypting Ethernet frames on a local (though not always local) network. Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky have an ELI5 (explain like I’m 5) discussion as to what exactly is MACsec and how it differs from IPsec. They talk about when and whether you need to implement MACsec with all the... Read more »…

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D2DO286: Scaling Kubernetes Across Clouds – Identity, DNS, and Security 40:39

16h ago40:39

40:39

If you think managing Kubernetes clusters is hard, what about managing Kubernetes clusters across three different public clouds? We dive into the challenges that arises from running multi-cloud Kubernetes workloads. These challenges include workload identity, DNS query resolutions, and security. Here to help us navigate this complexity and offer po…

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PP085: News Roundup – Naked Satellite Signals, Account Recovery Buddies, Busting Ghost Networks 52:28

22h ago52:28

52:28

Did you know college students are snooping on satellite transmissions? On today’s news roundup we discuss new research in which university investigators use off-the-shelf equipment to intercept traffic from geostationary satellites and discover that a lot of it is unencrypted. We also dig into the credential hygiene lessons we can learn from a corp…

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NAN105: Campus Network Automation, Powered by Cisco Agentic Workflows (Sponsored) 44:30

22h ago44:30

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 f…

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HW064: An Introduction to nOversight 32:10

2d ago32:10

32:10

nOversight is a Wi-Fi analysis app from Numerous Networks for iOS and Mac iOS that helps both end users and professionals do a better job of understanding how their Wi-Fi is running and how it’s working on their individual devices. Today we talk to Ben Toner, the creator of nOversight to give us the details... Read more »…

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NB550: A Cornucopia of AI Switches; DNS Strikes Again 29:38

3d ago29:38

29:38

Take a Network Break! We start with some educational content on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, and sound the alarm about a sandbox escape affecting the Firefox browser. On the news front, a DNS issue triggers a major Azure outage that affected numerous services and caused problems around the globe, Palo Alto Networks announces enhancements to... R…

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TNO048: Ops to Orchestrated: An Architect’s Automation Journey 42:09

6d ago42:09

42:09

On today’s show, sponsored by Itential, we talk about automation in the real world. Guest Jesse Ford is an automation architect at Itential. We talk about his career journey, how he got into network automation, how he decides which is the best tool for a job, and why tool diversity isn’t the same as chaos.... Read more »…

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HN803: How to Start a Networking Meetup 58:47

6d ago58:47

58:47

On today’s episode, we take a break from one’s and zero’s for a discussion about starting a networking meetup. Our guest is Steinn “Steinzi” Örvar, who recently founded the ISNOG, a network operators’ group in Iceland. We quiz Steinzi about what worked and what didn’t. We also pick his brain for the nitty-gritty details about... Read more »…

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LIU003: A Chat With ‘The Cloud Therapist’ 44:24

7d ago44:24

44:24

Your background and experiences outside of tech can become a significant factor in your tech career. Guest Chris Williams is a good example; he talks about how his undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology influenced his work as a Developer Relations Manger at Hashicorp. Hosts Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns chat with him about how... Read m…

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PP084: Inside the CVE Process With Cisco (Sponsored) 44:50

7d ago44:50

44:50

CVEs, or Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, are such a routine aspect of tech that most IT pros probably take them for granted. But like many things we take for granted, the CVE process takes some serious organizational infrastructure to function. On today’s Packet Protector, sponsored by Cisco, we talk about the organizations and processes that…

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TCG061: How Are You Using AI? 49:01

8d ago49:01

49:01

Join William Collins and Evyonne Sharp as they catch up on all things AI. They discuss the AI bubble and how it relates to venture capital, stock, and company evaluations. They talk about the AI experience for the average person, the adoption rate of AI tools, and how the AI infrastructure buildout might affect the... Read more »…

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NAN104: The Art and Science of Writing a Network Automation Book 57:53

8d ago57:53

57:53

Host Eric Chou talks with Jeff Kala, co-author of the newly released “Network Automation Cookbook 2nd Edition,” to discuss his book and the experiences that led him from networking to network automation author. They discuss Jeff’s learning style and why it was helpful when working on his book. Lastly, they dig into Jeff’s predictions on... Read mor…

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HS115: Cyber-Risk Assessment and Cybersecurity Budgeting: You’re (Probably) Doing It Wrong 36:15

10d ago36:15

36:15

To understand how much to spend on cybersecurity, you have to accurately assess or quantify your risks. Too many people still peg their cybersecurity spend to their IT budget; that is, they’ll look at what they’re spending on IT, and then allocate a percentage of that to cybersecurity. That may have made some sense when... Read more »…

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NB549: Startups Take on Switch, ASIC Incumbents; Google Claims Quantum Advantage 49:32

11d ago49:32

49:32

Take a Network Break! Companies spying on…I mean, monitoring…their employees via software called WorkExaminer should be aware of a login bypass that needs to be locked down. On the news front, we opine on whether it’s worth trying to design your way around AWS outages, and speculate on the prospects of a new Ethernet switch... Read more »…

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Tech Bytes: Why Equinix Should Be Part of Your AI Network Strategy (Sponsored) 18:40

11d ago18:40

18:40

AI infrastructure conversations tend to be dominated by GPUs, data center buildouts, and power and water consumption. But networks also play a crucial role, whether to support huge file transfers to a compute cluster, stream telemetry from edge locations to feed AI pipelines, or provide high-speed, low latency connectivity for AI agents. On today’s…

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HN802: Unifying Networking and Security with Fortinet SASE: Architecture, Reality, and Lessons Learned (Sponsored) 58:39

14d ago58:39

58:39

The architecture and tech stack of a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution will influence how the service performs, the robustness of its security controls, and the complexity of its operations. Sponsor Fortinet joins Heavy Networking to make the case that a unified offering, which integrates SD-WAN and SSE from a single vendor, provides a... …

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TNO047: Advice From Both Sides of the Network Aisle 49:35

14d ago49:35

49:35

Senad Palislamovic has held many roles in his time, from engineer to network operator to sales engineer and back again. He’s been around long enough to see trends come and go. Senad visits Total Network Operations to share some of his observations on network automation, AI for NetOps, and the quality of network data. Senad... Read more »…

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IPB186: An Inside Look at RFC 9872 for Discovering v6 Prefixes 20:10

15d ago20:10

20:10

RFC 9872 makes recommendations for NAT64 prefix discovery for hosts supporting v4-to-v6 translation. Co-host Nick Buralgio is a co-author of this RFC, so we’re taking the opportunity to talk about it in detail. We discuss the problems RFC 9872 is addressing and why a new RFC was needed for operational guidance, not necessarily defining a... Read mo…

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N4N041: Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) 49:58

15d ago49:58

49:58

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB), today’s show is for you! Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky start with some history and the basics of communication between layer 2 and layer 3 and then explain how the concepts of SVI and IRB... Read more »…

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D2DO285: The Death of IaC Has Been Greatly Exaggerated 39:52

16d ago39:52

39:52

While declaring the death of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) or Terraform may get you clicks on LinkedIn, IaC is alive and kicking. On today’s Day Two DevOps we talk about why IaC still matters. Guest Malcolm Matalka argues that IaC provides the tools and a model for managing infrastructure across its lifecycle in a structured... Read more »…

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PP083: A CISO’s Perspective on Model Context Protocol (MCP) 44:03

17d ago44:03

44:03

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source protocol that enables AI agents to connect to data, tools, workflows, and other agents both within and outside of enterprise borders. As organizations dive head-first into AI projects, MCP and other agentic protocols are being quickly adopted. And that means security and network teams need to understan…

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HW063: Designing a Wireless-First Office 23:28

17d ago23:28

23:28

A wireless-first office is a sensible goal these days when most laptops don’t have an Ethernet port and lots of devices use Wi-Fi. Wireless and network architect Phil Sosaya led the transition to wireless-first offices at sites across the globe. He details his design approach, including why he doesn’t bother with site survey software. He... Read mo…

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NB548: Broadcom Brings Chips to Wi-Fi 8 Party; Attorneys General Scrutinize HPE/Juniper Settlement 29:16

18d ago29:16

29:16

Take a Network Break! On today’s coverage, F5 releases an emergency security update after state-backed threat actors breach internal systems, and North Korean attackers use the blockchain to host and hide malware. Broadcom is shipping an 800G NIC aimed at AI workloads, and Broadcom joins the Wi-Fi 8 party early with a sampling of pre-standard... Re…

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HN801: Will a Natural Language Interface (NLI) Replace Your CLI? 59:51

20d ago59:51

59:51

Could an LLM or some kind of an AI-driven language model, such as a natural language interface, someday replace our beloved CLI? That is, instead of needing to understand the syntax of a specific vendor’s CLI, could a language model allow network operators to use plain language to get the information they need or the... Read more »…

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TNO046: Prisma AIRS: Securing the Multi-Cloud and AI Runtime (Sponsored) 27:22

21d ago27:22

27:22

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 net…

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LIU002: Do You Need a College Degree to Succeed in IT? 1:02:29

22d ago1:02:29

1:02:29

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... Read more »…

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TCG060: Rockets, Networks, and Markets With Michael Reid 1:00:45

23d ago1:00:45

1:00:45

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? We walk his career path, including a pivotal role scaling ThousandEyes from 74 million to over 2.4x ARR post-acquisition, and how those experiences shaped his approa…

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NAN103: The Evolution of Multi-Cloud Networking 47:47

23d ago47:47

47:47

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... Read more »…

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PP082: Building a Workable Mobile Security Strategy In a World of Risky Apps 1:02:01

24d ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Today we’re bringing back one of our favorite guests — Akili Akridge. He’s a former Baltimore cop who transitioned to building and leading mobile offense and defense teams for federal agencies and Fortune 100s. These days he’s a straight-talking expert on all things mobile security. We’re digging into mobile threats, why they keep CISOs up... Read …

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HS114: In or Out? Deciding Which IT Functions to Bring In or Push Out 39:41

24d ago39:41

39:41

In times of major change–whether in IT or the economy–organizations should take a fresh look at their sourcing strategy. Companies outsourcing key functions need to re-examine the reasoning and scrutinize the results. The same goes for in-house functions. IT leaders need to ask: is our sourcing strategy in line with our current corporate and IT... …

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NB547: New Cisco Router Targets AI DCI; Salesforce Launches ServiceNow Competitor 30:55

24d ago30:55

30:55

Take a Network Break! We start with listener follow-up on security browsers, and then dive into a deep pool of Juniper vulnerabilities to pick two critical ones affecting Juniper Space. We also get an update from SonicWall that the breach of its cloud storage service affected all users of the service. Cisco announces a new... Read more »…

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TNO045: IP and Optical Integration: Automation Across Layers 1:02:17

28d ago1:02:17

1:02:17

LightRiver has software and service products focused on the automation, optimization, and simplification of multi-layer, multi-vendor, and multi-generation networking. Today we have a team from LightRiver lead by Jim Brinksma to help explain how LightRiver is advancing automation in optical and bridging the gap between the IP and optical layers. Th…

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HN800: Root Cause Analysis for the Entire Stack (Sponsored) 1:11:47

28d ago1:11:47

1:11:47

Today’s show is one of those “We’re living in the future” episodes, where we talk about using AI to perform root cause analysis of a performance issue. But not root cause analysis for just the networking part of the stack. The full stack. Why? Because it’s not good enough to say “it’s not the network”.... Read more »…

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IPB185: When IPv6 VPN and DNS Don’t Cooperate 17:06

28d ago17:06

17:06

Sometimes weirdness occurs within DNS if you’re on an IPv4 network and you connect to a dual-stack or v6-only VPN. Maybe the browser doesn’t connect, but you can still send pings, or vice versa. Is the OS getting confused about which stack and which order of interfaces to request services? Is the weird behavior being... Read more »…

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N4N040: Mock Interview for a Network Administration Job 1:03:15

29d ago1:03:15

1:03:15

The job interview is an inescapable part of a career journey. Today on N Is For Networking, we conduct a mock interview with a candidate who’s applying for a junior network administration role. The goal is to give Toni Mrowetz, our candidate, feedback. At the same time, we hope this helps anyone listening who might... Read more »…

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D2DO284: AI, MCP, and the Identities that Tie Them All Together 45:07

30d ago45:07

45:07

AI is developing at an incredible pace. With that development comes questions. For instance, how do you connect your resources to agents? How do agents connect with each other? And how do you keep it all secure? Our guest Christian Posta is here to guide us through AI, MCP, and the concept of workload identities.... Read more »…

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PP081: News Roundup – BRICKstorm Backdoor Targets Network Appliances, GitHub Unveils Supply Chain Defense Plans 48:26

1M ago48:26

48:26

By Packet Pushers

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HW062: Designing Access Points For the Enterprise 25:18

1M ago25:18

25:18

By Packet Pushers

1
NB546: Meta Mulls GPU Startup Purchase; Indirect Prompt Injection Exacerbates AI Risks 50:42

1M ago50:42

50:42

By Packet Pushers

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Tech Bytes: Building a UEC-Supported AI Data Center Fabric With Nokia (Sponsored) 16:34

1M ago16:34

16:34

By Packet Pushers

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TNO044: Inside a Global Enterprise Data Center Network Migration (Sponsored) 44:16

1M ago44:16

44:16

Today we get an inside look at a major data center migration that Nokia is undertaking. Nokia is our sponsor for today’s episode. The company is moving legacy sets of data center networking equipment to its own Event Driven Automation (EDA) solution. We go behind the scenes of Nokia’s own IT department, which is supporting... Read more »…

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HN799: Multi-Homing IPv6 to Your Home Lab 47:28

1M ago47:28

47:28

If you’ve got an Autonomous System Number (ASN) and an IPv6 block, you too can multi-home IPv6 to your home lab! Sounds easy, right? Well, maybe…but today we’re going to discuss why you’d want to and how you can do that with guest Anton Lönnerbro. Anton is a solutions architect at a managed service provider... Read more »…

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LIU001: Growing Pains 15:44

1M ago15:44

15:44

Starting any new endeavor is hard. That’s particularly true for a career in tech. And that’s the reason Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns are launching the Life In Uptime podcast. In each episode they’ll sit down with engineers, leaders, and builders in tech to uncover the stories behind their careers to help you see how... Read more »…

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TCG059: From Source of Truth to Knowledge Graph – Rethinking Network Data 46:30

1M ago46:30

46:30

Network automation has a data problem. Traditional tools may hit limitations when managing complex infrastructure relationships. We explore how OpsMill’s InfraHub uses graph databases and temporal versioning to create what our guest calls “the knowledge graph of infrastructure” – enabling true version control at the database level while maintaining…

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NAN102: Practical Applications for AI in Network Automation 1:00:01

1M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

As AI becomes more integrated into the IT landscape, developers, engineers, and operators are looking for practical ways to use these new tools. Joining us today is Ryan Booth; he’s built a career around network automation, giving him a unique perspective on how network engineering, operations, software development, and AI intersect. We explore the…

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PP080: The State of OT Risks in 2025 (and What to Do About Them) 44:32

1M ago44:32

44:32

What does the risk environment for Operational Technology (OT) look like in 2025? JJ and Drew review four recent reports on the state of OT security from Dragos, Fortinet, and others. We discuss ransomware impacts, ongoing risks of RDP traffic, directly exposed OT devices, and overall attack trends and the tools and processes that organizations... …

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HS113: Bad Tech Romance: Five Signs You’re In an Abusive IT Relationship 40:50

1M ago40:50

40:50

Sure, some days you hate your job. But how do you know when an IT position has gone from being run-of-the-mill annoying to truly toxic? And what do you do about it? Johna Johnson and John Burke are joined by Sandy Miller, a pseudonym for a CIO at a major global company who talks about... Read more »By Packet Pushers