Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, welcome back. Today we're taking a deep dive
Speaker 1: into well, deep dives network design, deep dives at it.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, we're cracking open the Network Design cookbook Architecting
Speaker 1: Cisco Networks.
Speaker 2: Oh nice, I like that one.
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's got it all, land, setup, security, you name it.
Speaker 1: And it's super practical, which I know we both appreciate.
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure, I'm all about that real world application.
Speaker 1: Me too, So ready to get our hands dirty, let's
Speaker 1: do it. Okay, So first things first, why is network
Speaker 1: designed such a big deal.
Speaker 2: Well, it's like imagine a building, right, you don't see
Speaker 2: the foundation, but it's holding the whole thing up exactly.
Speaker 2: And it's the same with networks. They're the backbone of
Speaker 2: well pretty much everything in it.
Speaker 1: True, and when they go down, oh.
Speaker 2: Man, it's a disaster. Businesses can't function, communication goes out
Speaker 2: the windows, total chao, yeah, chaos. And that's where good
Speaker 2: network design comes in, prevents those meltdowns exactly. And this
Speaker 2: book it's great because it really that's that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it bringges the gap between network administration and engineering, which,
Speaker 1: let's be honest, a lot of us wear both hats,
Speaker 1: especially in smaller setups.
Speaker 2: Totally like, oh, you need me to fix the printer? Sure?
Speaker 2: And also can I rebuild the entire network infrastructure while
Speaker 2: I'm at it?
Speaker 1: Uh huh exactly.
Speaker 2: This book gets it, it does okay, But you know
Speaker 2: what it really got me excited about this book?
Speaker 1: What's that?
Speaker 2: It's all about real world problem solving, no fluff, just solutions.
Speaker 2: I don't know about you, but I've spent way too
Speaker 2: much time wading through conflicting advice online.
Speaker 1: Ugh, tell me about it. It's like everyone's a self
Speaker 1: proclaimed expert these days, right, and then.
Speaker 2: You try to piece it all together and it's just
Speaker 2: a mess totally.
Speaker 1: But this book, it's like having a roadmap. It's clear,
Speaker 1: structured and it doesn't overwhelm you with jargon.
Speaker 2: Exactly. It's what I needed like yesterday.
Speaker 1: Uh huh. Well, I think you'll appreciate the seven step
Speaker 1: design process.
Speaker 2: They lay out seven steps. That sounds manageable.
Speaker 1: It is. It breaks down this huge task into bite
Speaker 1: sized pieces.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm intrigued. Walk me through it. What's step one?
Speaker 1: Step one is all about understanding the why why are
Speaker 1: you building this network in the first place? What are
Speaker 1: the business needs? The technical goals. It's about seeing the
Speaker 1: big picture before you even start thinking about cables and routers.
Speaker 2: Okay, so define the why first, that makes sense. Then what?
Speaker 1: Then you move on to choosing the right solutions for
Speaker 1: your needs. Are we talking land wand specific security tools.
Speaker 1: It's like picking the right tools for a job.
Speaker 2: So like choosing between a hammer and a screwdriver. Yeah,
Speaker 2: you need to know what you're building before you grab.
Speaker 1: A tool, exactly. And then step three and four are
Speaker 1: where you actually get into the design of those solutions,
Speaker 1: the needy gritty. But what I think is really cool
Speaker 1: and what you might find helpful is how much emphasis
Speaker 1: they put on gathering the right requirements early on.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, getting the requirements right can make or break
Speaker 2: a project. I've definitely learned that the hard way.
Speaker 1: It's huge, and this book it stresses asking the right questions,
Speaker 1: not just the obvious ones. They even give you example, Oh,
Speaker 1: like what so instead of just asking what kind of
Speaker 1: internet speed do you need, which, let's be real, everyone
Speaker 1: wants the fastest, they suggest asking about the types of
Speaker 1: applications they use, how many users they have, if they're
Speaker 1: doing a lot of video conferencing, even their technical preferences
Speaker 1: and dislikes.
Speaker 2: Because those little details can actually make a huge difference
Speaker 2: down the line.
Speaker 1: Exactly. It's all about tailoring the solution to their specific needs,
Speaker 1: not just throwing something generic at them and hoping it sticks.
Speaker 2: I'm loving this book already. So we've got our requirements
Speaker 2: nailed down, what's next.
Speaker 1: That's where we get to the fun part, using the
Speaker 1: hardware to bring it all together. And this is where
Speaker 1: the Cisco focus really comes in handy.
Speaker 2: Right, Cisco specific, but even if someone's not a Cisco expert,
Speaker 2: the principles still apply right absolutely.
Speaker 1: The key is understanding how to match the hardware to
Speaker 1: your design goals. For example, they talk about how Cisco's
Speaker 1: Catalyst switches have models for everything from small businesses to
Speaker 1: huge general prizes.
Speaker 2: So it's not a one size fits all approach to hardware,
Speaker 2: which again makes sense, but I imagine there are often
Speaker 2: multiple ways to design a network, right, Like, how does
Speaker 2: this book handle that?
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're spot on. There are usually a bunch of
Speaker 1: different ways you could go about it, and that's where
Speaker 1: it can get you a little overwhelming.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, for sure, too many choices, analysis, paralysis, all.
Speaker 1: That, exactly, But this book is great at laying out
Speaker 1: those different options and then walking you through the good
Speaker 1: and the bad of each one helps you avoid those
Speaker 1: decision spirals.
Speaker 2: Okay, good, because I'm all about avoiding spirals whenever possible.
Speaker 2: So how does it help you choose? Give me an example.
Speaker 1: Okay, let's say you're trying to decide between a twenty
Speaker 1: four port switch and a forty eight port switch.
Speaker 2: Okay, I see where you're going with this, right.
Speaker 1: So the forty eight port might seem like overkill it first,
Speaker 1: But what if your business takes off Suddenly You've got
Speaker 1: a ton of new devices and need more ports. That's
Speaker 1: where thinking about scalability comes in.
Speaker 2: Right, planning for the future, not just the right now.
Speaker 1: Exactly, And this book really helps you do that.
Speaker 2: That's super helpful. What about things that people might not
Speaker 2: even think about? Like, what are some of the less
Speaker 2: obvious things that this book covers.
Speaker 1: Well, it gets into power and cooling considerations, which are,
Speaker 1: believe it or not, super.
Speaker 2: Important power and cooling. Okay, oh min those aren't usually
Speaker 2: the first things that come to mind when I think
Speaker 2: about networks, I know.
Speaker 1: Right, But think about it, all those switches and servers
Speaker 1: they generate heat. You don't want to overload your circuits
Speaker 1: or even worse. Fry your equipment.
Speaker 2: Yeah, freight equipment is no good, not good at all.
Speaker 1: The book even has this little tip about not exceeding
Speaker 1: seventy five percent of a power circuit's capacity when you're
Speaker 1: hooking up network gear, just like a safety buffer.
Speaker 2: Smart. Okay. So it's really thinking about all those practical considerations.
Speaker 1: Yes, And that's what I love about it. It's not
Speaker 1: just about the techie stuff. It's about understanding the bigger
Speaker 1: picture of how to build a network that's going to last.
Speaker 2: Yeah, building it to last, building it right.
Speaker 1: And one thing that often gets overlooked but is so
Speaker 1: important for long term success is documentation.
Speaker 2: Oh documentation. Okay, so not the most exciting topic.
Speaker 1: But I know, I know, but trust me, it's crucial.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm listening. Why is documentation so important?
Speaker 1: Okay? Imagine trying to troubleshoot a problem without any documentation.
Speaker 1: It's like you're trying to solve a puzzle but half
Speaker 1: the pieces are missing.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that sounds frustrating.
Speaker 1: It's a nightmare. Good documentation is like having a roadmap
Speaker 1: for your entire network. You can see how everything is connected,
Speaker 1: how it's supposed to work, and it just makes everything
Speaker 1: so much easier.
Speaker 2: So it's like if your network was a car, the
Speaker 2: documentation is the owner's manual.
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, exactly. And it's not just for troubleshooting either.
Speaker 1: Documentation is also super important for compliance.
Speaker 2: Oh right, compliance, because there are all those rules and
Speaker 2: regulations about data security and all that, exactly.
Speaker 1: And having good documentation can be the difference between passing
Speaker 1: an audit and well not passing an audit.
Speaker 2: And we all know which side of that equation we'd
Speaker 2: rather be on for sure.
Speaker 1: And the cool thing is this book it actually gives
Speaker 1: you the tools and like the frameworks you need to
Speaker 1: create good documentation.
Speaker 2: Oh that's really helpful. Yeh.
Speaker 1: It helps you figure out what information you need to
Speaker 1: record and how to organize it all. So it's actually useful.
Speaker 1: It's really cool.
Speaker 2: So it's not just about the what, it's about the how.
Speaker 1: Yes, precisely.
Speaker 2: I love that. It's like, this book isn't just trying
Speaker 2: to teach you about network design. It's trying to teach
Speaker 2: you how to think like a network architect.
Speaker 1: Yes, one hundred percent. It's about taking that step back
Speaker 1: and thinking about all the factors involved and designing a
Speaker 1: network that's not just a functional but also sustainable in
Speaker 1: the long run totally.
Speaker 2: And on that note, I have to say, I'm really
Speaker 2: impressed with how this book manages to be super comprehensive.
Speaker 2: You know, it really gets into the details, but it's
Speaker 2: still so accessible.
Speaker 1: Right, it's not one of those books that's just going
Speaker 1: to go right.
Speaker 2: Over your head exactly. It doesn't feel like you need
Speaker 2: a PhD in networking to underst stand it.
Speaker 1: I know. It's actually kind of fun to read.
Speaker 2: It is. It's making me want to go out and
Speaker 2: design a network from scratch.
Speaker 1: Uh huh, Right, it's getting those creative juices flowing.
Speaker 2: It really is. Okay, so we've talked about the big
Speaker 2: picture of network design. We've talked about planning and gathering requirements.
Speaker 2: Now I'm ready to see it all come together. Tell
Speaker 2: me about these real world examples. How do they actually
Speaker 2: put these seven steps into practice?
Speaker 1: Okay, so real world examples. Let's see how this actually
Speaker 1: works in practice.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they've got some great examples in here, different businesses,
Speaker 2: different scenarios. It's really helpful, like what kinds of things. Well,
Speaker 2: one thing I found really interesting was how they handled
Speaker 2: decisions where there isn't like a single right answer.
Speaker 1: Oh, I know. You mean, like when you've got multiple
Speaker 1: options and they all have their pros and.
Speaker 2: Costs exactly, and you have to figure out the best
Speaker 2: fit for that specific situation, right, Like is.
Speaker 1: It better to go with a traditional land setup or
Speaker 1: a unified topology or do you go all out with
Speaker 1: a virtualized land?
Speaker 2: And this book does a great job of like walking
Speaker 2: you through those thought processes. Like, let's say you're working
Speaker 2: with a mid size company and they're growing like crazy.
Speaker 1: Okay, I can see where this is going, right, So
Speaker 1: they need something that's scalable they can grow with them,
Speaker 1: but they don't want something super complicated to manage.
Speaker 2: Yeah, finding that balance is key totally.
Speaker 1: So in that case, they might recommend going with a
Speaker 1: unified topology.
Speaker 2: Unified topology okay, and remind me what that is again.
Speaker 1: So basically, instead of having separate access and distribution layers,
Speaker 1: you're kind of bundling those access switches into the core switch.
Speaker 2: It's more streamlined.
Speaker 1: Exactly, less hardware, easier to manage, and as much easier
Speaker 1: to expand as your needs grow.
Speaker 2: Okay, that makes sense, but what about security? Wouldn't a
Speaker 2: more traditional setup with those separate layers give you more
Speaker 2: control over network traffic.
Speaker 1: That's a great point. Security is super important, and the
Speaker 1: book talks about that too. How even with a unified topology,
Speaker 1: you can still implement strong security measures. Oh okay, good, Yeah,
Speaker 1: like using VLANs to segment your traffic, create those separate
Speaker 1: security zones right vlands exactly, and you can use access
Speaker 1: control lists to get really specific about who has access
Speaker 1: to what.
Speaker 2: So it's not an either you can kind of have
Speaker 2: the best of both worlds exactly.
Speaker 1: It's about finding the right balance for that particular organization.
Speaker 2: I love that, and I love that this book emphasizes that.
Speaker 2: Because there are so many variables, it's never going to
Speaker 2: be a one size fits all solution exactly.
Speaker 1: And I think that's what makes this book so valuable.
Speaker 1: It doesn't just give you the answers. It teaches you
Speaker 1: how to think critically and make those decisions for yourself.
Speaker 2: It's like that saying, give a man a fish he
Speaker 2: eats for a day, teach a man the fish he
Speaker 2: eats for a lifetime.
Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. It's about empowering you to become a network architect. Yeah,
Speaker 1: not just someone who follows instructions.
Speaker 2: Yes, I love that. Well, this has been an incredible
Speaker 2: deep dive. It has I feel like we've covered so
Speaker 2: much ground. We talked about the importance of planning, gathering requirements,
Speaker 2: choosing the right solutions, and of course all those crucial
Speaker 2: details like power management, security and documentation. It's all connected,
Speaker 2: it really is, and I hope our listeners are feeling
Speaker 2: inspired and equipped to tackle their own network design challenges.
Speaker 1: Me too. And remember, learning never stops. There's always something
Speaker 1: new to discover in the world of network design.
Speaker 2: That is so true. Technology waits for no one. But
Speaker 2: for now, we're going to hit pause on this deep dive.
Speaker 2: Big thanks to the Network design cookbook Architecting Cisco Networks
Speaker 2: for being our guide.
Speaker 1: Such a good book.
Speaker 2: It is all right everyone. That's it for today. Until
Speaker 2: next time, Happy networking,