Netmiko is an open-source Python library developed to simplify network device automation using SSH. Built on top of the Paramiko library, Netmiko abstracts the complexity of managing SSH sessions and command execution across a wide range of network equipment from vendors like Cisco, Juniper, Arista, HP, Fortinet, Palo Alto, and many others. It’s widely used by network engineers and automation professionals to streamline configuration changes, gather device data, and integrate with broader network orchestration workflows.
At its core, Netmiko handles the tedious aspects of connecting to devices, such as authentication, session management, command timing, and prompt detection, allowing engineers to focus on logic rather than connection handling. It provides high-level methods like send_command() and send_config_set() that make automating repetitive network tasks straightforward and reliable.
Because Netmiko supports multi-vendor environments, it has become a foundational tool in modern network automation stacks, often paired with Nornir, Ansible, or custom Python scripts. Its simplicity, stability, and active community support make it ideal for both beginners learning Python-based network automation and professionals developing large-scale, production-grade automation frameworks.