The Next Hop

local-ai-meets-netmiko-build-your-own-network-agent.md

untagged ~12 min read

Local AI Meets Netmiko: Build Your Own Network Agent

A step-by-step build of a local AI agent that talks to your network. Ollama runs the model, Netmiko handles SSH, and a simple Python loop ties it together, with the gotchas I hit along the way.

2026-09-28

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bfd-bgp-and-dual-isp-building-resilient-wan-connectivity-on-palo-alto.md

Palo Alto ~8 min read

BFD, BGP and Dual ISP - Building Resilient WAN Connectivity on Palo Alto

How to add dual ISP failover to Palo Alto -path monitoring, AS prepend for BGP route preference, and BFD to reduce reconvergence from 90 seconds to sub-second.

2026-04-28

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site-to-site-bgp-over-ipsec-on-palo-alto-from-tunnel-to-full-routing.md

Palo Alto ~9 min read

Site-to-Site BGP Over IPSec on Palo Alto - From Tunnel to Full Routing

How to establish an IPSec tunnel between two Palo Alto firewalls and bring up BGP over the VTI - with full route validation and end-to-end connectivity between sites.

2026-04-22

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vrfs-ospf-and-security-zones-building-a-multi-site-foundation-on-palo-alto.md

Palo Alto ~9 min read

VRFs, OSPF and Security Zones - Building a Multi-Site Foundation on Palo Alto

How to use VRFs on your core switch to achieve per-zone logical separation on Palo Alto.

2026-04-20

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part-4-pushing-config-with-nornir-three-ways-to-make-changes.md

Nornir ~11 min read

Part 4 - Pushing Config with Nornir: Three Ways to Make Changes

Three ways to push config with Nornir - from a simple list of commands, to a config file, to a fully dynamic Jinja2 template with per-device variables.

2026-04-11

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part-3-from-parsed-data-to-reports-and-backups-with-nornir.md

Nornir ~12 min read

Part 3 - From Parsed Data to Reports and Backups with Nornir

Learn how to process parsed network data and generate reports and backups using Nornir automation in Python.

2026-04-07

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part-2-parsing-real-data-with-textfsm.md

Nornir ~13 min read

Part 2 - Parsing Real Data with Textfsm

Learn how to parse raw network device output into structured data using TextFSM and Nornir. Part 2 of the Nornir Network Discovery series.

2026-04-05

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part-1-from-zero-to-querying-network-devices.md

Nornir ~15 min read

Part 1 - From zero to querying network devices

A practical introduction to Nornir — the Python automation framework that makes querying network devices faster, cleaner and more scalable than plain Netmiko.

2026-04-03

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how-to-expose-a-local-server-to-the-internet-with-tailscale-and-caddy.md

Tailscale ~6 min read

How to Expose a Local Server to the Internet with Tailscale and Caddy

No static IP? No problem. Learn how to expose a locally hosted service to the internet using Tailscale and a cheap VPS — no port forwarding, no exposed home network.

2026-03-31

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why-i-would-never-pay-an-isp-for-a-static-ip.md

Tailscale ~4 min read

Why I would never pay an ISP for a static IP

Are you trying to host a game server to play with your friends, or have you just started a self-host

2026-03-29

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