Packets DownRange
j2sw Being a geek, I am always looking for new ways to improve my setup. Most of what I work on these days are ISP networks. Over the years, I have tried many different monitor setups. The latest iteration of my setup has replaced my 34″ Acer curved widescreen and a dell side car rotated 90 … Read more
If you’ve ever wondered how the capital I Internet actually works, you’re not alone! At its core, the Internet is a network of networks, and the way these networks connect has a big impact on the speed, cost, and reliability of our online lives. In this post, I’ll walk you through the basics of interconnection, … Read more
Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or just getting started, this post will walk you through the six most common MikroTik configuration errors and how to avoid them.
ISP engineers have traditionally been a “person of many hats”. There are many things that keep us up at night. Among them are some of the following.
When you run a network, you’ll hit this situation sooner or later. A customer buys a service, but the issue they are dealing with is not related to your network. It is theirs. But do you help them?
If AI can perform many tasks previously handled manually by engineers, do certifications still hold value? The answer depends on the original intent behind certifications.
I have distilled down many of the categories on this site to just a handful. This should help my readers find and keep track of topics. For a while I have used categories instead of tags. Its a by-product of using WordPress for over 15 years now. You don’t know what you don’t know. On … Read more
If VXLAN and EVPN are on your list to learn, here are some training courses for a great place to Start
I will be talking about some of these in more detail in later posts. These are some random photos of gear and of the ISPAmerica 2026 show in Atlanta Georgia.
Most ISPs don’t start with a management network. Instead, they add it later as the network expands. They add a router, an OLT, some core switches, and a few servers. Everything runs smoothly—until it suddenly doesn’t. Then someone asks a tough question, usually during an outage: If the main network goes down, how do we … Read more
Do you need help navigating your company’s interconnection strategy? I work with operators, ISPs, data centers, and content networks on interconnection-related matters. Here are some examples of how I can help you with: • Interconnection strategy and traffic engineering• Internet Exchange onboarding and expansion• Clean and accurate PeeringDB entries.• BGP policy design for IX, private … Read more
Many engineers use the term VLAN in a broad way, often referring to any logical separation on a switch. However, a standard VLAN and a Private VLAN address different needs. Mixing them up can lead to network design mistakes.