Cybersecurity conferences aren't just for Vegas. Here are my takeaways from the National Cyber Summit in Huntsville, Alabama: quantum computing's threat to RSA, why post-quantum cryptography can't wait, AI agents escaping their sandbox, and whether private-sector security pros should attend.

SNMP discovery and walks, CDP/LLDP decoding, built-in Nmap, and remote Cisco packet captures: a look at HopMatrix's network discovery toolkit.

My Eufy S4 NVR and its PoE cameras went in without a hitch. My wireless floodlight camera did not. After a ladder, a hand mirror, a pile of resets, and plenty of cussing, the fix turned out to be one Eero setting. Here's what happened and what Eufy should fix.

iPerf, the tool of choice for throughput testing. Unfortunately, getting it onto Windows devices has always been a bit of a Google crapshoot. Which mirror is legit and which is a trojan horse. This is where our new favorite tool HopMatrix shines. All versions of HopMatrix, whether it be on macOS, Windows x64, Windows ARM, or Linux, have a built-in iPerf3 client and server.

Need to prove a list of hosts was up before a change — and back up after? HopMatrix's Monitor mode takes a CSV, a comma-separated list, or a whole CIDR block, then prunes it down to what's actually alive.

Every network engineer knows the 2 AM problem: you're on a customer jump box, you can't install anything, and the tools you do have won't show you what's actually happening. HopMatrix is one portable executable that answers it — continuous visual traceroute with per-hop latency and loss graphs, autonomous system mapping, a time slider to replay intermittent issues, and hop-by-hop path MTU discovery. Here's a first look, plus two real cases where it found what packet captures alone couldn't.

Twelve observability tools, one outage, zero shared truth. Why the single pane of glass keeps failing and what to fight for instead. From Network Field Day.

At Networking Field Day 40, Alex Saroyan from Netris illustrated how their AI clusters automate networks without the need for config backups. The discussion revealed a common issue: many networks rely on outdated backup practices, treating running configs as the primary truth. A shift towards documenting intent can enhance network management.

Like many geeks, I have a 3D printer, and I use it to print things that I find online. Before now, I had only done small modifications to STL files that I found online. I have had two occasions to take my 3D printer usage to a new level. The first was to create an accessory to my new bidet seat.

The post critiques the marketing use of "AI-powered" in network tools, highlighting the gap between flashy demos and real enterprise needs. It emphasizes the importance of multi-source data integration, on-premises hosting, and robust role-based access. Genuine AI solutions must address complexities beyond simple Q&A interfaces to be effective in real environments.

Cisco is now the third-largest contributor to the SONiC project, following Microsoft and NVIDIA. This shift indicates a change in its strategy, as Cisco promotes both NXOS and SONiC on its Silicon One hardware. While NXOS remains preferred for traditional networks, Cisco's SONiC support reflects evolving market demands and competitive methodologies.

I'm sitting in the audience at Network Field Day watching Dennis Thankachan and Ryan Schrack from Lightyear demo what they call a "telecom operating system," and my brain is doing that thing it does where it stops listening to the presenter and starts thinking about my customers. Lightyear is pitching to enterprises, Fortune 500s, big-name logos. And I get it, that's where the big contracts are.

Mike Hoffman has been doing this longer than most of us. His first network troubleshooting tool was an oscilloscope on thick coax, shooting down the cable and picking up a 50 ohm resistor looking for the little bleeps from vampire taps. His next tool was the first-generation Network General LAN Doctor. A briefcase with an RS-232 cable where he read binary blink patterns to figure out what was going on.

Vendors publish "validated designs" and let them rot. Nokia is doing something different — and the four-year support commitment is the part worth paying attention to.

Day Three of Networking Field Day #NFD40 continues with a great presentation lined up from NetAI Inc.! Tune in to learn more and leave your thoughts in the comments. Presenters: Deepak Kakadia, Ir...

Day Three of Networking Field Day #NFD40 is underway! Kicking things off this morning are our friends from Selector! Tune in to the presentations to learn more and leave your thoughts in the comment...

Selector AI Presents at Networking Field Day 40

Netris Presents at Networking Field Day 40

Upscale AI Presents at Networking Field Day 40

Arista Presents at Networking Field Day 40

Networking Field Day #NFD40 is underway and we have a lot of great presentations lined up for you this week! Kicking things off are our friends from Nokia! Tune in now to learn more. Presenters: A...

Software developers and security engineers are often at odds. This needs to stop and I have some suggestions.

AI is changing the world. Things will change, career paths will disappear, but all will be well.

This won't be my usual blog post about something in IT. Instead, I want to bring attention to a change that has been announced at Southwest Airlines. Starting on January 27th, 2026, Southwest is changing to assigned seating. With this change, they are changing what had been the best policy for customers of size in the industry. Currently, the policy…

Tech Field Day is live from Cisco Live 2025! 🌐 🛜 Our presentations begin with our friends from Opengear! See the latest on what they're doing in the space, presented by CTO Douglas Wadkins. Mod...

The Portable Hail Protector Car Cover System Stops Any Size Hail from Damaging Automobiles. Six Sizes Covering Coupes, Sedans, Wagons, Vans, SUVs and Trucks. Included with Each System is a Subscriptio...

YouTube video by DeviantOllam

ALT: a man in a suit and tie is giving a middle finger and saying welcome to seattle .

This week I have been attending HPE Tech Jam in Orlando. For those who don't know, this is HPE's SE and Partner event full of technical training and keynotes. This year it was held at the Disney Dolphin and Swan Resort and convention center. Going in, I had no idea what to expect as this was the first time that my company was invited.