François returns from WLPC Phoenix 2025 to share his experience and some of the memorable presentations from the conference.

There were a lot of new faces and an improvement in the quality of presentations. Lots to learn from so be sure to check out the videos on YouTube.

The deep dives were plenty to pick from and contained a lot of useful learning.

A few highlights were the broadcasting of OpenRoaming with a few AP vendors. Additionally, this seemed to be the largest event for WLPC Phoenix with more than 400 attendees.

Some of the memorable presentations included:

Resources

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This episode on the EX4000 is sponsored by Juniper Networks.

Rowell, François, and Abhi discuss the release of the EX4000 switch from Juniper Networks. Abhi, a product manager at Juniper, shared that the switch will be available on February 12th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The switch will come in various models, including 8, 12, 24, and 48 ports.

Also discussed is the importance of switching in network infrastructure and the need for upgrades to support new access points like the AP47s.

What’s new with the EX4000 is how quick the boot time is. 2 minutes for the EX4000 to get up and running.

Another great benefit of the EX4000 is it is much quieter from the other EX switch line. This switch would go well in open office environments. It’s also perfect for higher education or retail environments.

Out of the box the EX4000 will support CloudX and have additional telemetry. To work natively with the Mist cloud.

It still operates on the same Junos and will be easily managed in the Mist dashboard.

Resources

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Austin, from Nile Secure, joins us on the show to talk about how Nile is disrupting the networking industry. We talk about the complexity and challenges people face in managing and scaling their networks.

What we were interested in learning about is how Nile Secure differentiates themselves in the industry. Especially, when it comes to network automation.

We know that it can be difficult to find engineers who are good at both automation and network engineering.

Where some companies fail is on their network automation initiatives. Many have the goal of automating more than half of the manual tasks. But how easily can this be achieved?

Austin describes how Nile Secure has built a cloud-native network operating system that runs on their own hardware to deliver predictable outcomes. Where automation tasks start from day 0.

Where Nile Secure places a strong focus is on network security. Implementing Zero Trust while eliminating the complex configurations that come with it.

Take a listen to this episode and let us know what you think down in the comments!

Resources

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We’re happy to have Kelly Burroughs back on the show. Kelly is a Solutions Director at iBwave. She had moved over from the technical marketing side to the technology side working on the iBwave product. Her role involves defining product roadmaps and identifying untapped market needs.

Kelly shared her passion for innovation and problem-solving led her to the technology side. Kelly also shared her love for technology and its constant evolution.

Also in this episode, we discuss automation needs from building out Wi-Fi infrastructure, planning, and deployment and exploring private network integration.

Resources

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Meet our guest, Tiago Rodrigues, the CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA).

He’s here to introduce us to the WBA, what the organization does, and how they shape the wireless industry.

We’ve had Tiago on the show in previous episodes and in this new interview, he provides us with an update on how OpenRoaming has been doing.

Tiago highlighted some real-world use cases where OpenRoaming was highly successful.

We discussed the hurdles of 802.1X support and the ease of implementing OpenRoaming with identity providers.

There are many vendors in the landscape that support OpenRoaming such as Meraki, Fortinet, Ruckus, Mist, and Cisco.

Check out our episode with Tiago Rodrigues and let us know what you think!

Resources

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We’re happy to have hosted our first Ask Me Anything (AMA) live event with David Coleman, CWNE #4. He is an author and a speaker. Currently, he is the Director of Wireless under the Office of the CTO at Extreme Networks.

In this AMA, the community submitted questions that we asked to David.

We had a wonderful discussion about how David got started in Wi-Fi, what he likes to do outside of work, where he sees the future of Wi-Fi headed and much more.

Check out this AMA with David Coleman and also check out the video!

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In this episode, we sit down with Eva, a support product specialist at Cisco Meraki, who shares her unique role bridging the gap between network support and engineering. We delve into the importance of having a solid networking foundation, the need for adaptability in the ever-evolving tech landscape, and the value of continuous learning and certifications. Eva also gives us insights into her career journey, transitioning from network engineering to Wi-Fi deployments, and how she’s leveraging her expertise in her current role.

Eva begins by explaining her role as a support product specialist, where she serves as a crucial link between the network support and engineering teams. Her work involves identifying and resolving product issues, making recommendations for new features, and evaluating the impact these features have on the support team. Eva emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in networking basics, such as DHCP, DNS, and spanning tree, to effectively troubleshoot Wi-Fi problems. She also discusses the need to stay adaptable and continuously learn new protocols and features to succeed in the fast-paced world of networking.

The discussion shifts to the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in consulting. Eva, Rowell, and François explore the concept of “learning how to learn,” a critical skill for consultants who need to stay on top of evolving technologies. They also discuss the value of certifications in the industry. While certifications are beneficial, Eva and Rowell stress that they are not the sole determinant of success; practical experience and a commitment to ongoing learning are just as important for employability and career growth.

As the conversation moves forward, Eva expresses her interest in signal processing and the electrical engineering side of Wi-Fi. She shares her struggles in finding structured learning resources in this area and contemplates pursuing further education in signal processing. Rowell highlights the value of understanding hardware, while François leans more towards the software side of networking. The discussion touches on the relevance of APIs in networking, with Eva sharing her experience working with APIs in the Meraki dashboard and how mastering APIs is a great starting point for those looking to expand their technical skillset.

Eva goes on to share her experience with automating network tasks using Python scripts, detailing how she was able to save time by automating repetitive tasks such as renaming access points and mapping their locations. Rowell agrees that Python automation can significantly reduce the workload for large-scale projects. Eva also talks about her personal transition to a remote role at Cisco Meraki, a move prompted by her father’s illness. She emphasizes how her Wi-Fi expertise helped her secure a flexible position that allowed her to balance her career and family needs.

Summary

This episode features Eva Santos, a support product specialist at Cisco Meraki, discussing her role in bridging network support and engineering. The conversation covers the importance of a solid networking foundation, adaptability in the tech industry, and continuous learning. Eva shares insights on her career transition, the value of certifications balanced with practical experience, her interest in signal processing, and her experience with API usage and Python automation in networking. The episode also touches on Eva’s personal journey, highlighting how her Wi-Fi expertise enabled her to secure a flexible remote position to balance career and family needs.

Resources

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In this episode of the “Wi-Fi Hardware and Devices” series, we dive into the essential Wi-Fi tools that every network professional should keep in their bag.

We’ll discuss various categories of tools, including Wi-Fi scanners, survey kits, packet capture tools, and protocol analyzers. We’ll explore popular options in each category, such as Wi-Fi Explorer Pro, Ekahau Analyzer, NetAlly AirCheck G3, and Wireshark.

Additionally, we’ll cover the importance of having laptops or tools with Ethernet ports for testing wired connections, as well as the necessity of carrying various cables and miscellaneous items like flashlights and battery packs.

This will help you build a toolkit that’s ready for any Wi-Fi troubleshooting or analysis scenario you might encounter in the field.

Key Topics:

Resources

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In this episode of the “Wi-Fi Hardware and Devices” series, we explore why Wi-Fi devices aren’t all the same. We discuss the various factors that contribute to the differences in Wi-Fi devices and how these differences impact network performance and deployment.

Key Points:

Takeaways:

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In this episode, we discuss choosing the right Wi-Fi antennas for enterprise environments. The main topics covered include:

This episode is part of our “Wi-Fi Hardware and Devices” series, focusing on the crucial aspect of antenna selection for optimal Wi-Fi performance in various enterprise settings.

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