Network Automation Nerds

Packet Pushers

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.

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21 episodes
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Avg 53 min
English

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#129
August 19 · 44 min
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 combining technical expertise with…
#128
August 5 · 45 min
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 research. They explore how she moved beyond…
#127
July 22 · 47 min
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 adventures in network automation. Together they…
#126
July 1 · 43 min
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 twins are changing network operations.…
#125
June 17 · 58 min
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 industry. Drew joins Eric to discuss the…
#124
June 3 · 54 min
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 discuss practical advantages of AI over…
#123
May 20 · 58 min
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 challenges of long-delay space…
#122
May 13 · 1 hr 2 min
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 episode, sponsored by Cisco, we explore how…
#121
May 6 · 52 min
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 accessible to network engineers. He focuses…
#120
April 22 · 57 min
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 networks. They break down the…
#119
April 8 · 51 min
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 around. Together they’ll explore how Matt’s a…
#118
April 1 · 43 min
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 by Surya Nimmagadda, Chief Data…
#117
March 25 · 1 hr 1 min
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 in network automation and Danny was t…
#116
March 18 · 56 min
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 sponsored episode by Network to Code, E…
#115
March 11 · 55 min
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 Baekdahl, the creator of Wingpy. They discuss…
#114
February 25 · 1 hr
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 manual CLI operations to scalable…
#113
February 11 · 1 hr
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 perspective on scaling network automation in…
#112
January 28 · 59 min
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 how that translated into real world o…
#111
January 21 · 39 min
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 is helping organizations scale,…
#110
January 14 · 58 min
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 non-traditional career path from being i…

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