Python has become one of the most valuable tools in a network engineer’s toolbox. You do not need to write thousands of lines of code or become a software developer to get value from it. If you are kind of old school like me, anything other than bash scripting might be new. In this article, I give you some ideas that are mainly to give you ideas on what to look into when writing Python scripts.

There are many tools out there which already do some of these things but having scripts can help you learn but also save money and effort.

1. Run Commands on Every Device

Every one of us has needed to check interface status, BGP neighbors, software versions, or routing tables across dozens or hundreds of devices.

Instead of opening dozens of SSH sessions, a Python script can connect to every router or switch, run the same commands, and save the results into a single file. During outages, this can turn a thirty-minute task into something that finishes in a few minutes.

Libraries like Netmiko make this one of the easiest automation projects to build.

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2. Search Configurations for Problems

Sometimes you need to answer questions like:

• Which switches still allow Telnet?
• Which routers are missing an NTP server?
• Which devices still use SNMPv2?

Opening every configuration manually takes far too long. Python can scan hundreds of configuration files in seconds and generate a report listing every device that matches your search.

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3. Build an Inventory Report

Keeping an accurate inventory by hand rarely lasts very long.

Python can connect to devices and collect information such as:

• Hostname
• Model
• Serial number
• Software version
• Uptime

That information can be written into a spreadsheet or database automatically. Inventory reports become something you generate whenever you need them instead of maintaining manually.

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4. Monitor Optical Power Levels

Fiber problems are not always complete failures.

An optic that normally receives -6 dBm may slowly drop to -14 dBm over several months before customers notice any issues.

A Python script can collect DOM information from every optic, compare it against previous readings, and alert you when receive power begins dropping. That gives you time to investigate dirty connectors, damaged fiber, or failing optics before the link starts dropping packets.

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5. Verify BGP Sessions

Scripts can log into edge routers, collect BGP neighbor information, verify prefixes received, compare route counts against expected values, and alert when something changes.

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6. Generate Configuration Templates

Deploying twenty new switches should not mean copying and pasting twenty nearly identical configurations.

Python can build configurations from templates by inserting values such as hostnames, management IP addresses, VLANs, loopback addresses, or BGP AS numbers.

Template generation also reduces typing mistakes because every deployment starts from the same standardized configuration.

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7. Check Software Compliance

A Python script can compare software versions across your network and produce a list of devices that need attention. Before scheduling upgrades, you already know exactly which routers or switches require maintenance.

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You Do Not Need to Build Everything Yourself

One advantage network engineers have today is AI. If you know what you want the script to accomplish, tools like ChatGPT can generate a solid starting point. You still need to understand what the script is doing before running it in production, but you no longer have to memorize Python syntax just to automate routine tasks. I often find it easier to describe the problem than to write every line of code myself.

Start Small

The first Python script you write does not need to automate an entire network. Start with something you already do every week. Maybe that is collecting interface statistics, backing up configurations, or checking BGP neighbors after a maintenance window. Once that script works reliably, build another one.

Before long, you will spend less time repeating routine tasks and more time solving the problems that actually require a network engineer.

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