network-engineering
Terminal v facility loopbacks
Isolating client or line side testing within your network made easy. Simple definitions and diagrams included.
Guides
Practical explanations for network engineers.
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Case Studies
Real engineering problems, explained clearly.
Optical TransportCase Study
Nokia 1830 GX OPSM Switchover Testing – Abnormal Switching Time
In the 1830 GX family, OPSPOFP2 cards - the OPS module that fits into add/drop nodes in OCCT cards, protection switching is an important part of network redundancy. When an optical line is cut, you need fast switch over, from the working to protect path in order to maintain a BGP session.
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Case Study
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About
Notes from the Network.
Notes from the Network is a collection of practical guides, case studies, and lessons from working with real network infrastructure.
The goal is to make difficult networking concepts easier to understand — especially the problems that cross boundaries between fiber, optical transport, Ethernet, routing, and systems.
It is also a place for me to document what I am learning, organize the lessons that come from solving real problems, and turn those lessons into resources that may help another engineer down the road.
Practical first.
Focus on how networking concepts actually show up: alarms, optical power, fiber events, interfaces, protocols, and troubleshooting decisions.
Follow the problem.
A router symptom may originate in Ethernet. An Ethernet problem may originate in transport. A transport problem may begin in the fiber.
Learn in public.
The site grows alongside my own experience. The goal is to explain what I learn clearly enough that someone else can use it.
Optical TransportDWDMCoherent OpticsFiberEthernetRoutingLinuxTroubleshooting
About the Author
Ben.
I'm an early-career network engineer who genuinely enjoys what I do. Although I had always been interested in technology, I took a less traditional path into networking and earned my bachelor's degree in business from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
While I was still figuring out where I wanted to go, I used my experience working at the university help desk to join an IT rotation program. Over the next two years, I had the opportunity to work across cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, network engineering, optical networking, and more.
A little over a year ago, I settled into my role as a network engineer on the optical team. Since then, I've had the opportunity to help build toward a 1,600-mile research network spanning much of the Midwest. The work has been challenging, incredibly rewarding, and a lot of fun.
What interests me most is understanding what happens between the layers. I like getting far enough into a problem to understand not only what failed, but why it failed and how the different parts of the network influenced one another.
Outside of the day-to-day work, I enjoy learning, documenting what I figure out, and finding better ways to explain complicated technical ideas.
Thanks for reading. The internet is an incredible system built by people who kept learning, experimenting, and sharing. This is my small contribution to that.
Primary Focus
Optical transport & network engineering
Specialty
Nokia 1830 GX / OLS
Technical Areas
DWDM · ROADM · Coherent Optics · 400G · Fiber
Broader Networking
BGP · OSPF · Ethernet · Linux
Certifications
CCNA · Security+ · Network+ · AZ-900
Based In
Madison, Wisconsin
Contact
Let's talk networks.
If you want to discuss network engineering, optical transport, troubleshooting, training, collaboration, or a potential project, reach out.