Shows / Network Automation Nerds
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.
Episodes
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN129: How Do We Make Network Engineering Cool Again?
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN128: Beyond RAG: Making Network AI Truly Agentic
Eric Chou welcomes Juulia Santala, a Solutions Engineer at Cisco, to discuss her transition from traditional network programmability to cutting-edge AI…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN127: Scaling Network Automation Communities
Eric Chou welcomes Florian Lohden, a NetDevOps engineer and co-founder of the NetAuto Group, to discuss his community-building efforts and his latest…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN126: Fine-Tuning Open Source LLMs for Network Engineering
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN125: Inside the Packet Pushers 2026 Salary Survey
Early in 2026, Drew Conry-Murray authored the first Packet Pushers Salary Survey, offering a transparent look into compensation in the network engineering…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN124: AI and Trust in Modern Network Automation
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN123: How ION Meets the Out-of-this-World Challenges of Deep-Space Networking
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN122: From Anxiety to Empowerment: Building Confidence into Machine‑Speed Network Updates (Sponsored)
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN121: Simplifying Network Automation with NetGru
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN120: How Network Engineers Can Thrive in an AI-Driven World
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN119: Adapting Core Automation Practices to Challenging Environments with Matt Campbell
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN118: The Importance of the Data Behind AI in Networks (Sponsored)
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN117: What You May Have Missed from AutoCon 4
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN116: From NSoT to Operational Automation: Fast Time-to-Value with Nautobot Cloud (Sponsored)
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN115: Simplifying Network Automation with Wingpy
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN114: Demystifying Automation Tools, Processes, and Culture Gates
Eric sits down with David Henderson, Principal Architect for NetDevOps at Presidio, to discuss the practical journey for network engineers transitioning from…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN113: What Works, and What Doesn’t, in Network Automation Projects
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN112: Inside the CU Boulder Network Engineering Master’s Program
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN111: Automation, AI, and the Future of Branch Networking: Inside Cisco Unified Branch (Sponsored)
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN110: Bridging Industry, Academia, and the Future of Network Automation with Dr. Levi Perigo
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN109: Simplify Your Network Operations with Extreme (Sponsored)
Today Eric Chou dives deep into network automation and operational simplicity with guest Hardik Ajmera, VP of Product Management at Extreme Networks. In this…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN108: Perspectives, Hopes, and Challenges of Young Network Engineers
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN107: How AI is Changing the Networking Landscape
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN106: Unimus: Network Automation By and For Network Engineers (Sponsored)
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 Automation Nerds
NAN105: Campus Network Automation, Powered by Cisco Agentic Workflows (Sponsored)
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN104: The Art and Science of Writing a Network Automation Book
Host Eric Chou talks with Jeff Kala, co-author of the newly released “Network Automation Cookbook 2nd Edition,” to discuss his book and the…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN103: 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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN102: Practical Applications for AI in Network Automation
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…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN101: Scaling Intel’s Data Centers with Network Automation (Sponsored)
Transforming over 5,000 network devices across 56 data centers is no small feat. Doing that with a very small team is even more impressive. On today’s…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN100: A Retrospective On 100 Episodes of Network Automation Nerds
Network Automation Nerds has reached a special milestone: episode 100! Eric Chou looks back on 5 years of conversations with network automation pioneers…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN099: Bridging the Gap Between Innovative Tech and Everyday Users
New technologies, tools, and innovations help move IT forward, but it can be hard for users to keep up. Network Automation Nerds welcomes guest William…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN098: Democratizing the Learning Environment for Network Engineers
Democratizing the learning environment is a passion for Deepak Ahuja. So much so, he founded CloudMyLab, a company that provides hands-on, cloud-based labs and…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN097: Automating Optical Networks
Optical networks are an essential component of networking, but don’t get much attention. Today we shine a spotlight on the intersection of optical…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN096: NautobotGPT – An AI Assistant for Network Automation
NautobotGPT is a new AI assistant for Nautobot that helps engineers with network automation, answers questions, recommends tooling, and delivers working code…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN095: Certification Deep Dive – The New Cisco Automation Track
Cisco recently announced a major evolution to its certification roadmap: starting February 2026, the popular DevNet certifications will transition to a…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN094: Automate and Iterate With the NetBox Labs Community
On today’s show, we’re joined NetBox Labs co-founders Mark Coleman and Kris Beevers. They recount how they founded NetBox Labs and discuss its…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN093: Network Automation – There Must Be a Better Way!
“There must be a better way!” is guest Bart Dorlandt’s motto, which he applies to network automation, among other things. In today’s…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN092: From Stealth to Scale – Decoding Network Data Management with Damian Garros
Damien Garros, CEO and co-founder of OpsMill is with us once again for today’s podcast. Since we last spoke with Damien, OpsMill has emerged from stealth…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN091: The Future of Autonomous Networking With Jeff Doyle
Today’s guest is Jeff Doyle, an expert in the networking industry with over 30 years of experience as a consultant, instructor, architect, author, and…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN090: Examining Network Automation’s Present and Future With Chris Grundemann
Today we explore the current state of network automation with Chris Grundemann, a co-founder of Network Automation Forum. Chris gives the history of the…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN089: A Career Journey of Exponential Learning
“If you don’t feel nervous in front of a challenge, you are not exponentially learning” is how today’s guest Christian Adell describes his own approach…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN088: See Something, Improve Something – An Iterative Approach to Automation Success
On today’s Network Automation Nerds, industry veteran Michael Bushong talks about lessons learned from failure. As the network industry grapples with…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN087: Modular Network Management with Slurp’it and Netpicker
In this episode of the Network Automation Nerds podcast, we talk network management with Wim Gerrits and Pieter van Os, co-founders of Slurp’it and Netpicker…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN086: A Reality Check On AI for Network Operations
On today’s episode, we get a reality check on all the hype surrounding AI with guest Phil Gervasi. Phil provides background on Large Language Models (LLMs) and…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN085: Embrace Change to Thrive in the Tech Industry
Embracing change is sometimes easier said than done. Today we talk with Monika Machado, who has held significant roles at companies like Microsoft and Oracle…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN084: From GitNops Zero to Hero
Are you ready to go from zero to hero in GitNops? On today’s podcast, we talk with Tom McGonagle, who shares and explains git, CI/CD and DevOps and how that…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN083: Cox Gets Network Automation Right, and Proves It at DEF CON (Sponsored)
Today’s Network Automation Nerds episode discusses Cox Communications’ journey to getting network automation right. We also talk about how they…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN082: Mastering Python One Bite at a Time
How do you master Python? One bite at a time. On today’s show we talk with Bob Belderbos, co-founder of PyBites, a community and learning platform for Python…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN081: We’re Going To Talk Python To You
On today’s episode, we’re going to talk Python. Host Eric Chou is joined by Michael Kennedy, the founder of Talk Python Training and host of the Talk Python To…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN080: Elevating Your Network Automation Skills and the DevNet Expert Track
Ongoing education and training is a constant in a networking career, especially if you want to advance. And certifications are a common path forward. On…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN079: From Network Monitoring to Observability: Make the Leap for Better NetOps
Traditional network monitoring was built around SNMP and logs. And while there’s still a role for these sources, network observability aims to…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN078: The Evolution of Ostinato: From Open Source to a Sustainable Business
Ostinato is a network traffic generator aimed at network engineers who need test traffic, whether in a lab or production, to do things such as test circuit…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN077: Network Observability: Tools, Automation, and Insights
Network optimization starts with observing, but how are networks observed and what tools are used? Joining the podcast today are the authors behind the book…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN076: Innovating Healthcare IT: Automating NetOps at RUSH University Medical Center (Sponsored)
Uzair Khan from RUSH University Medical Center is today’s guest on the Network Automation Nerds podcast. Uzair discusses the complexities of healthcare…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN075: Mastering Networking in the Age of AI: Advice for Aspiring Engineers
Ivan Pepelnjak joins host Eric Chou to reflect on his extensive career, his decision to reduce his content creation, and offer advice for young engineers. They…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN074: Integrate and Collaborate with Codespaces and Containerlab
GitHub Codespaces aims to simplify spinning up a developer environment in the cloud. Containerlab, which provides virtual lab environments for network…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN073: Some Final Words of Wisdom from Greg Ferro
This episode was recorded with Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, just days before his retirement in July 2024. Greg and Eric reflect on Greg’s…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN072: Exploring Internet2’s Network Automation for University and Research Networks
On today’s episode we delve into Internet2’s mission to advance research and education through high-speed connectivity. University and research networks…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN071: Understanding the Infrastructure Requirements for AI Workloads (Sponsored)
On today’s Network Automation Nerds, we get into the infrastructure required to support AI workloads. We discuss key considerations including bandwidth, the…
- Network Automation Nerds
NAN070: FakeNOS – An Open Source NOS for Network Testing
Today we spotlight an open-source project called FakeNOS. Whether you’re a network engineer looking to experiment in a controlled environment, or a…