“Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”…
I want you to build a home lab. This can be a physical lab or a virtual lab.
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Mission Accepted!
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Why should I build a homelab?
I get this question almost on a daily basis as to why would I or should I build a homelab. For one building an IT home lab can be an exciting and challenging task for any tech enthusiast. With my home lab, I can experiment with new technologies, test different configurations, and learn new skills.
But before you dive in, it’s important to understand the basics of building a home lab and what equipment you’ll need to get started.
Step 1: Determine Your Goals
The first step in building an IT home lab is to determine your goals. What do you want to accomplish with your lab? Are you interested in learning more about networking, virtualization, storage or even pen testing? Do you want to build your own web server, or create your own personal cloud, like Azure environment, GCP or even AWS? Knowing your goals will help you choose the right equipment and software for your lab.
Step 2: Choose Your Equipment
Once you have your goals in mind, it’s time to choose the right equipment for your home lab. The equipment you need will depend on your goals, but here are some basics you’ll want to consider:
- A powerful desktop computer or server with plenty of RAM and storage
- Network switches and routers to create a local network
- Virtualization software like VMware or VirtualBox
- Storage devices like hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs)
- Operating system software like Windows or Linux
Step 3: Install and Configure Different Software’s
Once you have your equipment, it’s time to install and configure your software. Depending on your goals, you may need to install and configure multiple pieces of software, including the operating system, virtualization software, and any applications you plan to use.
Try to lab Active Directory within Server 2019.
- It’s one of the easiest things you can do to get a helpdesk job.
- Try to setup AD while using PowerShell.
- Reference kevtech’s playlist on setting up an active directory; it might be a bit outdated but Active Directory concepts never change. Try and follow all of kevtech’s Active directory/windows server tutorials before putting it on your resume of course.
The main take away you want from windows server OS is how to use Active Directory which is a utility inside of Windows Server that almost every business uses. It effectively is how we reset passwords and manage users in day to day businesses.
Would you be able to put these types of things on your RESUME?
Absolutely, I have personally interviewed people with homelab on their resumes and this strikes for great conversation and ice breakers!
Pro Tip: Don’t put managed Windows Server 2019 on your resume because that doesn’t tell management anything of value.
Learn active directory and put something like “Fundamental Understanding of Active Directory” on your resume.
Step 4: Test Your Lab
Once you have your software installed and configured, it’s time to test your lab. Start by creating a few virtual machines and test different configurations. Try creating a web server or database server, and experiment with different networking configurations.
Step 5: Continue Learning
Building an IT home lab is an ongoing process. As you learn more, you’ll want to continue experimenting with new technologies and configurations. Keep learning and experimenting, and your home lab will continue to grow and evolve. With the right equipment and software, you can experiment with new technologies, test different configurations, and learn new skills. So, accept the mission and start building your IT home lab today!