#networking
63 episodes
#1242: The Physical Backbone: Rebuilding the Internet for AI
Forget the "cloud" metaphor. Explore the massive physical pipes, Tier-1 providers, and new fiber tech powering the 2026 AI revolution.
#1129: Why Your Android Phone Can't Bond Wi-Fi and 5G
Why can't your phone use Wi-Fi and 5G at once? We explore the technical hurdles of multi-modem bonding and mobile network aggregation.
#1074: The $200 Information Tax: Why News Bundling is Broken
Tired of hitting paywalls? We explore why a "Spotify for news" doesn't exist and how AI might finally force the industry to change.
#1071: Beyond the Kill Switch: Advanced Router VPN Routing
Stop breaking your smart home. Learn how to use domain-based split routing and WireGuard to gain surgical control over your network.
#1036: The Kubernetes Tax: Scaling from Borg to AI Autopilot
Is Kubernetes too complex for most teams? Explore the evolution of infrastructure from Google’s Borg to the new era of AI-driven scaling.
#1034: HPC vs. Scientific Computing: The Race for Exascale
Explore the massive scale of supercomputing, from the memory wall to liquid-cooled racks pushing the limits of physical simulation.
#1026: The Multi-Chain Reality: Fixing Crypto's Messy Plumbing
Explore the shift from Bitcoin dominance to a multi-chain world and why the "plumbing" of digital finance remains so clunky in 2026.
#1010: UK’s Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier: The Cyprus Bases
Discover why two small patches of British soil in Cyprus are the keys to Mediterranean security and a vital military link to Israel.
#1002: The Digital Handshake: Solving the Mystery of Friend or Foe
Explore the high-stakes tech and psychology behind IFF systems and the struggle to prevent friendly fire in the modern fog of war.
#963: The Truth Behind Iran’s Digital Iron Curtain
How do we measure public opinion in a state where dissent is a crime? Explore the data behind Iran’s hidden social and political reality.
#950: The LinkedIn-ification of Modern Espionage
From CIA resumes to LinkedIn branding, explore how modern intelligence agencies are fighting Big Tech for the world’s top digital talent.
#934: Linux to Samsung: Wireless Displays & Baby-Proofing
Connect Ubuntu to a Samsung TV wirelessly and learn pro tips for baby-proofing your cable setup in any living room.
#895: The Human Element: Real-Time Spying in a High-Tech War
Discover the hidden tech behind modern espionage, from spectral camouflage to passive signaling in the world's most dangerous conflict zones.
#889: The Physics of Survival: Why AM Radio Beats 5G
When 5G fails in a concrete bunker, why is a $30 plastic radio your best hope? Discover the physics of why old tech beats the new.
#884: The Digital Handshake: US-Israel Hybrid Missile Defense
Explore the unprecedented military integration between the US and Israel as they move from simple cooperation to total technical interdependence.
#880: The UX of Survival: Engineering Modular Prep Kits
Discover the PMPU strategy: a modular approach to emergency gear that prioritizes tech, connectivity, and organization when every second counts.
#873: Bridging the Gap: The Tech Behind Emergency Dispatch
Discover how dispatchers bridge 1950s radio tech with modern satellites to save lives during critical "warm transfers" in real time.
#872: The Universal Lifeline: How Emergency Calls Really Work
Discover the invisible global protocols that allow your phone to call for help anywhere in the world—even without a SIM card or a plan.
#841: AI Gateways: Building Robust Infrastructure with LiteLLM
Discover how AI gateways like LiteLLM provide redundancy, caching, and unified tool access for scalable application development.
#814: Sovereign Steel: Inside the Carrier Strike Group
Explore the high-tech world of the Carrier Strike Group and why these floating cities remain the ultimate tool of maritime diplomacy.
#813: The Floating Fortress: Inside the Carrier Strike Group
Why does the world's most powerful warship need a fleet of bodyguards? Explore the complex layers of a modern Carrier Strike Group.
#812: Eye in the Sky: How the AWACS Commands the Air
Discover how the Boeing E-3 Sentry acts as a "flying brain," using massive radar to command the battlefield from 30,000 feet.
#802: Bluetooth Reimagined: Audio and Tracking in Home Assistant
Is Bluetooth the secret weapon for your smart home? Discover how to master persistent audio and low-cost asset tracking with Home Assistant.
#796: Digital Borders: The Rise of Data Sovereignty
Explore the shift from a global cloud to localized data sovereignty and why legal jurisdictions are the new physical borders of 2026.
#794: AI’s Secret Language: The Return of the Modem Screech
Why are AI agents talking in modem screeches? Explore the high-speed world of acoustic data and the future of "silent" secret messaging.
#782: The Hidden Chaos of USB Hubs and Standards
Think USB hubs are simple splitters? Think again. We explore the complex world of endpoints, power limits, and the 127-device myth.
#770: The Ghost in the Machine: How Rclone Mounts the Cloud
Ever wonder why cloud mounts stutter? We explore the engineering of Rclone, FUSE, and the quest for infinite, fluid remote storage.
#767: The Nervous System of War: Decoding Command and Control
Forget the "big board" in a dark bunker. Discover how modern military command has evolved into a high-speed, decentralized digital nervous system.
#759: The Science of Labels: Industrial Solutions for Home Gear
Tired of peeling labels? Discover why consumer tapes fail and how industrial-grade solutions can bulletproof your home inventory system.
#754: Beyond the EV: The Rise of Autonomous Mesh Cities
Are electric vehicles just a temporary fix? Explore how autonomous mesh networks and public transit could create a truly car-free future.
#745: The Tech of Survival: Why Cell Broadcast Beats the App
Explore why emergency alerts work even when networks jam and how cell broadcast technology bypasses congestion to save lives in a crisis.
#741: Preserving the Web: The Internet Archive and Arweave
Explore how the Internet Archive saves the web, the legal battles threatening its future, and the rise of decentralized storage like Arweave.
#723: Domesticating Your Home Security: How to Kill the Cloud
Learn how to "domesticate" consumer security cameras by severing their cloud ties while keeping the high-quality hardware you love.
#715: The Modesty Trap: How to Sell Yourself Without Bragging
Struggling to talk about your wins? Learn how to reframe self-promotion as objective data and overcome the cultural pressure to stay small.
#696: Pre-Approved Spontaneity: The Secret Air Defense Alliance
How did a secret coalition of rivals stop a massive missile attack? Explore the mechanics of the 2024-2025 Middle East air defense alliance.
#691: The Long Alert: Survival Strategies for Sustained Conflict
As regional tensions rise, Herman and Corn discuss shifting from short-term survival to long-term sustainment and managing "alarm fatigue."
#689: The Secret Life of Webhooks: How "Always On" Costs Nothing
Ever wonder how webhooks stay "always on" without costing a fortune? Herman and Corn dive into the kernel magic of sockets and interrupts.
#661: Cracking the Global Supply Chain: Why Your Tech Costs More
Why does a $400 switch cost $700 elsewhere? Herman and Corn explore the tools that unmask global pricing and supply chain secrets.
#656: The Future of Smart Home Hubs: Matter, MQTT, and Beyond
Herman and Corn dive into the shifting landscape of smart home protocols and why Ethernet coordinators are the future of home automation.
#642: From PC Building to Car Modding: DIY Electronics Guide
Think building a PC is hard? Try wiring a car. Herman and Corn explain how to upgrade your ride’s tech without frying the CAN bus.
#637: Beyond the CPU: The Hidden Science of Motherboards
Don't let your motherboard be an afterthought. Herman and Corn dive into VRMs, PCB layers, and the DDR5 debate for home servers.
#635: Airplane Mode: Technical Necessity or Outdated Ritual?
Is airplane mode a safety must or an outdated rule? Herman and Corn explore electromagnetic interference, 5G risks, and cellular congestion.
#621: Designing for Failure: The Architecture of High Availability
Discover how the world’s biggest platforms stay online when hardware fails. Herman and Corn break down the invisible systems of high availability.
#610: The Data Center Trap: Is Enterprise Hardware Worth It?
Can a $5,000 server chip for the price of lunch power your home lab? Herman and Corn dive into the pros and cons of used enterprise hardware.
#609: Surviving the Rampocalypse: Pro Tech on a Budget
Learn how to beat rising RAM prices by sourcing professional data center hardware from the secondary market.
#605: Building a Unified Supercomputer: From SSI to CXL
Herman and Corn explore how to turn separate servers into a unified supercomputer using high-speed interlinks and resource pooling.
#604: Global Arteries: Guarding the World’s Maritime Chokepoints
Explore the invisible infrastructure keeping global trade alive, from secure naval chat rooms to armored ship citadels.
#586: The Heartbeat of Civilization: High-Precision Timekeeping
Why spend $1,000 on a clock? Herman and Corn explore the high-stakes world of NTP hardware and the precision timing keeping civilization in sync.
#566: DIY Cables: From Ethernet Mastery to USB-C Dangers
Is DIY cable making the ultimate tech flex or a recipe for disaster? Corn and Herman break down the physics of home networking.
#543: The eSIM Revolution: Are Big Carriers Becoming Dumb Pipes?
Are physical SIMs and carrier contracts relics of the past? Herman and Corn explore the rise of global eSIMs and the future of mobile data.
#535: The Satellite Revolution: Navigating LEO and GEO Orbits
Explore the massive shift in satellite technology as Herman and Corn break down the physics, costs, and future of LEO and GEO orbits.
#470: The Billion-Dollar Millisecond: High-Frequency Trading
Discover how HFT firms use space lasers and hollow-core fiber to shave microseconds off trades in a high-stakes, winner-take-all race to zero.
#461: DIY vs. Pro: Is Your Smart Home Actually Secure?
Explore whether DIY smart home setups can truly replace professional security systems in this deep dive into hardware, reliability, and redundancy.
#458: The Wires That Bind: Decoding SCADA and Industrial Control
Ever wonder how the power grid stays balanced? Herman and Corn dive into SCADA, PLCs, and the tech keeping our modern world running.
#457: The Pager Paradox: Foolproof Emergency Alerts
Can your smartphone be trusted in a crisis? Explore why pagers and LoRa might be the ultimate "baby emergency" solution for parents.
#402: Powering the Abyss: The Secret High-Voltage Undersea Web
Discover the incredible engineering behind subsea cables, from 18,000-volt circuits to using the Earth itself as a giant return wire.
#389: Breaking the Monolith: Building a Resilient Home Lab Grid
When a single home server fails, the whole house goes dark. Learn how to shrink your "blast radius" by moving to a distributed hardware grid.
#317: Why Are We Still Using Physical SIM Cards in 2026?
Corn and Herman explore why the tiny plastic SIM card refuses to die and how carrier politics are slowing down the digital revolution.
#223: Beyond the Blackout: Tech for Digital Survival
When the grid goes dark, how do you get the truth out? Explore the high-stakes world of BGP hijacking, satellite jamming, and mesh networks.
#169: Future-Proofing Your Home Network for the AI Era
Stop the lag: Herman and Corn break down Cat 6A, SFP+ backbones, and why Wi-Fi 7 is the ultimate upgrade for local AI.
#166: Ditching the Tank: Lightweight Linux Router Alternatives
Is OPNsense overkill for your home? Herman and Corn explore lightweight Linux alternatives for a faster, simpler, and more reliable network.
#138: The Glass Threads: Decoding the Internet's Anatomy
From living room routers to deep-sea cables, Herman and Corn explore the massive, hidden engineering that keeps our digital world connected.
#112: Industrial Strength: Why Airports Don’t Use Smart Bulbs
Why do airports stay lit while your smart home fails? Herman and Corn dive into industrial-grade tech and the physics of beaming internet.