

Network Automation Nerds
Packet Pushers
Network Automation Nerds is for network engineers and infrastructure professionals eager to learn more about automation. Join host Eric Chou as he explores how to take advantage of modern network programmability to automate tasks, build robust systems, and get more done in less time. You’ll hear from a lineup of seasoned engineers, avid learners, industry leaders, and tool creators as they share tips, best practices, and hard-won advice.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 20, 2025 • 53min
NAN098: Democratizing the Learning Environment for Network Engineers
Democratizing the learning environment is a passion for Deepak Ahuja. So much so, he founded CloudMyLab, a company that provides hands-on, cloud-based labs and networking environments. His goal is to offer an affordable lab-as-a-service for two groups of people: network engineers seeking certifications, and network engineers and automators that need a place to safely test... Read more »

Aug 6, 2025 • 1h 6min
NAN097: Automating Optical Networks
Optical networks are an essential component of networking, but don’t get much attention. Today we shine a spotlight on the intersection of optical networks and the software that automates them. Our guest is Michal Pecek, consultant and teacher in optical communication, whose work has transformed organizations including Google and Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia). From pioneering flexible DWDM... Read more »

Jul 23, 2025 • 56min
NAN096: NautobotGPT – An AI Assistant for Network Automation
NautobotGPT is a new AI assistant for Nautobot that helps engineers with network automation, answers questions, recommends tooling, and delivers working code. We discuss the user experience of NautobotGPT with Matthew Schwen, Associate Director of Network Automation at Humana, CoFounder and CTO of PortalCX; and Brad Haas, VP of Professional Services at Network to Code.... Read more »

Jul 2, 2025 • 52min
NAN095: Certification Deep Dive – The New Cisco Automation Track
Francois Caen, a Product Manager at Cisco with nearly a decade of expertise in network automation, joins Scott Robon, a former Cisco instructor and host of the Total Network Operations podcast. They dive into the exciting upcoming transition of Cisco’s DevNet certifications to a new automation track in February 2026. Topics include the necessity for network engineers to quickly develop AI skills, the widespread applicability of automation competencies beyond Cisco environments, and the ongoing importance of adapting certifications to meet industry demands.

Jun 18, 2025 • 45min
NAN094: Automate and Iterate With the NetBox Labs Community
On today’s show, we’re joined NetBox Labs co-founders Mark Coleman and Kris Beevers. They recount how they founded NetBox Labs and discuss its growth and how it’s being used. We also delve into the NetBox Labs community and its importance for users. And of course, there’s the ever-present AI discussion. Mark and Kris also talk... Read more »

Jun 4, 2025 • 51min
NAN093: Network Automation – There Must Be a Better Way!
In this discussion, network automation expert Bart Dorlandt shares his motto, “There must be a better way,” as he dives into the importance of focusing on processes over tools. He highlights his journey from traditional networking to automation, emphasizing the role of mentorship in personal and professional growth. Bart also reflects on the transition from manual configurations to automated solutions and the need for continuous innovation in the field, urging newcomers to embrace coding skills for success.

May 21, 2025 • 43min
NAN092: From Stealth to Scale – Decoding Network Data Management with Damian Garros
Damien Garros, CEO and co-founder of OpsMill is with us once again for today’s podcast. Since we last spoke with Damien, OpsMill has emerged from stealth mode and is making progress as one of the leaders in network source of truth in the field. Today, we’ll talk through the progress Infrahub has made and get... Read more »

May 7, 2025 • 47min
NAN091: The Future of Autonomous Networking With Jeff Doyle
Today’s guest is Jeff Doyle, an expert in the networking industry with over 30 years of experience as a consultant, instructor, architect, author, and speaker. Eric chats with Jeff about his background and how he got into networking (spoiler: it was not a computer science degree!). The conversation explores Jeff’s current work and delves into... Read more »

Apr 23, 2025 • 45min
NAN090: Examining Network Automation’s Present and Future With Chris Grundemann
Today we explore the current state of network automation with Chris Grundemann, a co-founder of Network Automation Forum. Chris gives the history of the Network Automation Forum and AutoCon conference, which aims to blend technology and community. He shares ideas for advancing network automation, and invites other network engineers to participate in shaping the future... Read more »

Apr 9, 2025 • 59min
NAN089: A Career Journey of Exponential Learning
“If you don’t feel nervous in front of a challenge, you are not exponentially learning” is how today’s guest Christian Adell describes his own approach to career growth. Christian chats with us first about how he got started in IT, his various experiences in both networking and DevOps and then network automation. He leads a... Read more »