Mid-2018 me and my friend (back then dearest colleague Andres Villalobos) ran into an issue with Linux teamd drivers and Cisco Nexus 9000 switches when using LACP vPC (virtual port channels) while doing validation and…
Tips for preparing a FAANG interview (or for any large IT company)
I’ve been waiting to write something about interviewing with FAANGs for a long time, and in light of the recent rebranding from Facebook to Meta, and the resulting avalanche of Memes (including this one, reading…
Reflecting on job rejections from FAANGs and other companies
Getting ready to go back into an engineering position i find myself reflecting on all those past rejection stories and what i learnt from them, so many questions about “how i did” and “why i…
Going back to being an individual contributor, a word on changing roles in IT
I wonder how many of us in IT can plan for their own funeral? i don’t know, but i’m one of them. I decided to stop being a manager and go back to being an…
How to integrate Cisco ISE with FreeIPA or any other LDAP-based system
I like Cisco ISE, i think it’s a mature solution from version 2.3 and up (i hope smart licensing doesn’t bring too much burden in the future), especially when using External Identity Sources to authenticate…
The importance of learning English professionally in IT
Being a manager involves developing people, sometimes firing people, and most importantly hiring the right people for your team. Sadly for Esperanto and many other attempts of so-called “universal” languages, English has taken over this…
Solving error 0x8024402c in Windows 10 downloading language packs and features on demand (FOD)
For domain-joined devices Microsoft is moving ahead with having specific tools available as features on demand (FOD) downloaded via WSUS or SCCM and not via Windows Update or standalone executables. Unfortunately as of release 20H2…
Renewing my Cisco CCNP Enterprise certification with Continuing Education (CE) Credits
A while ago, probably less than 2 years ago, Cisco announced a new way to recertify any of their certifications via “Continuing Education” credits, or CE for short, very similar to the PDU point system…
Reverse DNS PTR records and web performance issues
It’s no secret that at the slightest delay in web browsing a user may experience (regardless if it’s Netflix or your Corporate Website), the Service Desk starts getting those “is the network slow today?” kind…
Political correctness as an IT consultant: DOs and DON’Ts
I’ve been an IT consultant for about 10 years now, on top of my regular 9-to-5 i’ve always had side consulting activities for other businesses, and around 2013 i was even teaching at the University…
Writing Job Descriptions for your IT staff
Okay so, job titles right?, quite important because they tell you (or give you an idea) what a position may be about, but there’s absolutely no convention whatsoever for these, and an “IT Engineer” may…