Heavy Networking

Just as we're getting comfortable with Wi-Fi 6, along comes 6E, an extension that enables the use of newly available unlicensed spectrum in the 6GHz frequency band (at least here in the US). Our guest to introduce us to Wi-Fi 6E is Wes Purvis. We discuss the properties of the spectrum, how it might be used, when to expect products, and more.

Perhaps the most arcane technology in networking is the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which, despite its name, is one of the utmost confusing pieces of technology to actually use. Guests Michael W. Lucas and Allan Jude share tips and lessons on how to get the most you can out of this protocol.

Heavy Networking gets nerdy about disaggregation with sponsor DriveNets. The company's Network Cloud routing software runs on whitebox hardware and enables service providers and telcos to quickly scale capacity, control capital outlay, and support automation. Our guests are Amir Krayden, VP R&D Customers; and Yuval Moshe, VP of Products.

On today's Heavy Networking podcast, guest Cory Steele visits the podcast to make the case that overlays such as LISP offer unique benefits for the network. Greg Ferro disagrees, and makes the case for protocols like QUIC, TLS, and IPSec, and argues for the concept of end-to-end connectivity as the IP network was intended.

In this brief chat, Ethan & Greg discuss where we came from and where we are going. Note the retro music we used and check out outtro too.

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we talk about building a unified network infrastructure with Aruba. Best known for wireless, Aruba also has a portfolio of data center and campus switches, SD-WAN, and an access control and policy enforcement system to bring it all together. Our guests are Keerti Melkote, Aruba President and Founder; and Michael Dickman, Senior Vice President and GM of Switching.

Today's Heavy Networking looks at the impact of Covid-19 on Internet usage and capacity with two guests who have front-row views: Neil McRae, Senior Leader at British Telecom; and Dave Temkin, VP of Infrastructure at Netflix.

In today's Heavy Networking episode, we talk Production Ready Automation. That's a topic we've covered before on Packet Pushers, so what wondrous newness does sponsor Cumulus Networks bring to the table? The idea is a system that's ready for you to use. Why? Because a lot of folks are finding that rolling their own artisanal network automation takes considerable time both to create and maintain. Our guests are Pete Lumbis, Director of Technical Marketing and Rama Darbha, Director of Services at Cumulus Networks.

Today's Heavy Networking is all about wireless. Guest Bryan Ward, Lead Network Engineer at Dartmouth College, takes us through a campus-wide wireless upgrade that the institution is currently undertaking. We get nerdy about planning, infrastructure, cabling, and more, and dive into why the college is switching vendors.

On today's sponsored show, we dig into Fortinet's portfolio, including SD-WAN and its security fabric. We discuss customer use cases, examine how the fabric works, and explore how Foritnet integrates its own and third-party security tools to enhance visibility and automation. Our guest is Stephen Watkins, Director and Principal Security Architect at Fortinet.