The evolution of network engineering has been a fascinating journey to witness, and few people have had a better vantage point than Ethan Banks, co-founder of Packet Pushers. In a recent episode of The Art of Network Engineering podcast, Ethan shared stories from his career that reveal just how much our industry has transformed, and where it might be heading next.
From Programming Dreams to Networking Reality
Ethan’s career began in the early 1990s with a computer science degree focused on programming languages like COBOL. But the programming jobs never materialized, and after two years of searching, he made a bold move: refinancing his car to attend Novell School. That leap landed him a junior consulting role during the early days of client–server networks, when Novell NetWare ruled and TCP/IP wasn’t yet king.
In the mid-90s, the networking world was a patchwork of protocols: IPX for Novell, DECnet for minis, AppleTalk for Macs. By the early 2000s, most had consolidated on IP, paving the way for the internet boom.
Packet Pushers: From Side Project to Full-Time
Fast forward to 2010. Podcasting was still new, and there was no dedicated networking show. Ethan and co-founder Greg Ferro decided to change that. Using Skype to record across continents, they launched Packet Pushers with a simple philosophy: “Just hit publish.”
For five years, they juggled full-time jobs with producing the show before going all-in on the business in 2015. The result? One of the most recognized and respected voices in the networking community.
How the Networking Skillset Has Changed
When Ethan started, being a network engineer meant mastering a relatively small set of technologies; mainly routing, switching, and maybe some firewall work. Cisco certifications were the gold standard, with CCIEs regarded as industry deities.
Today, the role demands far more. Modern network engineers need to be comfortable with:
- Cloud architectures
- Cybersecurity fundamentals
- Automation and DevOps principles
- Multi-vendor environments
While certifications like the CCNA still provide valuable foundational knowledge, Ethan is candid: vendor certifications are as much marketing tools as they are educational programs. The real value comes from understanding the why behind design decisions, not just the how of a single vendor’s CLI.
Content Creation as a Career Catalyst
Ethan also has a message for aspiring content creators in tech: don’t be intimidated by existing content. Your unique voice and style could be the key to helping someone grasp a concept they’ve struggled with.
Creating content isn’t just about helping others, it’s also one of the best ways to discover gaps in your knowledge. But he cautions: if your goal is to “get rich” from tech content, you’ll likely be disappointed. Instead, focus on learning, building community, and sharing authentic insights.
Advice for the Next Generation of Engineers
As networks grow more complex, Ethan believes adaptability is the most valuable skill. The CLI is no longer the ultimate measure of expertise; what matters is understanding the desired outcome and being able to achieve it across any platform, whether that’s Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, or a cloud-native solution.
His parting wisdom:
“Configuration is just an implementation detail. The real engineering is in knowing the end result you’re trying to achieve, and how to get there regardless of the tools.”
Listen to the full episode: The Art of Pushing Packets, with Ethan Banks
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/BxzTkxEXZv8
For more from Ethan, check out PacketPushers.net
Discover more from The Art of Network Engineering
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
