Cisco Blogs
Voice Search is currently unavailable
Powered by Google Web Speech API
We didn't hear that. Try again.
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select
Avatar

Hank Preston

Principal Engineer

Learn with Cisco

Hank started his career in network engineering like many, by cracking open a CCNA book and learning all about subnetting, the OSI model, and CLI interfaces. He fell in love with the deceptive simplicity and elegance of network communication and TCP/IP and dove in head first. His journey was one that included many network designs (and debates about designs), miles of copper/fiber cables, late night change windows, and even later night troubleshooting calls (it’s always the network… even when it isn’t :-). Along the way he picked up certifications in routing/switching, wireless, and security, culminating with earning CCIE #38336 in February 2013 and later becoming the first Cisco DevNet Expert #20220001. After spending a couple of years exploring the world of “Cloud”, “DevOps” and “Applications”, the talk of SDN, automation and programmability caught his ears, and he decided it was past time to return to networking full time. Hank's day job is putting NetDevOps theory into practice as the Principal Engineer for Learning and Certifications at Cisco. Helping engineer and operate the platform used by engineers around the world to learn the skills to be better engineers when they operate their own platforms. It's kinda circular and meta.

Articles

July 28, 2023

5

LEARN WITH CISCO

A Technical Look at IPSEC VPN Tunnel Creation

16 min read

Explore the IPSEC VPN tunnel creation process, including "Phase 1" and "Phase 2," how Security Associations are impacted when ACLs identify "interesting traffic," and even the packets involved in the communications.

May 25, 2023

81

LEARN WITH CISCO

Influencing Forwarding Behavior with Policy Based Routing

4 min read

Learn how to configure policy-based routing to influence forwarding behavior in this step-by-step overview with Hank Preston, Principal Automation Engineer.

October 31, 2022

90

LEARN WITH CISCO

Be on Guard This Spooking Spanning Tree Season

10 min read

Take the scare out of spanning tree with a strong foundation in practical network design and configuration practices. You never know when it might come back to haunt you, just like in Hank's spooky story.

September 20, 2022

93

LEARN WITH CISCO

Exploring Default Docker Networking
Part 2

17 min read

In the second installment of the default Docker networking series, Principal Engineer Hank Preston continues his exploration into layer 3 (network), shining the light on how container network traffic is routed, NATed, and filtered.

June 27, 2023

32

LEARN WITH CISCO

Exploring Default Docker Networking
Part 1

18 min read

Learn Docker networking starting with the three options every network engineer should know. Principal Engineer Hank Preston provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the default Docker bridge network environment in Linux, Docker container networking, and much more.

July 28, 2022

21

LEARN WITH CISCO

Exploring the Linux ‘ip’ Command

14 min read

It's the skill every network engineer needs. Learn how to use the “ip” command to explore the network configuration of a Linux system.

June 7, 2022

5

LEARN WITH CISCO

Reflections on the Journey to DevNet Expert

13 min read

Walk down memory lane with Principal Engineer Hank Preston, as he shares his personal journey in bringing the DevNet Expert certification to life.

March 11, 2022

32

LEARN WITH CISCO

5 Reasons a Raspberry Pi Belongs in Your Network Lab

10 min read

It's not just for Pi Day! From Pi-powered network services to a network sensor/traffic analysis device or home lab management station, the Raspberry Pi is a flexible workhorse that should be the next worthy addition to your lab.

April 8, 2022

LEARN WITH CISCO

Learning the Skills to Build the Learning Platform

4 min read

You know that movie about dreaming within a dream within another dream? Well, that kind of inception world is what I think about whenever I take one of the Cisco Learning Courses to learn something I need to know to work on the platform that hosts those same courses. It blows my mind every time! […]