Clear To Send: Wireless Network Engineering

https://youtu.be/G6K-_qMxRWU In this episode, co-hosts Rowell Dionicio and François Vergès share their first-time experiences and impressions of HPE Discover. They dive into the pervasive role of AI in modern networking, discuss their individual presentations on automation and agentic AI, and explore how the acquisition of Juniper Networks is influencing the HPE Aruba product ecosystem. Key Discussion Points * First Impressions of HPE Discover * Unique feel of the conference compared to Aruba Atmosphere and the value of community engagement on the expo floor. * Highlights from the “Misfits” community program, including networking dinners and professional podcast opportunities. * Presenting at a Vendor Conference * Rowell’s Session: A journey into agentic AI, focusing on creating a network operations agent with a “Gilfoyle” (Silicon Valley) personality to handle networking queries. * François’s Session: Exploring Mist APIs for Day 0, Day 1, and Day 2 Wi-Fi operations, including the development of an MCP server to automate Wi-Fi tasks. * The AI and Networking Landscape * Core Message: The central theme of the conference is Agentic AI, AI operations, and AI governance. * Cross-Pollination: New integrations allow CX switches to be managed via the Mist dashboard and Marvis actions to be accessed through Aruba Central. * The Learning Curve: Despite the industry push, many attendees are still hesitant or in the early stages of adopting AI and tools like Marvis. * The Future of the Network Engineer * The evolution from manual tasks (like SSH and troubleshooting) to focusing on architecture, automation, and prompting skills. * Advice on embracing AI as a “must-have” skill to stay relevant in the industry. * Strategies for building “smart” agents that balance reasoning with deterministic actions to manage token costs and efficiency. * Expo Floor Highlights * Interesting hardware displays, including an AP in an aquarium. * Custom in-house tools like a NOC dashboard that visualizes location data and heat maps from AOS8, AOS10, and Mist.

Thank you to our sponsor: Meter: Visit meter.com/cleartosend to book a demo! What does it take to climb the ladder of your IT career? In this episode, we’ll discuss our perspectives and what got us to where we are today. We’ll go into some of the tips we recommend IT professionals do, what kind of attitude you […] The post CTS 375: From Tech to Architect: Growing Your Wi-Fi Career appeared first on Clear To Send.

Thank you to our sponsor: Meter: Visit meter.com/cleartosend to book a demo! What does it take to get started in wireless? You’ll definitely need a lab network. In this episode, we discuss how to get started with building a home lab. The costs will vary but there is a low cost way to get started and we’ll […] The post CTS 373: Building a Home Lab for Wireless Testing appeared first on Clear To Send.

We’re happy to have Ali join us on the show today for Wi-Fi Origins. He’s been an active member of the Clear To Send community. In this episode, he tells us a little bit about himself. Going back in time, Ali talks about getting into IT and his first exposure to Wi-Fi. There were many […] The post CTS 371: Wi-Fi Origin Stories: How Mohammad (Ali) Ali Got Started in Wireless appeared first on Clear To Send.

This episode is sponsored by Juniper Networks, now part of HPE. Wes Purvis and Rowell Dionicio join together in-person with François joined in virtually, on the road. Wi-Fi 7 is the theme for 2025 and Juniper Networks is rounding out their portfolio of Wi-Fi 7 access points. Wes gives us insight into the adoption rate […] The post CTS 369: Wi-Fi 7 Access Points with Wes Purvis (Sponsored) appeared first on Clear To Send.

Thank you to Meter for supporting the podcast. We greatly appreciate it! In an introduction of our new series, Wi-Fi Origin Stories, we have a special guest, Ian Stout. Ian is CWNE #333. He has a lot of experience dealing with networks in the education space. In this episode, Ian goes into his IT beginnings. […] The post CTS 367: Wi-Fi Origin Stories: How Ian Stout Got Started in Wireless appeared first on Clear To Send.

Thank you to Meter for supporting the podcast. We greatly appreciate it! Designing Wi-Fi networks for high-density lecture halls has unique challenges due to the concentration of devices in a confined space. Designs must account for both capacity and coverage, implementing access point placement strategies that minimize co-channel interference while maximizing signal quality. Beyond the […] The post CTS 365: Design for High Density Lecture Halls appeared first on Clear To Send.

In this episode, we dive into Arista Networks’ bold moves in the campus networking space, where they’re seeing a wave of customers migrating from legacy vendors due to lack of visibility, complex management, and poor support. Arista’s differentiators—like a tri-band multifunction radio, client simulation for network assurance, integrated WIPS, and hitless AP upgrades—are resonating with […] The post CTS 363: Mobility Field Day 13 – Arista Networks appeared first on Clear To Send.