Tony Mattke

Hello. I’m Anthony Mattke, aka Tony. I’m a network engineer, infrastructure architect, and general-purpose technology geek located amidst the endless cornfields of north central Indiana. I’m a husband, father, and I hope to one day have super powers. Seriously.

I’ve been working on networks since 1999 and have had a pretty broad run — ISPs, data centers, financial institutions, government projects, consulting, and a multi-year detour into leading security strategy and architecture for a global manufacturer. I recently came back to my networking roots as an Infrastructure Architect at RedEye Network Solutions, and honestly, it’s the happiest my terminal has been in years. I’m not big on certifications, but I currently maintain my CCNP from Cisco. Thanks in large part to writing this blog, I’ve been a guest author and podcaster on Packet Pushers, a delegate for a multitude of Tech Field Day events, a repeated Cisco Champion, and at one point a freelance technical writer for Information Week’s Network Computing. Writing a book is still on the bucket list — right behind “finish literally any other project first.”

I made the switch to Mac back in 2008, but I’m still a Linux advocate at heart. I first installed Slackware in 1994, and I still get to keep those memories alive administrating a few Linux boxes here and there. These days I typically run Ubuntu for the ease of apt package management — a far cry from the character-building experience of early Slackware dependency hell.

At home I live with my wife Jessi, my daughter Lily, and three dogs who collectively share a single thought between them — and it’s usually about food. Northern Indiana doesn’t have a lot going on, but it has plenty of garage space, and that’s really all I need.

I have an addiction when it comes to hobbies. I think it all comes back to my desire to learn and discover — once I get hooked on something I can’t stop researching and exploring the topic until I’ve either mastered it or spent an irresponsible amount of money on it. Usually the latter. Current and former obsessions include watch collecting, photography (I own cameras — using them is a separate hobby I haven’t picked up yet), woodworking (see also: tool collecting), video gaming, pistol and rifle collecting, target shooting, craft beer, and drag racing. I built and race a truck, competed in Sick Week 2025, and while I didn’t finish, I fully intend to go back and settle that score as soon as I can. If it’s not the drag strip, it’s the workbench. If it’s not the workbench, it’s another package arriving that I have to explain to my wife.

I technically still blog here at RouterJockey.com, though the posting frequency could best be described as “geological.” If you want to get in touch, the contact form is your best bet — social media messages have about the same response time as my blog schedule.

Also, feel free to check out my personal site at https://anthonymattke.com