Episodes

  • N4N059: Twisted Pair Cabling

    N4N059: Twisted Pair Cabling
    Jun 25 2026
    Copper twisted pair cabling serves as a fundamental component of Ethernet infrastructure and Ethan and Holly are here to break down how it works. They discuss the technical differences between cabling categories, how wire twisting cancels out electromagnetic interference, and share practical guidance on installation standards and testing methodologies. Episode Links: Watch this episode on... Read more »
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    57 mins
  • N4N058: Future-Proofing Your Career for the AI Era (Sponsored)

    N4N058: Future-Proofing Your Career for the AI Era (Sponsored)
    Jun 18 2026
    In this sponsored episode by Cisco we explore how agentic AI is transforming network operations and what it means for your career. Robert Barton, an AI Distinguished Engineer at Cisco Systems, joins Ethan and Holly to help us snap the artificial intelligence puzzle piece into your networking picture. Together they break down the AI trifecta:... Read more »
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    50 mins
  • N4N057: The Art of Troubleshooting

    N4N057: The Art of Troubleshooting
    Jun 11 2026
    As a network engineer, you’ll end up with a lot of weird problems to solve. Many times, the problems will not be with the network at all, and it’ll be up to you to figure it all out. But how? Ethan and Holly discuss techniques for effective troubleshooting. Those techniques include how to gather accurate... Read more »
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • N4N056: A Wireless NAC Walkthrough

    N4N056: A Wireless NAC Walkthrough
    May 28 2026
    In the previous episode of N is for Networking, Jennifer “JJ” Jabbusch gave us a thorough overview of Network Access Control (NAC) for wired networks. This week we’re going wireless! JJ walks us through the major differences between wired and wireless NAC, how 802.1X is more seamless in Wi-Fi deployments, the unpredictability of web portals,... Read more »
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • N4N055: A Wired NAC Walkthrough

    N4N055: A Wired NAC Walkthrough
    May 14 2026
    Today’s topic is Network Access Control (NAC) for a wired network. To help walk us through it all is Jennifer “JJ” Jabbusch, a network security architect, public speaker, book author, and co-host of the Packet Protector podcast. JJ and our hosts break down the terms and protocols behind NAC, and explain why the architecture was... Read more »
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • N4N054: Network Access Control (NAC) Basics

    N4N054: Network Access Control (NAC) Basics
    Apr 30 2026
    Today’s episode is part one of a three part series to break down Network Access Control (NAC). Ethan and Holly start simple by explaining what NAC is at a high level and all of the jargon and acronyms that come with it. They also cover where and when network access control is applied, whether NAC... Read more »
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • N4N053: Well Actually 03 – Multicast, Routing Protocols, RFC 1918

    N4N053: Well Actually 03 – Multicast, Routing Protocols, RFC 1918
    Apr 16 2026
    We asked for follow ups and you did not disappoint! On today’s show we respond to listener comments and corrections on multicast, routing protocols, security, and more. We also have a technical correction for the RFC 1918 Class B private address range. A big thank you to everyone who sent in responses. If you’d like... Read more »
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    57 mins
  • N4N052: Multicast Part 2

    N4N052: Multicast Part 2
    Apr 2 2026
    Lenny Giuliano, Sr. Distinguished Systems Engineer at HPE Juniper Networks, joins Holly and Ethan for another round of multicast. Part two helps fill in details not covered in episode 50. They cover how multicast traffic also affects Ethernet frame addressing, and the key differences between IPv4 and IPv6 multicast. They also explain new hybrid multicast... Read more »
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    1 hr and 25 mins