# Heavy Networking Heavy Networking is an unabashedly nerdy dive into all things networking. Described by one listener as "verbal white papers," the weekly episodes feature network engineers, industry experts, and vendors sharing useful information to keep your professional knowledge sharp and your career growing. Hosts Ethan Banks & Drew Conry-Murray cut through the marketing spin to explore what works—and what doesn't—in networking today, while keeping an eye on what's ahead for the industry. On air since 2010,… Page: Feed: --- ## [HN839: Why Flows, Packets, and DDI are All Critical for Operational Effectiveness (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn839-why-flows-packets-and-ddi-are-all-critical-for-operational-effectiveness-sponsored/) _2026-08-28 · Summerset Banks_ If you think of BlueCat as just an IPAM or DDI company, think again. BlueCat acquired LiveAction in 2024, and since then, they’ve been working to integrate LiveAction’s network observability capabilities with the DDI portfolio. In this sponsored episode, Ryan Grande, Field CTO at BlueCat, is here to dig into how network observability and DDI ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17433834/HN839.mp3) ## [HN838: Meet Mr. Packets – Building Your Own Agentic AI Team Member](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn838-meet-mr-packets-building-your-own-agentic-ai-team-member/) _2026-08-21 · Daniel Mudge_ What does it take to build your own AI agent that could help with day-to-day network tasks? Hank Preston, a Distinguished Architect at Cisco, asked himself that question. He developed a presentation that walks through all the elements one might need to build such an agent, as well as the risks to consider. On today’s ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17425268/HN_0821_Hank_Preston_Meter_Ads_Audio_FINAL.mp3) ## [HN837: Agentic AI to Reduce MTTR](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn837-agentic-ai-to-reduce-mttr/) _2026-08-07 · Daniel Mudge_ Ethan Banks sits down with Eduard Dulharu live at AutoCon 5 to explore how agentic AI can be used to reduce Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) for complex network environments. Eduard breaks down how these AI agents leverage deterministic workflows and custom fine-tuned models to analyze telemetry and propose solutions. Through the use of agentic ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17405231/HN837.mp3) ## [HN836: Optimize AI Traffic on the WAN with Ciena’s Integrated IP Networking (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn836-optimize-ai-traffic-on-the-wan-with-cienas-integrated-ip-networking-sponsored/) _2026-07-31 · Daniel Mudge_ As more applications and services rely on AI inferencing, that means more traffic on the WAN. Yes, bandwidth can solve a lot of problems, it’s not unlimited and AI inference traffic still has to share pipes with other flows. That means things like WAN latency, determinism, security, and traffic engineering are just as important as ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17397472/HN836.mp3) ## [HN835: The Pros and Cons of Shortest Path Bridging (SPB)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn835-the-pros-and-cons-of-shortest-path-bridging-spb/) _2026-07-24 · Daniel Mudge_ Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) remains an intriguing and reliable fabric technology, offering a unique approach to Ethernet that differs from more widely deployed fabrics such as EVPN/VXLAN. Jeff Wilson joins Ethan and Drew to share his experience designing and managing SPB-based fabrics. Together they discuss how SPB simplifies multicast, essential hardware design considerations for scaling, ...… [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17386680/HN835.mp3) ## [HN834: HPE Self-Driving Networks: The Next Evolution of Network Automation (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn834-hpe-self-driving-networks-the-next-evolution-of-network-automation-sponsored/) _2026-07-17 · Daniel Mudge_ In this sponsored episode, HPE’s Sunalini Sankhavaram and Jose Tellado discuss the architectural evolution toward self-driving networks. Together with Ethan and Drew, they break down how integrating agentic AI enables an autonomous architecture capable of being proactive and not just reactive. They also discuss the importance of maintaining human trust in autonomous systems and how ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17382008/HN834.mp3) ## [HN833: The State of Packet Pushers 2026](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn833-the-state-of-packet-pushers-2026/) _2026-06-26 · Daniel Mudge_ Ethan and Drew gather the rest of the Packet Pushers team to discuss the State of the Packet Pushers Network. Together they provide a behind the scenes look into current initiatives like adding video and raising the standards of our audio. They also share the details of the workflows behind all your favorite shows and ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17368680/HN833.mp3) ## [HN832: AI Agents Are Just Another Tool: How to Integrate With Your Network Automation Strategy (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn832-ai-agents-are-just-another-tool-how-to-integrate-with-your-network-automation-strategy-sponsored/) _2026-06-19 · Daniel Mudge_ AI has complicated network automation. It has created questions: If AI generates code for me, do I need to learn Python? Should I be writing a script to gather network information if I can dispatch an AI agent to gather that information for me instead? What new skills can I skip obtaining if AI stands ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17363964/HN832.mp3) ## [HN831: The Sum, Not Just the Parts: How and Why to Think Holistically About Your Network](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn831-the-sum-not-just-the-parts-how-and-why-to-think-holistically-about-your-network/) _2026-06-12 · Daniel Mudge_ Your network is an interconnected system. A change you make on one device has consequences beyond that device. Therefore, to do your job well, you must think about the network as a whole. That’s the big idea behind a blog post written by guest Jason Gintert. He joins Ethan and Drew to talk about how ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17359997/HN831.mp3) ## [HN830: Tailscale CEO on WireGuard, Zero Trust, and Securing AI (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn830-tailscale-ceo-on-wireguard-zero-trust-and-securing-ai-sponsored/) _2026-06-05 · Daniel Mudge_ If you think Tailscale is just a VPN for the home lab, think again. On today’s sponsored episode Ethan and Drew are joined by Tailscale CEO Avery Pennarun. Avery explains how the company has evolved into an enterprise-grade connectivity and security platform. He also dives into Tailscale Aperture, their new AI gateway designed to bring ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17354931/HN830.mp3) ## [Sync Bookmarks Everywhere (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/jszMPoM0qMwr) _2026-06-05 · **Sponsored**_ Two-way sync keeps folders and toolbar intact across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. ## [HN829: EVPN/VXLAN Vs. TradCore](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn829-evpn-vxlan-vs-tradcore/) _2026-05-29 · Daniel Mudge_ Drew and Ethan sit down with Tony Bourke to determine whether TradCore or EVPN VXLAN is right for your network. Tony is a seasoned instructor in automation, network design, and more. They explore the key factors for choosing a design, including scale and redundancy, operational complexity, and workload mobility. AdSpot Sponsor: Auvik Sponsor Auvik Network ... Read more » [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17350899/HN829.mp3) ## [HN828: How Selector Unifies Cloud and On-Prem Network Observability (Sponsored)](https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/heavy-networking/hn828-how-selector-unifies-cloud-and-on-prem-network-observability-sponsored/) _2026-05-22 · Daniel Mudge_ Selector is extending its AI-driven network observability capabilities into public clouds. On today’s sponsored episode, we dig into how Selector gathers and analyzes public cloud network telemetry, how it integrates cloud and on-prem network data to provide end-to-end visibility, how it integrates with third-party Application Performance Monitoring (APM) systems to correlate network and… [Listen](https://feeds.packetpushers.net/link/12486/17346548/HN828.mp3)