Best Sysadmin Podcasts (2025)

1
PP086: Using Let’s Encrypt and the ACME Protocol for Domain Validation Certificates 44:39

Play Pause

1d ago44:39

44:39

Certificates are the socks of IT—everyone needs them, and you always lose track of a few. On today’s show we dive into the ACME protocol, an IETF standard to help automate how a domain owner gets a domain validation certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). Our guest, Ed Harmoush, a former network engineer with AWS... Read more »…

1
NB551: Cisco Adds AI to Tech Support; Cryptography Hits a Post-Quantum Milestone 28:59

2d ago28:59

28:59

Take a Network Break! We start with a critical vulnerability in Cisco’s Unified Contact Center Express. On the news front it’s a Cisco triple play: the company brings AI to professional services and tech support with Cisco IQ, debuts converged infrastructure for the AI edge, and launches a new cert geared for running AI data... Read more »…

1
HN804: How Prisma SASE Builds on Public Clouds for Scale, Resiliency (Sponsored) 56:07

5d ago56:07

56:07

How do you architect a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to provide critical security services to millions of endpoints distributed across the planet? How do you build such a service for scale, performance, and resiliency? One option is to build your own PoPs or use colocation facilities, run your own infrastructure stack, and connect everything...…

1
HN804: How Prisma SASE Builds on Public Clouds for Scale, Resiliency (Sponsored) 56:07

5d ago56:07

56:07

How do you architect a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to provide critical security services to millions of endpoints distributed across the planet? How do you build such a service for scale, performance, and resiliency? One option is to build your own PoPs or use colocation facilities, run your own infrastructure stack, and connect everything...…

1
HN804: How Prisma SASE Builds on Public Clouds for Scale, Resiliency (Sponsored) 56:07

5d ago56:07

56:07

How do you architect a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to provide critical security services to millions of endpoints distributed across the planet? How do you build such a service for scale, performance, and resiliency? One option is to build your own PoPs or use colocation facilities, run your own infrastructure stack, and connect everything...…

1
TNO049: Automated Network Testing and Validation 52:50

5d ago52:50

52:50

What does network testing and validation really mean? How do testing and validation fit within an automation workflow? Is it possible to run meaningful tests without coding skills? Dan Wade from BlueAlly answers these questions and offers practical insights into building trust in automation through test environments, using AI for ideation and probl…

1
IPB187: IPv6 RFC Updates 20:19

6d ago20:19

20:19

Today the IPv6 Buzz crew provides updates on the latest in IPv6 standards, RFCs, and best practices. They break down the recent discussions around RFC 6052, explore the options for RFC 8215, and share Nick’s spin on the now defunct testipv6.com site. Episode Links: RFC 6052 RFC 8215 RFC 6598 IPv6.army…

1
2.5 Admins 272: NVMe Surprise 24:34

6d ago24:34

24:34

Why you should seriously consider buying refurbished hard drives, why drives might be lasting longer than they once did, Jim’s M.2 NVMe drive died at an inopportune moment, using multiple partitions on disks with ZFS. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Advanced ZFS Dataset Management: Snapshots, Cl…

1
N4N042: Meet MACsec 52:19

6d ago52:19

52:19

MACsec is a protocol for encrypting Ethernet frames on a local (though not always local) network. Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky have an ELI5 (explain like I’m 5) discussion as to what exactly is MACsec and how it differs from IPsec. They talk about when and whether you need to implement MACsec with all the... Read more »…

1
D2DO286: Scaling Kubernetes Across Clouds – Identity, DNS, and Security 40:39

7d ago40:39

40:39

If you think managing Kubernetes clusters is hard, what about managing Kubernetes clusters across three different public clouds? We dive into the challenges that arises from running multi-cloud Kubernetes workloads. These challenges include workload identity, DNS query resolutions, and security. Here to help us navigate this complexity and offer po…

1
PP085: News Roundup – Naked Satellite Signals, Account Recovery Buddies, Busting Ghost Networks 52:28

7d ago52:28

52:28

Did you know college students are snooping on satellite transmissions? On today’s news roundup we discuss new research in which university investigators use off-the-shelf equipment to intercept traffic from geostationary satellites and discover that a lot of it is unencrypted. We also dig into the credential hygiene lessons we can learn from a corp…

1
NAN105: Campus Network Automation, Powered by Cisco Agentic Workflows (Sponsored) 44:30

7d ago44:30

44:30

Cisco Workflows is a new platform that makes network automation easier, smarter, and safer. On today’s episode, sponsored by Cisco, we get introduced to Cisco Workflows by Stephen Orr, Distinguished Solutions Engineer; and Reid Butler, Director of Product Management. They break down how Workflows helps you ditch repetitive tasks, roll out changes f…

1
NB550: A Cornucopia of AI Switches; DNS Strikes Again 29:38

9d ago29:38

29:38

Take a Network Break! We start with some educational content on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, and sound the alarm about a sandbox escape affecting the Firefox browser. On the news front, a DNS issue triggers a major Azure outage that affected numerous services and caused problems around the globe, Palo Alto Networks announces enhancements to... R…

1
TNO048: Ops to Orchestrated: An Architect’s Automation Journey 42:09

12d ago42:09

42:09

On today’s show, sponsored by Itential, we talk about automation in the real world. Guest Jesse Ford is an automation architect at Itential. We talk about his career journey, how he got into network automation, how he decides which is the best tool for a job, and why tool diversity isn’t the same as chaos.... Read more »…

1
HN803: How to Start a Networking Meetup 58:47

12d ago58:47

58:47

On today’s episode, we take a break from one’s and zero’s for a discussion about starting a networking meetup. Our guest is Steinn “Steinzi” Örvar, who recently founded the ISNOG, a network operators’ group in Iceland. We quiz Steinzi about what worked and what didn’t. We also pick his brain for the nitty-gritty details about... Read more »…

1
HN803: How to Start a Networking Meetup 58:47

12d ago58:47

58:47

On today’s episode, we take a break from one’s and zero’s for a discussion about starting a networking meetup. Our guest is Steinn “Steinzi” Örvar, who recently founded the ISNOG, a network operators’ group in Iceland. We quiz Steinzi about what worked and what didn’t. We also pick his brain for the nitty-gritty details about... Read more »…

1
HN803: How to Start a Networking Meetup 58:47

12d ago58:47

58:47

On today’s episode, we take a break from one’s and zero’s for a discussion about starting a networking meetup. Our guest is Steinn “Steinzi” Örvar, who recently founded the ISNOG, a network operators’ group in Iceland. We quiz Steinzi about what worked and what didn’t. We also pick his brain for the nitty-gritty details about... Read more »…

1
LIU003: A Chat With ‘The Cloud Therapist’ 44:24

13d ago44:24

44:24

Your background and experiences outside of tech can become a significant factor in your tech career. Guest Chris Williams is a good example; he talks about how his undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology influenced his work as a Developer Relations Manger at Hashicorp. Hosts Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns chat with him about how... Read m…

1
2.5 Admins 271: Dead Internet 27:54

13d ago27:54

27:54

Why you should keep your Baseboard Management Controller off the network, ZFS is hard to defeat with a zip bomb, how bad the Internet bot problem probably is, and building a small home server cluster. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Discussion Supermicro server motherboards can be infected with u…

1
PP084: Inside the CVE Process With Cisco (Sponsored) 44:50

13d ago44:50

44:50

CVEs, or Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, are such a routine aspect of tech that most IT pros probably take them for granted. But like many things we take for granted, the CVE process takes some serious organizational infrastructure to function. On today’s Packet Protector, sponsored by Cisco, we talk about the organizations and processes that…

1
NAN104: The Art and Science of Writing a Network Automation Book 57:53

14d ago57:53

57:53

Host Eric Chou talks with Jeff Kala, co-author of the newly released “Network Automation Cookbook 2nd Edition,” to discuss his book and the experiences that led him from networking to network automation author. They discuss Jeff’s learning style and why it was helpful when working on his book. Lastly, they dig into Jeff’s predictions on... Read mor…

1
NB549: Startups Take on Switch, ASIC Incumbents; Google Claims Quantum Advantage 49:32

16d ago49:32

49:32

Take a Network Break! Companies spying on…I mean, monitoring…their employees via software called WorkExaminer should be aware of a login bypass that needs to be locked down. On the news front, we opine on whether it’s worth trying to design your way around AWS outages, and speculate on the prospects of a new Ethernet switch... Read more »…

1
HN802: Unifying Networking and Security with Fortinet SASE: Architecture, Reality, and Lessons Learned (Sponsored) 58:39

19d ago58:39

58:39

The architecture and tech stack of a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution will influence how the service performs, the robustness of its security controls, and the complexity of its operations. Sponsor Fortinet joins Heavy Networking to make the case that a unified offering, which integrates SD-WAN and SSE from a single vendor, provides a... …

1
HN802: Unifying Networking and Security with Fortinet SASE: Architecture, Reality, and Lessons Learned (Sponsored) 58:39

19d ago58:39

58:39

The architecture and tech stack of a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution will influence how the service performs, the robustness of its security controls, and the complexity of its operations. Sponsor Fortinet joins Heavy Networking to make the case that a unified offering, which integrates SD-WAN and SSE from a single vendor, provides a... …

1
HN802: Unifying Networking and Security with Fortinet SASE: Architecture, Reality, and Lessons Learned (Sponsored) 58:39

19d ago58:39

58:39

The architecture and tech stack of a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution will influence how the service performs, the robustness of its security controls, and the complexity of its operations. Sponsor Fortinet joins Heavy Networking to make the case that a unified offering, which integrates SD-WAN and SSE from a single vendor, provides a... …

1
TNO047: Advice From Both Sides of the Network Aisle 49:35

19d ago49:35

49:35

Senad Palislamovic has held many roles in his time, from engineer to network operator to sales engineer and back again. He’s been around long enough to see trends come and go. Senad visits Total Network Operations to share some of his observations on network automation, AI for NetOps, and the quality of network data. Senad... Read more »…

1
2.5 Admins 270: Storage Shortage 27:46

20d ago27:46

27:46

It looks like the storage companies aren’t betting on the AI bubble lasting much longer, the arguments against self-hosting, and setting up a server for virtualization and containers. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes ZFS Performance Tuning in the Real World: ARC, L2ARC, and SLOG Discussion Expect…

1
IPB186: An Inside Look at RFC 9872 for Discovering v6 Prefixes 20:10

20d ago20:10

20:10

RFC 9872 makes recommendations for NAT64 prefix discovery for hosts supporting v4-to-v6 translation. Co-host Nick Buralgio is a co-author of this RFC, so we’re taking the opportunity to talk about it in detail. We discuss the problems RFC 9872 is addressing and why a new RFC was needed for operational guidance, not necessarily defining a... Read mo…

1
N4N041: Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) 49:58

20d ago49:58

49:58

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) and Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB), today’s show is for you! Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky start with some history and the basics of communication between layer 2 and layer 3 and then explain how the concepts of SVI and IRB... Read more »…

1
D2DO285: The Death of IaC Has Been Greatly Exaggerated 39:52

21d ago39:52

39:52

While declaring the death of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) or Terraform may get you clicks on LinkedIn, IaC is alive and kicking. On today’s Day Two DevOps we talk about why IaC still matters. Guest Malcolm Matalka argues that IaC provides the tools and a model for managing infrastructure across its lifecycle in a structured... Read more »…

1
PP083: A CISO’s Perspective on Model Context Protocol (MCP) 44:03

22d ago44:03

44:03

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source protocol that enables AI agents to connect to data, tools, workflows, and other agents both within and outside of enterprise borders. As organizations dive head-first into AI projects, MCP and other agentic protocols are being quickly adopted. And that means security and network teams need to understan…

1
NB548: Broadcom Brings Chips to Wi-Fi 8 Party; Attorneys General Scrutinize HPE/Juniper Settlement 29:16

23d ago29:16

29:16

Take a Network Break! On today’s coverage, F5 releases an emergency security update after state-backed threat actors breach internal systems, and North Korean attackers use the blockchain to host and hide malware. Broadcom is shipping an 800G NIC aimed at AI workloads, and Broadcom joins the Wi-Fi 8 party early with a sampling of pre-standard... Re…

1
HN801: Will a Natural Language Interface (NLI) Replace Your CLI? 59:51

26d ago59:51

59:51

Could an LLM or some kind of an AI-driven language model, such as a natural language interface, someday replace our beloved CLI? That is, instead of needing to understand the syntax of a specific vendor’s CLI, could a language model allow network operators to use plain language to get the information they need or the... Read more »…

1
HN801: Will a Natural Language Interface (NLI) Replace Your CLI? 59:51

26d ago59:51

59:51

Could an LLM or some kind of an AI-driven language model, such as a natural language interface, someday replace our beloved CLI? That is, instead of needing to understand the syntax of a specific vendor’s CLI, could a language model allow network operators to use plain language to get the information they need or the... Read more »…

1
HN801: Will a Natural Language Interface (NLI) Replace Your CLI? 59:51

26d ago59:51

59:51

Could an LLM or some kind of an AI-driven language model, such as a natural language interface, someday replace our beloved CLI? That is, instead of needing to understand the syntax of a specific vendor’s CLI, could a language model allow network operators to use plain language to get the information they need or the... Read more »…

1
TNO046: Prisma AIRS: Securing the Multi-Cloud and AI Runtime (Sponsored) 27:22

26d ago27:22

27:22

Multi-cloud, automation, and AI are changing how modern networks operate and how firewalls and security policies are administered. In today’s sponsored episode with Palo Alto Networks, we dig into offerings such as CLARA (Cloud and AI Risk Assessment) that help ops teams gain more visibility into the structure and workflows of their multi-cloud net…

1
2.5 Admins 269: End of 10? 25:27

27d ago25:27

25:27

Windows 10 is officially end of life but Microsoft extends free updates for Windows 10 in Europe, it gets even harder to use a local account in Windows 11, and whether repurposing old server hardware is worth it. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes What the Future Brings – ZFS Features, Roadmap, and…

1
LIU002: Do You Need a College Degree to Succeed in IT? 1:02:29

27d ago1:02:29

1:02:29

A college degree can be a useful stepping stone into a tech career, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have it on your resume. But do you really need that college degree to succeed in IT? Maybe, maybe not. Today’s guest is Wes Noonan, whose non-traditional path into and through a career in IT has... Read more »…

1
NAN103: The Evolution of Multi-Cloud Networking 47:47

28d ago47:47

47:47

We’re thrilled to welcome Tim McConnaughy back to the podcast. Tim is a hybrid cloud network architect, author, and co-host of the Cables to Cloud podcast. He recently wrote a 5-part blog series titled ‘Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road’ that reflects on his career path, including his decision to leave a startup. We discuss the impetus... Read more »…

1
PP082: Building a Workable Mobile Security Strategy In a World of Risky Apps 1:02:01

29d ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Today we’re bringing back one of our favorite guests — Akili Akridge. He’s a former Baltimore cop who transitioned to building and leading mobile offense and defense teams for federal agencies and Fortune 100s. These days he’s a straight-talking expert on all things mobile security. We’re digging into mobile threats, why they keep CISOs up... Read …

1
NB547: New Cisco Router Targets AI DCI; Salesforce Launches ServiceNow Competitor 30:55

29d ago30:55

30:55

Take a Network Break! We start with listener follow-up on security browsers, and then dive into a deep pool of Juniper vulnerabilities to pick two critical ones affecting Juniper Space. We also get an update from SonicWall that the breach of its cloud storage service affected all users of the service. Cisco announces a new... Read more »…

1
TNO045: IP and Optical Integration: Automation Across Layers 1:02:17

1M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

LightRiver has software and service products focused on the automation, optimization, and simplification of multi-layer, multi-vendor, and multi-generation networking. Today we have a team from LightRiver lead by Jim Brinksma to help explain how LightRiver is advancing automation in optical and bridging the gap between the IP and optical layers. Th…

1
HN800: Root Cause Analysis for the Entire Stack (Sponsored) 1:11:47

1M ago1:11:47

1:11:47

Today’s show is one of those “We’re living in the future” episodes, where we talk about using AI to perform root cause analysis of a performance issue. But not root cause analysis for just the networking part of the stack. The full stack. Why? Because it’s not good enough to say “it’s not the network”.... Read more »…

1
HN800: Root Cause Analysis for the Entire Stack (Sponsored) 1:11:47

1M ago1:11:47

1:11:47

Today’s show is one of those “We’re living in the future” episodes, where we talk about using AI to perform root cause analysis of a performance issue. But not root cause analysis for just the networking part of the stack. The full stack. Why? Because it’s not good enough to say “it’s not the network”.... Read more »…

1
HN800: Root Cause Analysis for the Entire Stack (Sponsored) 1:11:47

1M ago1:11:47

1:11:47

Today’s show is one of those “We’re living in the future” episodes, where we talk about using AI to perform root cause analysis of a performance issue. But not root cause analysis for just the networking part of the stack. The full stack. Why? Because it’s not good enough to say “it’s not the network”.... Read more »…

1
IPB185: When IPv6 VPN and DNS Don’t Cooperate 17:06

1M ago17:06

17:06

Sometimes weirdness occurs within DNS if you’re on an IPv4 network and you connect to a dual-stack or v6-only VPN. Maybe the browser doesn’t connect, but you can still send pings, or vice versa. Is the OS getting confused about which stack and which order of interfaces to request services? Is the weird behavior being... Read more »…

1
2.5 Admins 268: The Salter Philosophy 23:27

1M ago23:27

23:27

A Red Hat breach leads to a leak of lots of sensitive customer data, Synology backs down on allowing third-party drives but they are removing features, and managing ZFS properties during replication. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Optimizing ZFS for High-Throughput Storage Workloads News Red Ha…

1
N4N040: Mock Interview for a Network Administration Job 1:03:15

1M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

The job interview is an inescapable part of a career journey. Today on N Is For Networking, we conduct a mock interview with a candidate who’s applying for a junior network administration role. The goal is to give Toni Mrowetz, our candidate, feedback. At the same time, we hope this helps anyone listening who might... Read more »…

1
Ask The Hosts – Episode 29 16:59

1M ago16:59

16:59

Our desert island disks, retirement plans, and the worst gifts people have brought back from holiday for us. With Gary from Linux After Dark, Félim from Late Night Linux, and Martin, Mark and Alan from Linux Matters. Patrons got this this in their feed two weeks ago.By The Late Night Linux Family

1
D2DO284: AI, MCP, and the Identities that Tie Them All Together 45:07

1M ago45:07

45:07

AI is developing at an incredible pace. With that development comes questions. For instance, how do you connect your resources to agents? How do agents connect with each other? And how do you keep it all secure? Our guest Christian Posta is here to guide us through AI, MCP, and the concept of workload identities.... Read more »…