What's In My Bag 2020
I run a 2018 15 MacBook Pro as my primary laptop. I'm a hardcore Mac user and have been since high school. I understand that a lot of readers will have a negative opinion of Macs for one reason or another. Whether that perception is based on price, their view of Macs being a ‘trendy’ tech device, dislike for Apple’s walled-garden approach to the iPhones and iPads, or something else, I disagree because this thing is a beast for network engineers.
I came to Macs from running Linux as my daily driver and I knew the underpinnings of the operating system came from BSD and has a lot of the same amazing benefits of Linux. I love the ability to pull up a terminal window and have an amazing depth of command-line tools at my fingertips. I wrote a piece earlier this year on the applications I use every day.
Beyond the operating system experience, I do love the design of this laptop. Admittedly, the touch bar is a little annoying and the keys on this model are at a low point for the MacBook Pro line, but the trackpad is amazing and makes up for those deficiencies. Every time I have to use another manufacturer's trackpad, I’m appalled by the lack of thought put into them.
As I sit and type this in 2020, USB-C has yet to take over as ubiquitously as USB-A. That said, I have full confidence that the USB-C-only approach to laptops will be followed by nearly every manufacturer within a few years and accessory manufacturers will follow suit. For now, though, I do have to deal with USB-C adaptors.
This is the newest edition to my bag. The AirConsole XL is a Bluetooth to serial adaptor that allows you to wirelessly console into switches and run a personal Wi-Fi connection for those times when you need wireless but are at a site that doesn’t have any available to you.
What I love about this is that I’m no longer stretching a console cable from the switch to the one place in the network closet where I can rest my laptop. Plug in and then go find a comfortable place to sit. I went with the XL for the extra battery life as I find that I can often be working all day on bringing up a new site and didn’t want to have any ‘range anxiety’ so to speak.
Backup console cable
As awesome as the AirConsole is, I do keep a backup USB-C to serial adapter and console cable at the bottom of my bag in case of emergencies.
One of the most versatile tools in my bag is my pair of telecom snips. I’ve had this pair for years and they’re still scary sharp. I use them to cut boxes, cables, Velcro, and even a piece of scrap metal once as a make-shift rack-nut tool. They also work for stripping cables and straightening twisted pair wiring.
I like the set of scissors made by Fluke because they fit nicely in my hands but I know many people that swear by the set that Klein makes.
Label makers are an item that I wish network engineers used more often than they do. So often I walk into a customer’s data center or switch closets and have no idea what device I’m looking at.
For most of my career, I had mostly used smaller label makers until a coworker showed me this lovely Brother P-touch labeler. It’s a bit bigger than most compact labeler but allows for easier typing, has a large color screen with many built-in functions (like a cable tag function that prints the label twice with a line in the middle for wrapping around cables). Possibly the best part of this model is the automatic cutter that trims the label to the right length without a large amount of wasted label on either end (there is still some).
Features I haven’t even delved into are the ability to connect to your laptop and print directly from a spreadsheet. This could be extremely helpful in a large cutover.
Admittedly though, this doesn’t usually live in my backpack on a day-to-day basis. I only grab it when I know I’m doing installations.
This is my favorite screwdriver that I’ve used to date. Most X-in-1 screwdrivers have cheap bits stored inside an even cheaper plastic handle. This one has beefy driver bits that are double-ended with an expensive feeling plastic handle wrapped in pretty durable rubber grips. The bits even pull out of the shank and allow you to use it as a nut driver.
Skookum as frig in my opinion.
Put this in the category of things that are only in my bag when I’m doing installations. I use my Dewalt Impact Driver for installing switches. I know this is going to be something controversial though because some people will think I’m overtightening the screws. Here’s the deal though, I go extremely slow when installing but this gives me the power needed to unscrew tough rack screws.
Samsung USB drive
There’s no better tool than a USB drive for loading code onto switches and routers. No config needed and way faster than FTP/TFTP/SFTP. I currently use a Samsung drive but have been considering one of the models that have a USB-C plug on one side and a USB-A plug on the other.
One of the downsides of the all-USB-C MacBook is the necessity of network dongles. For the most part, I use Wi-fi but for the scenario when you have to plug in, this comes out of my bag.
As stated before, occasionally, you need a USB-C to USB-A adapter. These are small and seem to work well enough for my needs.
Ok, this is my secret weapon for stubborn cables with boots over the connectors. Not exactly meant for removing cables (actually meant for removing modular connectors from patch panels) but they work a treat for when your fingernails finally go after the 100th cable of the night. The trick to these working is that the jaws of the pliers don’t fully close and are curved to pinch the connector tab down.
With all of the power cables and console cables that I carry around, an organizer bag for them is needed or you’re always going to pulling out a rat’s nest from your backpack. I use this pouch because the elastic bands make organizing easy and there a small zipper area for USB drives and adaptors.
I carry this little guy around for when I need to jump on a conference call with multiple attendees in the same room as I am in. More powerful speakers and more microphones that provide a cleaner sound than typical laptops make this ideal for noisy locations. Plus, there’s a physical mute button making it easier to quickly mute for that snide comment that you need to make to your coworkers in the room.
It connects via Bluetooth or built in USB port and has a battery that seems to have a decent shelf life.
