Network AF

Phil Gervasi, Kentik's Head of Technical Evangelism stops by Network AF today to speak with host Avi Freedman about all things network observability and to recap their experiences at Cisco Live. Phil was a network engineer for 15 years prior to switching to marketing and finding his way into technical evangelism. In this conversation the two focus on building a foundation for data mining and collecting information that could better inform network intelligence and insights from observability platforms like Kentik.Highlights of today's conversation include:[01:23] Avi and Phil discuss highlights from Cisco Live[03:35] Everybody is doing observability[04:57] Actionable insights[06:00] Bridging the gap with education and interest in networking[08:18] Network operations-focused innovation[10:45] How the industry is assisting engineer operations and architecture[12:48] Correlation and machine learning[16:19] Telemetry, ML, AI, and marketing fluff[22:23] Collecting telemetry and solving difficult problems with automation in a multi-vendor environment[26:29] Life Cycle Automation[28:53] Building a foundation for intelligence and observability[33:03] What Phil is looking forward to next year at Cisco Live

Network AF welcomes Doug Madory back to the podcast to discuss current events, including Russia invading Ukraine, and recent internet-related issues in Syria and Egypt. Doug is Kentik's Director of Internet Analysis, and uses BGP and traffic data to write about happenings with networks on a worldwide scale. Together with Kentik CEO and show host Avi Freedman, the two dive into the real-world implication of geopolitical events on the state of networking.Highlights of today's conversation include:[01:35] The current situation in Ukraine[05:30] Route-jacking, forcing traffic through unknown infrastructure[09:24] What internet activity looks like in Ukraine now[12:09] Egypt and the cable "cutting" event, discussing submarine consortium cables[17:37] The paths of submarine and overland circuit connections, how it impacts the flow of internet access across countries[22:20] Connectivity can be much more network topological than geographically topological[25:36] Syria and shutting down the Internet as the new norm

Chairman and Co-Founder of Scorbit, Jay Adelson, sits down with Network AF host Avi Freedman to talk about his history as a serial entrepreneur. Jay founded Equinix, Revision3, Opsmatic, and was the CEO of Digg. Throughout the conversation Jay and Avi touch on problems founders encounter, and discuss their mutual joy for gaming.Highlights of the conversation include:Imposter syndrome and working at DECServer evolution, power efficiency, and presentationHow not to build a data centerTerminating a cross connect and turning off service for Australia by accidentEquinix during its hyper-growth phaseRichard Clarke and peeringThe Forrest Gump of the InternetAmazing that the internet and the human body work at allEmergent behavior and the case of HD DVDsAn evolution of the anarchy started by the internetScorbit, gaming, and problem solving in pinballAdvice and lessons to a young Jay

Co-founder and CEO of Deft, Jordan Lowe stops by Network AF to talk to host Avi Freedman about all things IT infrastructure. Previously known as ServerCentral, Deft continues to innovate on its services to make managing IT infrastructure a better experience for the business and those who run it. Highlights of the conversation include:ServerCentral and being one of the first providers to combine domain names and web hosting for customersChallenges in the networking business throughout Jordan's career, and the complexity of it allHow automation differs from 20 years ago when ServerCentral beganThe challenges of running a networkSimplicity and reliability in the context of cloud native thinkingHow Deft divides responsibilities between teams for cloud networking and network opsThe need for automation, and checks and balances for maintaining operationsThe reason Deft uses its own global nLayerPacket destiny and public peeringWhat emerging and interesting tech Jordan is interested in that is coming down the roadHype around SDN and SD-WanThe evolution of Edge computing, and cloud architecture's ability to deploy easily

Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Unitas Global, Grant Kirkwood, joins Network AF to discuss motivations for starting the company and where they're at currently. Avi and Grant talk about what it is like to be a service provider and a solution provider (MSP) in one, and how it plays into what Avi calls the APIfication of networks and IT strategy. Topics throughout the conversation include: Non-software enterprise companies and whether or not they'll adopt more interest in peeringDonut Peering and creating better interconnectionBuilding reliable and resilient networks for edge computingUnitas' growth and how Grant thinks about building networking skills internallyLooking for people to join the team who are curious

Network AF host and Kentik CEO Avi Freedman discusses data analysis and trends in understanding online activity with David Belson. David is Cloudflare's Head of Data Insight, where he helps the organization communicate information about the internet such as outages and changes in protocol adoption.Throughout the conversation the two discuss: Dave's beginning in networking and his role at BBNData analysis growth from the early internetHelping people learn skills through product educationTracking the digital footprint of online activityAdvice for communicating and building media relationships

Bill Marantz joins Avi and Network AF to discuss how his team uses open source and automation technologies. The two also discuss mentorship and recruiting during rapid stages of company growth, and touch on problem solving in networking without a technical background.

Ilissa Miller, CEO of iMiller Public Relations, joins Network AF to talk about her start working in infrastructure communications, and her advice for companies interested in engaging more with her customers and media. She talks about challenges on the people side of public relations, competitive differentiators of great PR professionals, and lessons learned in running her business.

Dave Schaeffer, founder and CEO of Cogent Communications, discusses his path in networking and the innovations that have propelled their ISP to success. In this episode Avi and Dave touch on: The differences between developing a product and a businessFocusing on the product and knowing when to pivot to new ideasRaising investor money and the dynamics it createsThe decreasing costs of internet service and Cogent's role in creating affordable accessHow COVID-19 has impacted culture and operations at CogentHiring practices when looking for early career vs senior employeesDave's advice for his younger self

On this episode, Avi talks with longtime friend Jezzibell Gilmore. Jezzibell is the Chief Commercial Officer at PacketFabric, and works toward revenue goals. She and Avi discuss: How Jezzibell entered the networking industry after not enjoying the world of lawMoving into operations and deployment at Akamai and then transitioning to enterpriseDifferences between enterprise and service providerThe networking community, bringing people in and developing their skills

Alan Cohen, partner at venture capital firm DCVC, sits down with Avi to talk about his experience working in networking and security. During the conversation the two discuss Alan's history starting out as an accidental tourist in tech, following the internet's growth to Cisco, then networking and security startups in the Valley. They also cover the advent of virtualization and multi-cloud, and strategies Alan has learned through his venture capital days to reach and grow entrepreneurs' businesses.

In today's episode of Network AF, Avi interviews Hank Kilmer, Vice President of IP Engineering at Cogent. The two discuss Hank's career running major internet backbones, how he got into networking in the late 80's, and his thoughts on mentorship in the networking community.

In today's episode of Network AF, Avi interviews Ron Winward, VP of Network Services at INAP. With 20 years of network services experience under his belt, we want to know more about how he got into networking and how an expert like him learns. Today's discussion will also involve the community and what Ron looks for in those who want to get into networking. Listen now!

On this episode of Network AF, Avi talks with Zac Smith, Bare Metal Managing Director at Equinix. Zac is a graduate of Juilliard, has started multiple networking companies, and is an Operating Board Member of Pursuit. This nonprofit program teaches and mentors underrepresented communities, creating opportunities in the tech and networking space. Today, Zac shares his journey from Juilliard to networking and how PC repair helped him financially while in school. He and Avi discuss open source in networking, sustainability, and how cloud vs. a traditional set up works. Zac's passion for mentorship shows in today's episode not only through his volunteer work at Pursuit but when he shares his philosophy on investing in people in the workplace. Tune in now!

On this episode of Network AF, Avi is joined by Senior Network Engineer Cat Gurinsky to share her journey through networking. Cat found a passion for automating deployments and troubleshooting and is the current chair for the NANOG Program Committee.Today, Cat discusses her path into networking and her passion for automation as she shares one of her favorite things to do is write Arista API scripts and how she automated her process. You'll also hear insight into how to get started in networking, highlighting the importance of an intro class and mentorship. Networking isn't the only thing Cat is excellent at and passionate about; she tells us how she got started in martial arts and how it's connected to her networking life. Listen now to hear more from their conversation!

In this week's episode, you'll hear our host Avi and guest Doug Madory's conversation around internet analysis. Doug is the Director of Internet Analysis here at Kentik, with previous experience at Oracle and Dyn in the same role. Today he shares how he got into technology and his career in the Air Force. Doug later dives into what it's like building relationships with the press and working with them as an internet analyst. You'll get to hear about some of the essential stories highlighted throughout his career, as well. Listen now!

On today's episode of the Network AF podcast, Avi welcomes Elliot Noss, President, and CEO of Tucows. Elliot has a love and passion for the internet that started the moment he was introduced to it. This passion comes through as he discusses his goals in networking and the positive change he wants to make in solving cybercrime issues at the DNS level. Not only is Elliot an expert in networking, but also a great leader. He shares insight into the importance of providing exceptional customer support and how it starts with building a culture around passionate people at Tucows. Listen now!

Today's conversation is with Janine Malcolm, Director of Network Engineering at Salesforce. Janine takes us through her journey to get to where she is today and how she became interested in networking itself. Not only do they get into the nuts and bolts of networking, but also what you can do to get into the industry and why having a college degree isn't always necessary. Janine shares how we can make this space more welcoming to newcomers with advice on how you can start learning more and get your career going.

Today's conversation is with Nina Bargisen, Director of GTM Strategy for the Service Provider customer segment at Kentik. She is an experienced interconnection specialist, and today she shares her journey through the networking industry. You'll get to hear about hot topics within the industry, with insights into what we can be on the lookout for in the future. Most importantly, Nina discusses how mentoring, learning processes, and community helped her get to where she is now that can help you get into the world of networking as well. Lastly, Avi and Nina discuss the critical topic of inclusivity and how we can be better. Listen now!

In our first episode of Network AF, our host Avi Freedman sits down with BGPMon Founder Andree Toonk to discuss the world of networking. Andree is the Senior Engineering Manager at Cisco and has 20 years of experience in network infrastructure. In today's episode, you'll hear insights from Andree that will help you drive your career growth by taking control of your learning experience and finding your mentors. In terms of networking, you'll hear about some of the trends in desegregation and cloud-scale networking. Listen now for a deep dive into network engineering!