FAQs
Q: What resources do you recommend for passing the CCNA/CCNP?
A: check out the resources page at the top here! i have a post there for all my CCNA & CCNP recommendations.
Q: You recently talked / tweeted about a weird networking thing you did and didn’t fully explain your use case. WHY?
A: i don’t work on your typical data center / ISP / enterprise production network, so i often have weird problems that require creative solutions. i can’t share these use cases, unfortunately.
Q: Will you tell me about the rocket network / cybersecurity etc.?
A: i cannot disclose anything about what i’m working on; reason: NDA, ITAR.
Q: How did you get into network engineering?
A: i took an “Introduction to Networks” course at my local community college once upon a time. i fell in love with it from the moment i learned what an IP address is.
Q: How did you get into aerospace/rocket network engineering?
A: i applied for the job, i interviewed, i got an offer, i accepted it :-) prior to this, i worked as a network engineer in a service provider NOC.
Q: I’m a man and I care about making tech welcome for women and other minority groups. How can I help?
A: i get this question frequently and i honestly appreciate that you care enough to ask. unfortunately, this is a complicated issue and i am not a policy, gender studies, or outreach expert. that said, i think these general guidelines can get you on the right path as an individual contributor:
always keep in mind that a male-dominated workplace is very different for women than it is for men and it requires emotional intelligence to be a manager of all people
do not speak over your female colleagues
if another man belittles or speaks over your female colleagues, and you are his peer or superior, interrupt him and make it clear that isn’t acceptable
interview based on personality, not just rote memorization, bragging, or overconfidence
create job listings that are less “pie in the sky, perfect world,” and more realistic & grounded
for the love of god, do not hit on your female colleagues. just don’t do it
Q: What other interests do you have besides network engineering?
A: i love building custom mechanical keyboards (even though my wallet doesn’t) & sharing them with interested people! i also enjoy long distance running, writing for fun, board games, & playing survival / horror PC games.
Q: I like your stuff and I want to show my support! What’s the best way to do that?
A: a kind message &/or sharing my content around your social network is always appreciated!
if you’ve been using my content to help you learn/study for an exam/teach your class etc. & want to throw a donation my way to show your appreciation, you can visit my buymeacoffee page :-)
Q: Do you accept sponsors / support in exchange for video content?
A: I do occasionally accept sponsors, but I have a day job that always has to come before content creation. This means my availability is usually limited to weekends and/or after 6pm Pacific time on weekdays.
Please check out my sponsors page for up-to-date information about where I’m at.
Q: Will you come on my podcast?
A: I generally enjoy being on podcasts - I love chatting about network engineering - but please see my answer to the Q above. My full-time job comes first and if this is not a paid guest appearance, our recording must be on a weekend day or after 6pm Pacific time if it must be on a weekday.