Packet Pushers

Network Break

Network Break keeps you informed with fast, focused analysis of IT news, products, tech trends, and business outcomes. Blending sharp commentary with a touch of humor, hosts Greg Ferro and Drew Conry-Murray sift through the weekly landslide of press announcements, product launches, financial reports, and marketing decks to find the stories worth talking about. You come away with the information and context to make smart decisions in your organization and career … all in the span of a (longish) coffee break.

Author

Packet Pushers

Category

Technology

Podcast website

packetpushers.net

Latest episode

Jun 29, 2026

Where to listen?

Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soon

Podcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts

Get it on Google Play Install for free Android 5M+ downloads · 4.8 rating iOS soon

Episodes

Network Break 382: Intel Charts DPU Roadmap; Juniper Brings Contrail SDN To Kubernetes 16.05.2022

This week's Network Break podcast discuss Intel's roadmap for its Infrastructure Processing Units (IPUs). We get more insight into Nokia's deal to provide hardware for Azure, and examine why Juniper has extended its Contrail SDN platform to Kubernetes (hint: because of the cloud). Plus Cisco releases new Wi-Fi capabilities.

Network Break 381: TLS Vulnerability Affects Aruba, Avaya Switches; Cisco Teases Predictive Networks 09.05.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a vulnerable implementation of a TLS module that affects switches from HPE Aruba and Extreme Networks' Avaya brand, Cisco teases a forthcoming technology called Predictive Networks that promises analytics and automated problem-solving, Fortinet announces new firewalls, and more IT news.

Network Break 380: BT, Toshiba Trial Quantum Key Distribution; Juniper Expands Free Cert Training 02.05.2022

This week's Network Break discusses quantum key distribution, a startup getting millions to develop an enterprise SONiC distribution, Juniper expanding free cert training, quarterly financial results, and more tech news.

Network Break 379: Nokia Goes SONiC For Microsoft Data Centers: Comcast Tests Hollowcore Fiber 26.04.2022

This week's Network Break podcast discusses Nokia deal to sell switch hardware to Microsoft running the SONiC network OS. We also cover Dell's 4.0 release of its Enterprise SONiC distribution, a test of hollowcore fiber optics by Comcast, the British government making rules about watching TV in self-driving cars, and more tech news.

Network Break 378: Barracuda Gets A New Owner; Intel Buys Ananki For Private 5G 18.04.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover several acquisitions including Barracuda Networks being bought by KKR, SailPoint being picked up by Thoma Bravo, Perforce buying Puppet, and Intel snapping up Ananki to get into the private 5G market. Plus more tech news.

Network Break 377: AMD Buys Pensando; IBM Mainframe Marches On With z16 11.04.2022

This week's Network Break discusses AMD's $1.9 billion bid for Pensando, why Juniper is partnering with Synopsys on silicon photonics, a new application access control feature from Cato Networks, and a new mainframe from IBM and a new lawsuit against it. Plus more tech news!

Network Break 376: Aruba Automates Overlays; Arista CUEs Up Branch Networking Gear 04.04.2022

Today's Network Break examines new network fabric automation capabilities from Aruba, new network and security gear from Arista that opens up brand new markets for the company, a cloud-native firewall for AWS from Palo Alto Networks, an update on an attack against a satellite network, and more tech news.

Network Break 375: Aruba Networks Dives Into GreenLake; Okta Pins Incident On Outsourcer 28.03.2022

Today's Network Break discusses Aruba Networks moving closer to HPE GreenLake with a new reseller-focused way to sell network gear, how data center design hampered fire fighting at an OVHcloud facility, Okta's response to a January security incident, Intel's request for US government dollars, and more IT news.

Network Break 374: Pluribus Extends DC Fabric To NVIDIA DPUs; Intel Buries Three FPGAs 21.03.2022

In this week's Network Break we discuss Pluribus porting its network OS to NVIDIA DPUs, why Intel is pulling the plug on three FPGA cards in its portfolio, the debut of a network operations startup that draws from multiple data sources to help NetOps teams troubleshoot problems faster, and more IT news.

Network Break 373: Google Buys Mandiant To Bolster Security Ops; Network OS DENT 2.0 Released 14.03.2022

Today's Network Break examines why Google spent billions of dollars to acquire Mandiant for security ops, the latest release of the DENT network OS, NVIDIA's software revenue strategy, and more tech news.

Network Break 372: VMware Enhances Container Security; Google Summons Workers Back To The Office 07.03.2022

This week on Network Break we discuss VMware enhancing its Carbon Black software with container runtime security, Google telling employees to return to the office starting April 4, and Broadcom taking in $7.7 billion in revenue in Q1 2022. We also discuss security attacks affected hit Toyota and Viasat and more IT news.

Network Break 371: Arista Turns Campus Switch Into NDR Sensor; Mikrotik Puts A Router On A PCIe Card 28.02.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine how Arista is turning a campus switch into a sensor for network detection and response, a new PCIe card from Mikrotik running router software, a Dell/Marvell partnership on hardware for Open RAN gear, Cisco and Dell financial results, potential equipment danger from solar flares, and more.

Network Break 370: Juniper Acquires NAC Startup; Intel Buys Semiconductor Foundry 22.02.2022

This week's Network Break dives into a trio of acquisitions by Juniper, Intel, and Akamai; new security features from Gigamon and Aviatrix; big financial gains for Arista; and more tech news.

Network Break 369: Cisco SD-WAN Ramps Up Webex, Microsoft 365 Access; Pluribus Adds Virtual Packet Broker 14.02.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover Cisco’s SD-WAN getting users to cloud services such as Webex and Microsoft 365 faster; as well as new capabilities in Pluribus’s Netvisor network OS including container visibility, a virtual packet broker, and flow tracking. Contamination at chip fabs affects flash memory production, plans are afoot for a ... Read more »

Network Break 368: Juniper, Cato Advance Cloud-Based Security Offerings; Citrix Gets Acquired 07.02.2022

Take a Network Break! This week’s tech news includes new cloud-delivered security services from Juniper Networks and Cato Networks, new firewall hardware from Fortinet, prognostications on the campus switch market, Cisco teasing a private 5G service, and more.

Network Break 367: New Custom ASICs For Juniper Routers; Regulators, NVIDIA Arm Wrestle 31.01.2022

This week's Network Break looks at new router silicon from Juniper, why NVIDIA's acquisition bid for Arm is running into headwinds, a new LiveAction service that inspects encrypted traffic for threats, financial results from Juniper and Extreme, and more tech news.

Network Break 366: Microsoft Spends $68.7 Billion On Games; Wi-Fi 7 On The Horizon 24.01.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine the drivers behind Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard, Juniper integrates its SD-WAN portfolio with Mist Cloud, and Wi-Fi 7 emerges on the horizon. Cisco announces a new Catalyst switch for industrial use cases, Telia Carrier rebrands, and JP Morgan Chase discloses tidbits about its IT strategy.

Network Break 365: Salesforce Forces Multi-Factor Authentication; FAA Implements 5G Buffer Zones 17.01.2022

This week on Network Break we discuss why Salesforce is requiring multi-factor authentication from customers starting in February 2022, examine an SFP module that comes with a tiny computer running Linux, highlight the vast gap between cloud hype and cloud spending compared to traditional IT gear, and cover more IT news.

Network Break 364: Oracle Acquires Federos For Network Assurance; Google Snags Security Startup Siemplify 10.01.2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine Oracle's purchase of network assurance vendor Federos, discuss why Cisco has added a service mesh manager to its Intersight Kubernetes service, explore why some users are frustrated with a crypto-miner in NortonLifelock's anti-virus software, and cover more tech news.

Network Break 363: Broadcom Buys AppNeta For Experience Monitoring; Cloudflare Offers New Firewall Service 13.12.2021

This week's Network Break asks whether Broadcom's acquisition of AppNeta, which offers SaaS-based digital experience monitoring, is a good fit. We look at new features in the SONiC network OS, dive into a new firewall service available from Cloudflare, and more IT news.

Network Break 362: AWS Announces Private 5G Service; FTC Says No To Nvidia’s Arm Grab 06.12.2021

Today's Network Break covers two AWS announcements including a private 5G offering and new networking service, discusses why the FTC is against Nvidia acquiring Arm Holdings, examines a new security feature in Aviatrix, and more tech news.

Network Break 361: US Government Targets Spyware Maker; Ericsson Spends $6.2 Billion For Vonage 29.11.2021

In this week's Network Break we discuss how an Israeli spyware maker ran afoul of the US government, why Ericsson is dropping $6.2 billion in cash for Vonage, new IPv6 subnets available in AWS, and more tech news.

Network Break 360: Facebook Chooses Cisco ASIC For OCP; Apple To Allow Limited Self-Service Repair 22.11.2021

This week's Network Break podcast examines why Facebook has chosen Cisco and Broadcom ASICS for new Open Compute Project switch designs, Apple will allow self-service repair of two iPhone models, Fortinet partners with Azure on SD-WAN and firewalls, Cisco and NVIDIA announce quarterly earnings, and more tech news.

Network Break 359: Arista Increases Its 400G Switch Portfolio; Nvidia Accelerates InfiniBand 15.11.2021

This week's Network Break examines new 400G switches from Arista, discusses the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program for the HaLow long-range low-power standard, targets key Nvidia announcements, catches up on the latest in space networking, and more IT news.

Network Break 358: Unpacking Juniper’s Strategic Objectives; Intel Details New Infrastructure Chip 08.11.2021

This weeks' Network Break discusses Juniper's Analyst & Influencer day plus a new Wi-Fi 6E announcement. Intel is teaming up with Google to develop a chip for offloading network, security, and storage jobs from the CPU (but Intel won't call it a DPU). And the FCC revokes authorization for China Telecom to operate in the United States.

Listen to the Network Break podcast in Replaio

Radio and podcasts in one app - free, with no sign-up. Install today and do not miss the launch

Get it on Google Play

Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.