Unpopular Networking Technology Opinions

Unpopular Networking Technology Opinions | Generated by AI

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Question: What are unpopular opinions about current networking technology?

Answer:

Unpopular opinions in the networking tech space often challenge the hype around emerging standards, wireless advancements, and automation tools. These views come from engineers, cybersecurity pros, and everyday users frustrated with overpromising innovations. Below, I’ve compiled a list of notable ones, drawn from recent discussions, with brief explanations for context.

WiFi is fundamentally inferior to Ethernet, no matter how many generations we add. Despite upgrades like WiFi 6E and 7 promising blazing speeds, it’s plagued by interference, latency spikes, and unreliability compared to wired connections. Tricks like mesh networks help, but they can’t match Ethernet’s consistent low-latency performance—especially for gaming or high-bandwidth tasks. Many argue we’re wasting resources “fixing” a flawed medium instead of prioritizing better cabling infrastructure.
5G is overhyped surveillance tech, not a game-changer for consumers. While marketed as revolutionary for speed and IoT, critics say it’s unnecessary for most users—4G suffices for streaming and calls—and its real purpose is enabling granular tracking via denser towers and millimeter waves. Rollouts have prioritized control and data collection over coverage, leading to spotty service in rural areas and health concerns over EMF exposure from the proliferation of antennas.
IPv6 is overengineered and slowing its own adoption. IPv6 aimed to solve address exhaustion but introduced too many breaking changes, making seamless integration a nightmare. A simpler extension to IPv4 (like expanding octets with router conversions) would have accelerated rollout without the dual-stack mess we’re stuck with, where NAT on IPv4 still acts as a de facto firewall and works fine for most networks.
AI in networking is mostly buzzword vaporware without real enterprise use cases. Vendors push AI for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection (e.g., Juniper Mist), but skeptics call it a distraction from basic upkeep like cable management. It shines in massive cloud setups but flops in smaller orgs, where it just guzzles resources without delivering ROI—leading to neglected legacy gear.
Firewall clustering isn’t true redundancy—it’s a false sense of security. High-availability setups duplicate hardware but share a control plane, so a software bug or config error can take down the whole cluster. Real redundancy requires diverse, isolated paths, not just mirrored boxes; otherwise, you’re one bad update from a single point of failure.
SD-WAN hype is killing core networking knowledge. It’s great for branch connectivity over MPLS, but it encourages “product jockeys” who master vendor UIs (e.g., Cisco workflows) without understanding underlying protocols like ISIS or MTU issues. This vendor lock-in erodes troubleshooting skills, turning engineers into button-pushers and bloating budgets on shiny tools instead of foundational fixes.
WiFi 7 and beyond are exotic pipe dreams with glacial adoption. Most users are still on WiFi 4 or 5 routers, and ISPs peddle WiFi 6 as “cutting-edge.” WiFi 7’s multi-gig speeds sound amazing but demand new hardware everywhere, ignoring that real-world bottlenecks (like ISP caps) make it irrelevant for 90% of homes—plus, it exacerbates privacy risks like routers detecting human positions via signal reflections.
Current tech complexity is outpacing usability, making everything a headache. From industrial protocols to SDN orchestration, innovations like eBPF or service meshes add layers without simplifying ops. It’s not progress—it’s bloat that alienates users and admins, forcing reliance on opaque vendor support instead of intuitive designs.

These opinions highlight a tension between flashy marketing and practical realities, especially as we head into 6G and deeper AI integration.

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