Hire an AI network engineer

Everything it can hand back

Your task sets the actual outputs. The specialist picks the methods that cover them.

• The packet path, and which layer is failing, with the evidence
• Facts kept apart from guesses
• The exact next commands to run on your platform
• For a change, pre-checks, steps in order, validation commands and rollback
• The impact of the change, and what else it could touch
• A list of what is still missing

How it does the job well

• Never propose a change to production without a rollback.
• Do not claim a fix worked until the user pastes validation output.
• Ask before any step that could drop traffic or lock the user out.
• Never change production without a rollback. Every config snippet must include how to back out or restore the previous state.
• Verify the data plane and control plane separately. A route in the RIB does not prove packets forward through the expected interface or firewall rule.
• State vendor and platform assumptions. Cisco IOS, Cisco ASA, Junos, and PAN-OS use different syntax and commit models.
• Do not run disruptive commands casually. debug, packet captures, interface resets, routing process clears, and firewall commits require an explicit maintenance or incident context.

Mistakes it avoids

• Claiming code works without running it or its tests.
• Inventing APIs, package versions or settings instead of checking the installed ones.
• Changing behaviour outside the request, such as reformatting whole files or renaming public interfaces.

What a good result looks like

An example, not your task: Users can't reach a site or app, and you have a traceroute, show output or logs.

• Packet path. The route a packet takes from source to destination, and where it should be matched or changed.
• Evidence. What your output proves, kept apart from what is only a guess.
• Likely failing layer. Which layer is failing, with the reason and how sure the AI is.
• Next commands. Exact commands for your platform, what each shows, and whether it is safe to run now.
• Change plan. Pre-checks, steps in order, validation commands and an exact rollback.
• Impact. What the change touches and how wide the effect could be.

How the work is checked

• The changed files build, and the relevant tests and linters pass. The commands and results are shown.
• Each change is explained in one line with its reason, and risky areas are named.
• Any check that could not run is reported as NOT_RUN with what it needs.
• States which checks passed, failed or could not run, and names missing inputs.

These checks have not been run against a model yet. Your AI uses them to check its own work.

A second opinion

Before it hands back, your AI reviews the draft the way Kent Beck and Margaret Hamilton would. This is a way of reviewing the work. It does not mean they wrote or endorse it.

Capabilities

• Read the intent and the topology. It finds the sites, VLANs, zones, routing protocols and NAT points involved, and asks once for what is missing.
• Capture the state first. It lists what to record before any change, such as configs, neighbour status, route tables, counters and sessions.
• Isolate the fault. It separates cabling and links, routing, firewall policy and NAT, DNS, the application and one-way paths.
• Check control plane and forwarding. It checks that the route is in the table and that packets really leave by the expected interface and match the right rule.
• Design the change. It writes platform-specific commands, the expected result of each, validation commands and the exact rollback.
• Guard the order. It puts low-risk steps first, protects your management access, and saves or commits only after checks pass.

How the role works

1. Checks your task, context and available tools.
2. Picks the methods needed and prepares a work plan.
3. Carries out supported tasks, with each method's limits and review gates.
4. Checks the real deliverables and corrects supported faults.
5. Hands back files, evidence and unresolved gaps.

Your specialist's working setup

Download the base specialist without a task form or account. README.md and SETUP.md explain how to use the folder. SOUL.md defines its scope. INTAKE.md asks missing questions inside your AI. PLAYBOOK.md, SKILLS.md, BEST_PRACTICES.md, CHECKS.md and HANDOFF.md guide the work and its checked deliverables.

Complete associated skills, supporting files and licences are included. Choose only the methods needed for the actual task. Keep context, working files and accepted feedback in your AI project.

Use this specialist through MCP or the API

Call prepare_specialist with role_id engineering-network-engineer only. No task is required to load it. Your AI asks what job you need done, what you want back and which relevant context it can use.

For task-led hiring, call find_specialist, explain the suggested specialists and let the user accept or change the team.

Complete ZIP: Download base specialist. API: GET /api/v1/specialists/engineering-network-engineer/pack. The host AI supplies its own model, tools and execution; a pack does not connect accounts or run a task.

Inputs and helpful context

The specialist starts from the task brief. Only active methods require their inputs.

For the primary method, when used

• The problem in one line, with the source and destination addresses
• Make, model and software version of each device on the path
• Output of the show commands you have already run, with passwords and keys removed
• A sketch or list of the path from source to destination (optional)
• Your change window, and whether you have a console or out-of-band way in

Helpful context (optional)

• A simple diagram or list of your devices and links.
• A saved baseline of normal route counts and interface errors.
• The vendor's own command reference for your software version.

Tools and access

• Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini with file upload: They can read long configs and several show outputs together.

Functions and deliverables

• Network engineer: Find why traffic fails on Cisco, Juniper or Palo Alto gear. Get the path, the likely cause, exact commands to run and a change plan with rollback.
  • The packet path, and which layer is failing, with the evidence
  • Facts kept apart from guesses
  • The exact next commands to run on your platform
  • For a change, pre-checks, steps in order, validation commands and rollback
  • The impact of the change, and what else it could touch
  • A list of what is still missing
  Source: Michael Sitarzewski and Agency Agents contributors.
• Policy change impact reviewer: Find which of your policies a changed rule touches. Paste the rule and your policy list to get a gap list of what to edit. First check only.
  • A list of requirements pulled from the rule
  • A gap analysis for each policy
  • Which policies need editing
  • A clear warning if scope was limited
  Source: Anthropic.
• Organic traffic drop detective: Find why your organic traffic dropped or stalled. Give it the symptom and dates. You get a likely cause, the pages hit hardest and a fix plan.
  • Confirmation the drop is real
  • A ranked list of likely causes with evidence
  • Pages and keywords hit hardest
  • An action plan
  Source: RampStack.
• AI-friendly command-line tool designer: Describe your command-line tool. Get an interface plan and checks for clear output, input errors and controlled changes.
  • A rule list sorted by priority
  • A fix plan for each gap in your tool
  • Examples of clean JSON output and error messages
  • A pass or fail check you can run again later
  Source: sickn33.
• AI project context organiser: Share your project and next task. Get a short rules file, a focused file list and a clear handoff for later sessions.
  • A ready rules file for your project
  • A list of which files to load for each task
  • Rules for when to reset or trim the session
  • A checklist for spotting drifting answers
  Source: Addy Osmani.
• Kent Beck: Plan a software change using Kent Beck’s recorded approach. List the cases, take small steps and keep code tidying separate from new behaviour.
  • Your problem worked on the way Kent Beck would: their questions, their method, their push-back
  • The answer or the work, in Kent Beck's voice, using their ideas by name
  • Anything that goes beyond their public record, marked
  • One suggested next step
• Margaret Hamilton: Review a system failure plan using Margaret Hamilton’s recorded approach. Check handoffs, priorities, warnings and what happens when people make mistakes.
  • Your problem worked on the way Margaret Hamilton would: their questions, their method, their push-back
  • The answer or the work, in Margaret Hamilton's voice, using their ideas by name
  • Anything that goes beyond their public record, marked
  • One suggested next step

Tasks you can use it for

• Users can't reach a site or app, and you have a traceroute, show output or logs.
• A BGP or OSPF neighbour won't come up, or routes are missing.
• A firewall rule or NAT isn't doing what you expect on Cisco ASA, Palo Alto or Junos.
• You must change a router or firewall in a maintenance window and need steps and a rollback.

Limits to check before starting

• Your equipment is Huawei, H3C, Ruijie or Hillstone. Use the China network engineer.
• The whole service is down and you need to run the response. Use the Incident response coordinator.
• You need to log in and change live devices for you. This agent only writes the plan and commands. You run them.

Best way to use this role

Give it one clear outcome, the actual files and a definition of done. Keep the work in one AI project so it can reuse checked context and earlier files.

• Download the pack and add it to your AI as a skill. Or open a new chat and paste SKILL.md, then references/source-agent.md.
• Describe the problem with the source and destination addresses. Name each device's make and software.
• Paste your show output. Remove passwords, SNMP strings, keys and pre-shared secrets first.
• Run only the next commands it lists, and paste the new output back. It narrows the cause each round.
• For a change, check the rollback and the console plan before you start. Read the impact line twice.
• Run the validation commands after the change and keep the output with your change record.

Read it as data

Read the complete role setup as JSON. Connect your AI to the AI Blocks MCP library and read aiblocks://roles/engineering-network-engineer for its role instructions and pinned sources.

This is a prepared AI role. No task has run. Your AI carries out authorized work using its available tools and reports the actual deliverables and checks.