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Start with a simple truth: when the platform breaks, your clever architecture won’t save you. We dig into the AWS US‑East‑1 outage where DynamoDB’s role in DNS planning for load balancers collided with a race condition, leaving empty records and stalled EC2 instances. Forget the finger‑wagging about “well‑architected” apps—this was a platform failure with limited customer escape routes. We weigh multi‑region and multi‑cloud trade‑offs with a sober look at cost, complexity, and operational burden.

Security took center stage with two high‑risk stories you need to act on. First, a critical WSUS flaw enabling remote unauthenticated code execution against the very servers meant to protect fleets. If WSUS is still live, patch immediately or take it offline until you can. Then, the F5 source code theft: not a cloning threat, but a blueprint for discovering subtle bugs and crafting precise exploits. Attribution points toward Chinese state‑sponsored actors, which means targeted, quiet use rather than noisy mass exploitation. The risk isn’t gone when headlines fade; it’s just harder to see.

We connect this to rising exploitation of vSock across hypervisors like VMware ESXi. With public PoCs and active abuse, vSock opens covert channels from host to guest, making segmentation and management plane isolation non‑negotiable. Patch aggressively, gate access through jump hosts, enforce MFA, and consider disabling vSock where viable on QEMU stacks. These are concrete steps that cut real risk.

Then we turn to the elephant in the data center: AI ROI. Vendors keep shipping agentic assistants and copilots, but few can show durable returns outside a subsidized token economy. We share a pragmatic lens for measuring value—cycle time, MTTR, defect rates—while acknowledging the dot‑com‑style arc ahead: hype, correction, then durable wins that prioritize efficiency. As AI demand drives massive new builds, the physical footprint of the cloud is showing up in local power grids and skylines. Infrastructure choices now carry community and energy implications leaders can’t ignore.

Subscribe, share with a colleague who owns platform reliability or security, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or question—what will you patch, segment, or measure first?

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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If the network is the backbone of modern tech, why did it fade into the background while cloud, AI, and security stole the spotlight? We sit down with technical evangelist Alexis Berthoff to pull the curtain back on the real work of making complex systems understandable, usable, and resilient. Alexis shares how she acts as a translator between product, marketing, sales, and the community, turning feedback into better features, clearer messaging, and practical guidance that actually helps customers.

We explore why networking lost its “cool” factor as connectivity became assumed and invisible, and what that means for a generation choosing careers based on social feeds and salary lists. From AI’s hunger for predictable latency and bandwidth to the messy reality of connecting data centers, cloud interconnects, and VPCs, the design surface has never been more demanding. We dig into the skills gap, the disappearing bottom rungs of ops, and why foundational troubleshooting still beats blind tool worship. Along the way, we touch on the looming shift to post‑quantum cryptography and what it could mean for VPNs, certificates, and long‑term data privacy.

Alexis also introduces Megaport Connect, a one‑day, pre‑recorded cloud networking summit with three tracks: fundamentals, advanced technical, and executive. Think concrete patterns for cloud connectivity, middle mile choices, transit gateways and cloud WAN, plus a new community built for ongoing Q&A and peer support. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep networks simple without sacrificing resilience, when automation delivers ROI, or how to grow a career that starts in networking and branches to cloud or security, this conversation brings clarity without the buzzword fog.

Enjoy the episode? Subscribe, share it with a colleague who needs a fresh view on networking, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your feedback shapes future topics and guests.

Connect with Our Guest:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisbertholf/
https://www.instagram.com/digital.byte_
https://www.tiktok.com/@digital.byte

Megaport Connect Registration: 
https://event.megaport.com/Megaport-Connect/

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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We weigh efficiency against hype as Huawei’s open-source quantization aims to shrink LLM costs while AI spending sprints toward $1.5T. From Oracle’s blue-sky risk to Cisco’s SNMP flaws, Equinix and Alkira’s AI networking moves, and a leap into quantum networking, we look for what’s real and what’s next.

• Huawei’s SINQ quantization for smaller, cheaper LLM deployments
• AI spend approaching $1.5T amid capacity and power constraints
• Oracle downside risk and the velocity of money in AI deals
• Cisco IOS XE SNMP vulnerabilities and urgent patching guidance
• Equinix Fabric Intelligence and AI Solutions Lab for AI interconnects
• Alkira MCP and NIA for AI-driven multi-cloud network operations
• Cisco’s quantum networking prototypes and entanglement chip
• Quantum error correction, room‑temperature operation, and security signals

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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The gap between cloud-native and traditional networking has never been more evident. As organizations struggle with hybrid environments, finding a unified management strategy feels like searching for the mythical "one ring to rule them all."

In this thought-provoking episode, we welcome Eric Chou, author, instructor, and podcast host with over a decade of experience at AWS and Azure. Eric brings a rare insider perspective on how hyperscalers approach networking fundamentally differently than traditional vendors.

We explore why cloud providers built their infrastructure API-first from day one, while traditional networking vendors had to retrofit APIs onto existing hardware. This architectural distinction creates significant challenges when trying to manage both environments cohesively. Eric explains why cloud tools excel at declarative configurations while traditional networking tools often take a more procedural approach, and when each might be appropriate for your organization.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when we discuss how AI is reshaping network engineering. Are we headed toward a dangerous knowledge gap as junior engineers rely on AI without developing foundational skills? Eric advocates for an "enhance, not replace" philosophy that values human expertise while leveraging AI as a productivity multiplier. We debate whether simulation can ever truly replace the hard-earned lessons of 3 AM network outages.

Whether you're managing a hybrid network environment or wondering how to prepare for an AI-driven future, this episode offers practical insights and a surprisingly optimistic outlook on the future of networking. Listen now to understand how bridging the gap between cloud and on-premises networking might be less about finding a universal tool and more about developing the right mindset and approach.

Connect with Eric:
Network Automation Nerds Podcast: https://packetpushers.net/podcast/network-automation-nerds/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/ericchou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/choueric/
Network Automation Nerds Website: https://networkautomationnerds.com/ 

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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Tim and Chris dive into the month's most significant tech developments, exploring antitrust rulings, emerging AI security threats, and the financial sustainability of the AI industry.

• Google avoids having to sell Chrome in federal antitrust ruling but is barred from exclusive distribution contracts
• Cybercriminals deploy "S1ngularity Attack" using LLM prompts to steal credentials from 2,100 GitHub accounts
• Cisco reintroduces dedicated wireless certification track with focus on Wi-Fi 6/7 and Meraki technologies
• Google Cloud introduces "agentic IAM" services to manage AI agent identities and improve MCP security
• Zscaler CEO creates controversy by suggesting customer logs are used for AI training before company clarification
• Avaya offers voluntary exit packages to all employees, suggesting potential acquisition or restructuring
• OpenAI increases projected spending through 2029 by $80 billion to $115 billion total

Share this episode on social media and tell a friend about the podcast if you enjoyed it. You can find us on all platforms @Cables2Clouds.

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

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What happens when three major cloud providers each reimagine network design from scratch? You get three completely different approaches to solving the same fundamental problem.

The foundation of cloud networking begins with the virtual containers that hold your resources: AWS's Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), Azure's Virtual Networks (VNets), and Google Cloud's VPCs (yes, the same name, very different implementation). While they all serve the same basic purpose—providing logical isolation for your workloads—their design philosophies reveal profound differences in how each provider expects you to architect your solutions.

AWS took the explicit control approach. When you create subnets within an AWS VPC, you must assign each to a specific Availability Zone. This creates a vertical architecture pattern where you're deliberately placing resources in specific physical locations and designing resilience across those boundaries. Network engineers often find this intuitive because it matches traditional fault domain thinking. However, this design means you must account for cross-AZ data transfer costs and explicit resiliency patterns.

Azure flipped the script with their horizontal approach. By default, subnets span across all AZs in a region, with Microsoft's automation handling the resilience for you. This "let us handle the complexity" philosophy makes initial deployment simpler but provides less granular control. Meanwhile, Google Cloud went global, allowing a single VPC to span regions worldwide—an approach that simplifies global connectivity but introduces new challenges for security segmentation.

These architectural differences aren't merely academic—they fundamentally change how you design for resilience, manage costs, and implement security. The cloud introduced "toll booth" pricing for data movement, where crossing availability zones or regions incurs charges that didn't exist in traditional data centers. Understanding these nuances is crucial whether you're migrating existing networks or designing new ones.

Want to dive deeper into cloud networking concepts? Let us know what topics you'd like us to cover next as we explore how traditional networking skills translate to the cloud world.

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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Cloud security and infrastructure providers are making strategic moves to maintain competitive advantage through acquisitions and service enhancements while combating emerging threats. We explore the latest developments including Palo Alto's massive acquisition, new cloud services, and enhanced security features that are reshaping the industry.

• Palo Alto Networks announces $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk to strengthen identity security capabilities, particularly for machine identities and agentic AI
• AWS launches Elastic VMware Service, allowing customers to bring their own licenses without application replatforming as organizations seek alternatives amid Broadcom changes
• Network World article questions why enterprises aren't fully replacing infrastructure with SD-WAN, highlighting the ongoing gradual adoption approach
• Wiz discovers "zombie hosts" on Google Sites pages with SoCo 404 exploit that installs cryptocurrency mining malware
• Megaport Cloud Router now supports IPsec tunnels, enabling direct encrypted connections through their fabric without additional hardware

Join us next month for more cloud and infrastructure news updates.

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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Making a career transition is never easy, especially in specialized technical domains. In this episode, we dive into the world of professional evolution with returning guest Will Collins, who shares his journey from cloud networking at Alkira to automation engineering at Nintex.

"I'm not lazy, but I hate repetition," Will explains, describing the mindset that led him toward automation throughout his career. This natural inclination eventually blossomed into a specialized focus, demonstrating how following your technical interests can create new career pathways. His experience mirrors my own recent transition from Aviatrix to a network security-focused role, giving listeners multiple perspectives on navigating change in the networking industry.

The conversation explores how cloud experience fundamentally transforms your technical thinking – shifting your approach from traditional infrastructure management to a more developer-oriented mindset. We discuss how cloud environments break down traditional silos, forcing networking professionals to collaborate with application teams and security specialists in ways that weren't necessary in traditional data centers. This cross-functional experience creates valuable T-shaped professionals who understand both the depth of networking and the breadth of adjacent technologies.

We also tackle tough questions about the evolution of networking as a discipline. Has it expanded, contracted, or simply morphed into something new? Will suggests "it's been watered down or diluted," pointing to the consolidation of networking and security responsibilities in many organizations. This trend requires today's professionals to master multiple domains while still maintaining core expertise.

For those contemplating their next move, we offer practical advice on evaluating opportunities, balancing risk at different career stages, and the importance of developing fundamental understanding rather than relying on AI shortcuts. As Will counsels, "Learn one thing... actually learn it. That is what's going to keep you marketable in 2035, 2040."

Connect with our guest:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-collins/

https://packetpushers.net/podcast/the-cloud-gambit/

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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The tech industry's shifting strategies and priorities take center stage in this episode as we examine several major developments reshaping the landscape. We dive into Ingram Micro's recent ransomware attack by the SafePay group, analyzing both the immediate impacts and potential long-term consequences of the four-day operational disruption. The incident raises important questions about security protocols, attack vectors, and the possibility of data exfiltration that could have lingering effects.

Next, we explore CoreWeave's massive $9 billion acquisition of CoreScientific, representing a fascinating pivot from cryptocurrency mining infrastructure to AI computing resources. This transaction epitomizes the tech industry's current trajectory – moving away from speculative cryptocurrency ventures toward equally speculative but potentially more productive AI applications. We discuss the diminishing returns of crypto mining versus the still-unprofitable but product-focused world of AI, questioning where this astronomical investment might lead.

The networking world sees significant realignment as Arista acquires VeloCloud from Broadcom, bolstering their WAN portfolio after VMware's SD-WAN solution changed hands multiple times in recent years. We compare potential integration approaches with Cisco's historical challenges integrating Viptela, speculating on how Arista might handle this transition while maintaining their commitment to a unified operating system.

Perhaps most concerning is Microsoft's continued workforce reduction – cutting 4% of employees while pledging billions toward AI development. This "robbing Peter to pay Paul" approach appears throughout the tech industry as companies bet heavily on AI's future promise while sacrificing present human capital. We contrast these widespread layoffs with contradictory reports claiming robust tech hiring, questioning the true state of industry employment.

Join us biweekly for future episodes as we transition to a fortnightly schedule focusing on quality over quantity. Share your thoughts about our schedule change or any topics discussed – we're especially interested in hearing from VeloCloud customers who've experienced the product's journey through multiple corporate owners.

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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Cloud network engineering interviews at tech giants require specialized knowledge beyond traditional networking – particularly when it comes to cloud-native services. In this final installment of our interview preparation series with Kam Agahian, we explore the specialized networking services that frequently appear in technical assessments.

Security takes center stage as we discuss the critical boundary between networking and security responsibilities. Kam explains that while routing traffic to firewalls falls squarely on the network engineer, security policies and posture typically belong to dedicated security teams at larger organizations. We compare traditional VM-based third-party firewalls with cloud-native security services, highlighting the architectural considerations for each approach.

DNS architectures represent another technical area where candidates must demonstrate proficiency. Beyond understanding traditional name resolution, you'll need familiarity with the hybrid cloud architectures that enable communication between on-premises and cloud environments. Kam singles out DNSSEC as deserving special attention during your preparation.

The landscape of multi-cloud connectivity has evolved dramatically, moving beyond simple cross-cloud connections to sophisticated integration patterns. Candidates who demonstrate awareness of recent developments – like Oracle's strategy of placing databases directly in other providers' data centers – stand out in interviews by showing they stay current with industry trends.

Throughout our conversation, we emphasize research as a critical interview preparation strategy. Review all cloud-related job postings at your target company to understand their technology ecosystem and identify potential multi-cloud scenarios. This contextual knowledge allows you to tailor your responses to the specific environment you'll potentially be working in.

What questions do you have about preparing for cloud networking interviews? Share your thoughts and join the conversation about navigating these complex technical assessments.

Connect with our guest:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/agahian/

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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