Introduction
Networking is changing fast. Modern networks are bigger, faster, and more mixed. Many teams run cloud + data center + edge at the same time. That brings more parts, more change, and more risk. When a device fails, the cost is not just downtime. It can stop sales, slow teams, and drain IT time. Fixing issues by hand also adds stress. One small typo error can break a big link.
This growing complexity explains why network automation is in demand today. This is where network automation helps. Network automation means using tools and scripts to build, change, test, and run the network in a repeatable way. It is not only “set it once.” It is daily work made safer.
Some networks push hundreds of changes a week. Automation can turn updates from hours into minutes. It also helps you hit tough goals like 99.99% uptime, with fewer late-night fixes. The best part: it works for almost any network. Data centers, service providers, and offices can all use it.
If you want to automate network tasks like configuration changes, monitoring, and troubleshooting, learning automation tools like Python and Ansible is essential.
At PyNet Labs, we offer hands-on Network Automation Training designed for network engineers who want to upgrade their skills.
What is the Need of Automation in Networking?
Network operations cost more each year because the network keeps growing. More apps move to cloud. More users work from anywhere. More devices show up on the edge.
A modern business can have 1,000+ endpoints, dozens of sites, and hundreds of network changes each month. Every new switch, firewall rule, or Wi‑Fi update adds work. It also adds risk. One small manual mistake can cause a long outage.
That is why manual network work is now close to impossible at scale. Teams need faster, safer ways to manage change, control cost, and keep the network steady.
Yet, up to 95 percent of network changes are performed manually!
- This increases operational costs 2 to 3 times higher than the cost of the network.
- Also, manual changes lead to configuration errors and inconsistencies in the network.
- Expanding network changes at a huge scale can be problematic.
- Moreover, network downtime and nonremote troubleshooting time can be harmful on so many levels.
Network Automation can prevent all these real issues, so why not? Why not automate enterprises’ networks when they still can? That is why there is a need of automation in networking as it can prevent all these real issues.
Let us now move on to next section where we will discuss why exactly network automation is crucial for network engineers.
Why is Network Automation important for Network Engineers?
In this section, we will basically talk about 2 major factors that explain why network engineers should learn network automation skills.
- Market demand, trend, and salary overview
- How network automation eases daily tasks and makes you more efficient at what you do
1) Market demand, trend, and salary overview (research numbers)
- Skills gap (enterprise demand): In an EMA survey of 250 enterprises running formal network automation initiatives, only 3% said their network team had sufficient automation skills to support an automation strategy, and nearly 40% said they devoted significant time/resources to training. Also, 54% said one or more automation tools require coding/scripting to keep delivering value.
- Market growth (demand signal): As per precedence research, the network automation market is cited as $5.41B (2024) and projected to reach $43.40B (2034) (roughly 8 times growth in spend), which usually correlates with more hiring for automation-capable engineers.
- Pay premium (demand signal): Average base pay cited: $90k for a network automation engineer vs $83k for a network engineer (automation skills pricing higher).
These numbers back the “why”: companies are automating, teams have a skills gap, and automation skills are being valued.
2) It makes your daily network work faster, safer, and less stressful
Network engineers are the people who keep the network running every day. They build it, change it, secure it, and fix it when it breaks. Modern networks change too often to rely only on manual work. Automation helps engineers do the same task the same way, every time. It reduces stress during change windows, speeds up troubleshooting, and keeps the network stable as it grows.
With automation, you can:
- Pre-check and post-check for every change: reachability, routes, neighbors, interface errors, and service health
- Config drift control: detect and fix devices that move away from the standard
- Backup and restore readiness: auto-backup configs and keep versions you can roll back to
- OS and patch upgrades: roll out in batches with verify + rollback steps
- Faster incident response: pull logs and “show” commands from many devices in seconds
- Inventory and documentation: keep device models, OS versions, and port details updated
Coding example (push NTP to multiple switches): – add the code in code section not just copy waste
from netmiko import ConnectHandler
hosts = [“10.0.0.11”, “10.0.0.12”, “10.0.0.13”]
for host in hosts:
conn = ConnectHandler(
device_type=”cisco_ios”,
host=host,
username=”netops”,
password=”YOUR_PASSWORD”
)
conn.send_config_set([
“ntp server 10.10.10.10”,
“ntp server 10.10.10.11”
])
conn.save_config()
conn.disconnect()
Network automation is quickly becoming a must-have skill for network engineers. Companies are looking for professionals who can automate network operations and manage modern infrastructure.
If you want to stay ahead in your networking career, explore our industry-focused training programs:
Watch how network automation works in practice:
Benefits of taking Network Automation training from PyNet Labs
There are various benefits of network automation training from PyNet Labs as we are the only institute that came up with its customized courses to fill the gaps between Cisco’s official courses and skills required within Network Engineers to take up those courses.
We offer Python for Cisco Network Engineers + Ansible + CCNA DevNet training that benefits our students in many ways.
- They get to learn Python from scratch before starting with DevNet Associate learnings.
- They pay for one and get two courses training.
- Total 45 hours of training duration with the availability of weekdays and weekend batches.
- Regular 3-4 hours of training so learners could digest what they have learned, comfortably.
- Lifetime access to session/class recordings.
- You get to access real-time labs at your desired hours for regular lab practice.
- We offer chat support to our students over a private Telegram group.
- Training from Mr. Abhijit Bakale, who has delivered 12000+ hours of training internationally in the past eight years.
All these Network Automation training benefits are available only with PyNet Labs, so why not start today?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the future of network automation?
Networks will be self-driving, i.e., human-driven intent, and changes will be automatically pushed. At the same time, issues are quickly fixed, and security is enforced across the edge, cloud, and campus with audit logs.
Q2. Why is automation important in networking?
Automation ensures that networks remain stable at all times. It reduces human error and speeds up installations, enforces the standards and allows engineers to concentrate on design and security each day.
Q3. What are two benefits of network automation?
Two major benefits are speed and consistency. Changes are made within minutes, and configurations remain consistent, which minimizes downtime and troubleshooting time for everyone.
Q4. Why are network engineers in demand?
Businesses rely on constant connectivity and robust security. As cloud computing, remote work, and automation expand experts in network engineering are required to design and manage it.
Conclusion
Network automation is shifting beyond “nice to have” to an essential skill. Companies require faster, better changes across cloud, data center, and edge. This is the reason companies are investing more into tools and the reason people with skills in scripting stands out.
Automation can also shift your focus away from fixing and clicking, in the direction of designing and testing. You’ll spend less time on repetitive tasks and spend more time working dealing with real issues. Learning automation now prepares you for that shift.
