Send us a textIn this special on-location episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down in person with Kevin Myers for a conversation that pulls no punches.Kevin brings decades of service provider and whitebox experience to the table as the two dive deep into one of networking’s most complex decisions: how to choose the right vendor to build your network.From Cisco to whitebox, from enterprise carpeted IT to hyperscale data centers, this episode is all about designing networks that align with business needs, not just personal bias or legacy choices.Topics include:Why vendor selection should come after requirements gathering.How multi-vendor environments can create both resilience and complexity.When whitebox networking makes sense—and what kind of teams can support it.The hidden "operational tax" of expanding your vendor portfolio.Why understanding the business is the most critical skill for modern engineers.Whether you're a design engineer, network architect, or just trying to future-proof your ops, this episode is packed with insights that will change how you think about gear, vendors, and the networks we build.This episode has been sponsored by Meter. Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now! You can support the show at the link below.Support the showFind everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
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51:26
Resilience, Reputation, and MCP
Send us a textAndy sits down with longtime friend William Collins to unpack three big themes shaping modern NetOps. First: the AWS US-East-1 outage and the myth that “cloud = resiliency by default.” They explore blast radius, hidden regional dependencies, cost trade-offs (active/active vs. DR), and why resiliency is engineered, not purchased. Next: how public speaking accelerates a technical career (without live-demo heartbreak). William shares practical tactics to craft a memorable talk, lean on story, and handle Q&A. Finally: a plain-English walkthrough of Model Context Protocol (MCP), why it exists, how it standardizes tool access for LLMs, and what that means for real NetOps workflows. If you design for failure, want to level up your communication skills, or keep hearing “MCP” and wonder what it actually does, this one’s for you.This episode has been sponsored by Meter. Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now! You can support the show at the link below.Support the showFind everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
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1:10:30
Learn the Business, Grow Your Career
Send us a textNetwork engineers don’t tune into corporate all-hands because they’re “lazy,” they tune out because the message often isn’t for them. In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down with longtime industry leaders Scott Robohn and Mike Bushong to unpack the disconnect between engineering teams and executive communications, and how to fix it.They talk about:Why engineers roll their eyes at town halls, earnings calls, and “four pillars of excellence”How leadership actually thinks about growth, stock price, cost centers, and enablementThe two jobs every company really has: build stuff or sell stuff, and where networking fitsHow to pitch your ideas in business terms so they get fundedWhy AI networking and data center infrastructure are the next durable growth areas for network prosThe difference between being part of the product vs. enabling the product, and why it matters for your careerIf you’ve ever thought, “Just let me do my job,” this one’s for you. You’ll walk away knowing how to connect your automation, operations, or data center work to the outcomes your company actually cares about: revenue, speed, customer experience, and risk.Listen in, take notes, and then go advocate for your work like it matters, because it does.This episode has been sponsored by Meter. Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now! You can support the show at the link below.Support the showFind everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
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58:42
Study Streams and Space Dreams with Lexie Cooper
Send us a textBlue Origin’s Lexie Cooper is back! We riff on New Glenn’s first launch and what “vehicle #2” means for launch cadence, where to watch from Florida without getting arrested, and why streaming your learning, even when it’s awkward, is a cheat code for growth. Andy shares his live Python study saga (and a friendly dust-up with Jeff about “just code it”), while Lexie takes us down to Layer 1: PHYs, link pulses, why “turning off auto-negotiation” isn’t always what you think, and why messy home labs beat pretty cable porn. We also get real about authenticity at vendors, the pressure to be “polished,” and whether networking is still a great career in an automation-heavy market.If you need a nudge to build, break, and learn in public, this one’s it.In this episode:New Glenn’s growing fleet & why multiple boosters matterHow/where to catch a Florida launch (scrubs happen)Learning in public: textbooks on stream, tension on mic, real takeawaysPHY vs. ASIC, MAC sublayers, and auto-neg gotchas (with an oscilloscope!)Home labs: why “spaghetti” > showroom racks for actual learningCareers: automation pressure, Git for config history, staying authenticStreaming nuts & bolts: TikTok vs. Twitch vs. YouTube, OBS scenes 101Women in networking and inviting more people into the fieldThis episode has been sponsored by Meter. Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now! You can support the show at the link below.Support the showFind everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
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Python Party - Episode 2
Send us a textLearning Python as a network engineer can feel confusing, frustrating, and let’s be honest, pretty dry at times. But Andy and Jeff are diving in together to make it real, relatable, and (hopefully) a little more fun.In this episode, they pick up where the last Python Party left off: exploring variables, strings, methods like .title() and .strip(), and why whitespace can break your scripts. Along the way, they share honest struggles, “aha!” moments, and practical applications for automation in the networking world.If you’ve ever looked at Python code and thought, “this isn’t for me,” this episode will make you feel seen. Join Andy and Jeff as they lab, laugh, and learn the building blocks that every network engineer needs to stay relevant in an automated future.This episode has been sponsored by Meter. Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now! You can support the show at the link below.Support the showFind everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
The Art of Network Engineering blends technical insight with real-world stories from engineers, innovators, and IT pros. From data centers on cruise ships to rockets in space, we explore the people, tools, and trends shaping the future of networking, while keeping it authentic, practical, and human.We tell the human stories behind network engineering so every engineer feels seen, supported, and inspired to grow in a rapidly changing industry.For more information, check out https://linktr.ee/artofneteng
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