Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Tom Hollingsworth joins Scott Robohn to share his professional journey from a hands-on network engineer and CCIE to his current role leading events at Tech Field Day. He talks about the cyclical nature of networking hype, and advocates for specialized, subject-specific tech models over broad AI solutions. They also discuss the delicate art of facilitating technical dialogue between vendors and engineers, as well as the importance of maintaining a practitioner-focused mindset when navigating vendor marketing and real-world engineering.
AdSpot Sponsor: Meter
Most IT teams are managing networks stitched together from years of acquisitions and vendor contracts and nobody's accountable when something breaks. Meter delivers the complete network: hardware, software, and services delivered as a predictable subscription. Upgrade credits, a fully managed install and deployment, and 24/7 support make the transition easy. Companies like Lyft, Mr. Beast, and Bridgewater have already made the switch. Go to meter.com/heavytnops to book a demo.
Links:
Tom Hollingsworth on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd
Networkingnerd.net - Tom's blog - networkingnerd.net
Security Boulevard Podcast - securityboulevardchats.com
Tech Field Day - techfieldday.com
Total Network Operations is part of the Packet Pushers network. Visit our website to find more great networking and technology podcasts, along with tutorial videos, the Human Infrastructure newsletter, and loads more resources for building your IT career. packetpushers.net
Tom Hollingsworth joins Scott Robohn to share his professional journey from a hands-on network engineer and CCIE to his current role leading events at Tech Field Day. He talks about the cyclical nature of networking hype, and advocates for specialized, subject-specific tech models over broad AI solutions. They also discuss the delicate art of facilitating technical dialogue between vendors and engineers, as well as the importance of maintaining a practitioner-focused mindset when navigating vendor marketing and real-world engineering.
AdSpot Sponsor: Meter
Most IT teams are managing networks stitched together from years of acquisitions and vendor contracts and nobody's accountable when something breaks. Meter delivers the complete network: hardware, software, and services delivered as a predictable subscription. Upgrade credits, a fully managed install and deployment, and 24/7 support make the transition easy. Companies like Lyft, Mr. Beast, and Bridgewater have already made the switch. Go to meter.com/heavytnops to book a demo.
Links:
Tom Hollingsworth on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd
Networkingnerd.net - Tom's blog - networkingnerd.net
Security Boulevard Podcast - securityboulevardchats.com
Tech Field Day - techfieldday.com
Total Network Operations is part of the Packet Pushers network. Visit our website to find more great networking and technology podcasts, along with tutorial videos, the Human Infrastructure newsletter, and loads more resources for building your IT career. packetpushers.net
