Andy Lapteff

Heading to the sold out @usnua.com (NY)NUG – NYC Winter Event tomorrow night? Me too!

I’m honored to be a panelist and help tackle topics like:

• AI in networking
• Network automation
• IPv6 adoption
• Certifications

If you’re attending, let’s connect!

Thx to sponsor @nokia.bsky.social

Order your Faves on my Digital Cookie Site Today That's right! You can order your favorite Girl Scout Cookies from me online, all while helping my troop and I do great things in our community and beyond! Check it out.

We’re proud supporters of Girl Scouts, and our daughter’s involvement in the confidence-building program.

Girl Scouts teaches girls resilience, leadership, financial literacy, and community engagement.

Support her and the troop by ordering cookies here:
digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/emily1...

Currently fighting a broken doorbell. My wife jokes that I’m not handy, but I’m gonna just keep fixing broken shit until she sees Handy Andy 🛠️

One million downloads.

Not from hype.
Not from algorithms.
But from serving a community honestly.

A million times someone trusted this space was built for them, not at them.

This milestone belongs to our community.

Thank you for listening, challenging, sharing, and staying ❤️

‘Tis the season to assemble gifts 🎄

Toned out some lines tonight and that sweet sound brought me back. IYKYK
#cableguy #telco #toner

running miles this year, and still going.

Toughness has its place, but so does accepting help. These viscosupplementation shots allow me to fight back knee arthritis and keep doing the thing that makes me feel great.

Grateful for medicine. Grateful for the miles. Grateful.

The best learning moments in my career didn’t happen when things felt tense. They happened when I was curious, felt safe enough to ask “dumb” questions, and yes… when there was laughter in the room.

Thanks to those who teach, while keeping it fun, like Mike and Eyvonne.

YouTube video by Network Automation Forum Confessions of a CLI Lifer Who Learned to Love Automation - Andy Lapteff

I was a proud CLI lifer. Automation? That was for devs.
Then I got laid off, and every job required automation skills.
This is the story of what it took to change my mind, rebuild my career, and unlearn the stories that held me back.
youtu.be/tUPUlLKLrKU?...

#NetworkAutomation #AutoCon4 #NetEng

Reluctant snow blower mechanic

HN807: A 'CLI Lifer' No More | Packet Pushers Andy Lapteff once considered himself a 'CLI lifer.' That is, as a network engineer he wasn't interested in Python or developer-like network automation stuff. That's changed. Andy shares the profession...

For years I wore “CLI lifer” like a badge. Automation felt like it wasn’t for me, until the industry changed faster than I did.

On my first Heavy Networking appearance, I share what finally pushed me to rethink that story, and embrace change.

Episode:
packetpushers.net/podcasts/hea...

Managing networks is getting harder: more scale, more complexity, less room for error.

My latest blog explains how Ask EDA, the AI engine behind Nokia’s AIOps, helps network engineers simplify operations.

👇
www.nokia.com/blog/ask-eda...

iMBAPrice - RJ45 Network Cable Tester for Lan Phone RJ45/RJ11/RJ12/CAT5/CAT6/CAT7 UTP Wire Test Tool With iMBPrice continuity tester you can check LAN patch cable (RJ45) and telephone cable (RJ11) for pass, open, short or cross wire. You can quickly test cables using scan mode, or step mode to check connection one contact at a time. Detachable remote unit allows you to test wires already installed. Pop a 9-Volt battery(Not Included) in and you're ready to test the connection to any room in your home or office!

I have a confession to make: I do not own an Ethernet cable tester. The horror!
I’m stuck between a cheaper $10 tester and a $50 Klein.
Any advice?
Cheaper one:
amzn.to/4pUyJi2

5 hours over 2 days and still battling these walls.

What better use of Thanksgiving day than wallfishing Ethernet cables from our basement to our attic 🦃

And more #AutoCon4 photos

More #AutoCon4 photos

#AutoCon4 photos

At #NFD39, we showed how Nokia is advancing autonomous operations through AI-driven root cause analysis, multi-vendor automation, and natural-language workflows with Ask EDA, all built on decades of success delivering mission-critical networks.

Thanks to @packetpushers.bsky.social for interviewing me on Heavy Networking at #AutoCon4.

@ecbanks.bsky.social and @drewcm.bsky.social are great people and they built an incredible team. Top notch, recommend, would dine again.

4 miler around Lady Bird Lake this morning to kick off this Austin trip 💪🏼

A Network Engineer’s Guide to Understanding the Model Context Protocol for AI Integration If you work in technology long enough, every new framework starts to sound like “yet another API layer.” The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is different. It’s not a product, and it’s not tied to any …

[NEW POST] A Network Engineer’s Guide to Understanding the Model Context Protocol for AI Integration

In this post I break down:
- What MCP is
- How the architecture works
- How MCP could be a foundational part of AI in NetOps

networkphil.com/2025/11/11/a...

The RAID controller’s capacitor pack on my homelab server failed, and the replacements online were all used and over $100. Was about to throw this server away and upgrade, then I found some spare parts. She lives to fight another day!

I bet my career on the CLI.
Then came the layoff, and job posts read like a foreign language: Python. Git. Terraform.
Out of necessity, I skilled up.

Now I’m speaking at #AutoCon4 to share why automation isn’t optional, it’s survival.

networkautomation.forum

#NAF #AC4Speaker

Editing our next episode, pool side. The pool is closed, but the vibes remain 🌴☀️

Stranded at YOW, eating protein bars and cashews behind a gift shop because Americans aren’t allowed to access the airport lounge here 🤷‍♂️

Go @phillies.com ⚾️

Join our NEW #python study livestream this Thursday night at 8:30 PM ET.
Skill up, stay employed 💰

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