HOW to Start Coding (RIGHT NOW!) as a Network Engineer - ICND1 | CCNA CCNP & Intent-Based Networking

NetworkChuck Technology Careers Career & Money

About this video

Chuck explains why network engineers should learn coding and automation, framing SDN and intent-based networking as ways to remove the worst parts of the job — 3 a.m. outage calls and repetitive box-by-box configuration. With SDN, a controller can push a scripted change such as access lists to 20 routers at once; with intent-based networking via Cisco DNA Center, you state business intent — for example that developers should talk to developer servers — and the system translates it to policy, configures devices, and continuously assures the network is working as intended. He then interviews Hank Preston, a Cisco developer evangelist and CCIE, about how to start. Preston advises putting networking aside briefly to learn basic Python syntax, how to read code, GitHub, data formats, and REST APIs, then adding Linux and Docker fundamentals before reconnecting them to networking. He stresses networking fundamentals from CCNA/CCNP are not wasted, and recommends diversifying — alternating deep networking study with programming — rather than finishing all certs first.

Key takeaways

SDN automates configuration at scale via a controller; intent-based networking goes further by translating stated intent into policy and continuously verifying the network matches it
DNA Center’s assurance is presented as catching or fixing issues before they become outages and before the engineer gets a call
Hank Preston’s starting sequence: basic Python syntax and reading code, GitHub examples, data formats, and REST APIs, then Linux and Docker fundamentals
Networking fundamentals remain essential — Preston argues cloud and container networks suffer when built without them — so CCNA study is not wasted time
Alternate networking and programming study instead of sequencing them; Preston points to developer.cisco.com learning labs and his 9.5-hour Network Programmability Basics course as the on-ramp

Episode details: published October 30, 2018 · 16:14 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are NetworkChuck’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

All NetworkChuck videos · NetworkChuck profile · NetworkChuck on YouTube