Packets DownRange
Internet Service provider topics, Network operations, and other topics. Some topics include Mikrotik, Cisco, Arista and other configurations.
I recently wrote an article called “The Mess we call BGP. I received several questions about how I go about monitoring BGP and knowing how traffic flows. More importantly, to know when it goes wrong and how to deal with it. In this post, I will go over some of the philosophies, tools, and methods … 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?
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
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.
If you manage a network and haven’t considered synchronizing your devices with the NTP protocol, this article is for you. Logs, BGP sessions, RADIUS accounting, DHCP leases, syslog, NetFlow, security alerts. Every one of them depends on accurate time. Network Time Protocol, usually called NTP, is the protocol that keeps clocks in sync across IP networks. It runs over UDP port 123.
This is the second installment in my series about the modern Internet Service Provider. The term AIOps gets thrown around liberally, and it’s worth being precise about what machine learning actually does well in network operations versus where it’s still a pipe dream. Where ML Delivers Measurable Value Today Anomaly detection is the most mature … Read more
The three-tier model of core (edge), distribution, and access remains the foundation of ISP network architecture, though the distinctions between these layers have become less defined. A current assessment requires analysis beyond standard diagrams.
You’re managing a network that deals with more traffic than ever before. Your subscribers stream 4K video, work from home using cloud-based tools, and rely on applications where even a slight delay matters. The systems you have now are working, but the reality is that the network design you use today won’t be enough for the next five years.
Identifying a DDoS attack requires an understanding of normal network behavior. In the left portion of the graph,
How Internet Service Providers can use AI – the 10,000 foot level