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Post Views: 247 The phrase net neutrality is often summarized as the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. That definition is appealing, but technically lacking and incomplete. Modern networks do not—and often should not—treat every packet identically. The subject itself is not new around here and you can view my other posts […]
Post Views: 352 For decades, network automation meant converting a human-designed, generally manual, memorized or scripted procedure into a repeatable process. An engineer decided what should happen, defined the required steps, tested the process, and authorized the “automation” to execute those steps. The automation might provision a VLAN, update a routing policy, restart a failed
Post Views: 321 TLS 1.3, QUIC, HTTP/3, encrypted DNS, and Encrypted Client Hello increasingly conceal application and transport information that network operators traditionally used for troubleshooting, security inspection, filtering, performance optimization, and policy enforcement. Here is a little reference chart: This produces two defensible but conflicting positions: For most of the Internet’s history, and certainly
End-to-End Encryption: A Privacy Victory or a Networking Blind Spot? Read More »
Post Views: 296 MPTS stands for Multi-Program Transport Stream. It is a format defined within MPEG-2 Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) standards where multiple independent programs (channels) are multiplexed into a single transport stream. A simple definition would be one MPTS carries multiple programs with each program containing a complete service of video plus audio plus metadata.
What is MPTS? Plus a hands-on Lab Read More »
Post Views: 1,961 I have seen a bunch of posts about IP version 8 supplanting IPv6. Let’s sort this out a bit. I think a full listing of the IP version numbers is needed as a backdrop. The Internet Protocol (IP) has evolved through a sequence of versions during its research, testing, and operational deployment
IP Version Clarification and IPv8 Read More »
Post Views: 1,155 Net neutrality in the United States has evolved through a cycle of regulatory assertion, legal limitation, reclassification, repeal, and attempted reinstatement. It is not a fixed policy but a dynamic framework shaped by the intersection of law, politics, and network engineering realities. At its core, the debate reflects a fundamental tension. On
Brief Evolution of Net Neutrality in the US Read More »
Post Views: 1,029 I described what Adaptive Bit Rate Streaming (ABR) is in my prior article, if you need that background. Also there is an ABR Lab Exercise if you want some hands on learning with ABR that will show you visually some of the items discussed below. Here, I wanted to dive a little
Mapping ABR to TCP Congestion Control and QUIC Read More »
Post Views: 1,087 Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) is a video delivery method that dynamically adjusts the quality of a stream in real time based on three things: network conditions, device capability, and player performance. Instead of delivering a single fixed-quality, and therefore fixed transfer rate video, ABR continuously selects the most appropriate bitrate to maintain
What Is Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR)? Read More »
Post Views: 2,826 Most people do not know this, but TCP CUBIC is the dominant congestion control algorithm used in modern TCP/IP networks. It is designed to efficiently utilize high-speed, long-distance links while maintaining fairness across flows with different round-trip times (RTTs). Today, it is the default congestion control algorithm in most Linux systems, and
What is TCP CUBIC and Why so popular? Read More »
Post Views: 2,098 I have been teaching Wireshark classes since the early 2000’s, and using it since it was called Ethereal. My usage has primarily focused around troubleshooting network issues that have a packet capture associated with them. My fellow troubleshooters will tell you that this is not always the case. But, if we are
Create your own Wireshark Labs with AI Read More »
Post Views: 1,776 The following is a technical SWOT analysis for Network Engineers, Security Engineers, and Senior Technicians. I apologize for the high number of acronyms used below, but hey, this is networking! In networking, Zero-Trust is not a single product or control. It’s an architecture and operating model where no network location (LAN, WAN,
Zero-Trust Networking & Converged Security Read More »
Post Views: 1,618 What I have created here is a somewhat technical SWOT Analysis for Network Engineers and Technicians for one of today’s top networking subjects of interest: the high speed needs being delivered by Ethernet technology for AI and for Data Centers. Introduction: Why High-Speed Ethernet Matters in AI Infrastructure High-Speed Ethernet has become
High-Speed Ethernet for AI and Data Centers Read More »
Post Views: 841 A SWOT analysis is a structured analytical framework used to evaluate a subject from four complementary perspectives: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. We have been providing SWOT analyses for our clients since our inception. You can read more about that service here. For now, however, let’s simplify and explain what a SWOT
Understanding a SWOT Analysis Read More »
Post Views: 1,906 Well, the title “The Story of Secretly Applying ISD in Courses Here” is a little misleading. I have never denied it. Some people have recognized it. I just never made a big deal of it. So let me explain. First, what is ISD? Well, a gentleman named Harold Stolovitch, along with his
The Story of Secretly Applying ISD in Courses Here Read More »
Post Views: 5,675 I recently received an email requesting my thoughts on the top ten books for broadband technicians to have in their possession or library. Great question. After some thought, here are my top ten (in no particular order) recommended books and handbooks for broadband / fiber / telecom technicians. These cover theory, practice,
10 Best Books for Broadband Technicians Read More »
