🌐 Networking Lab
Hands-on networking practice covering VLANs, managed switches, routing, DNS, and firewall configuration using enterprise-style networking equipment, built to strengthen the foundational networking skills used daily in MSP work.
Overview
Networking is a big part of day-to-day MSP work, so I built out a small lab to practice concepts beyond what comes up in routine troubleshooting — segmenting traffic with VLANs, configuring routing between subnets, and setting firewall rules on enterprise-style equipment rather than just reading about them.
This lab runs alongside the Proxmox environment, giving me a safe place to break and rebuild network configurations without risking a client environment.
Technologies Used
- VLANs
- TCP/IP Networking
- DNS
- DHCP
- SonicWall Firewalls
- Managed Switches
Highlights
- Segmented lab traffic using VLANs across a managed switch.
- Configured inter-VLAN routing and firewall rules.
- Set up DNS and DHCP for lab subnets.
- Practiced firewall rule configuration on SonicWall hardware.
- Documented network topology and IP addressing scheme.
Challenges
- Getting inter-VLAN routing and firewall rules to interact correctly.
- Troubleshooting DHCP scope and DNS resolution issues across subnets.
- Understanding trunk vs. access port configuration on managed switches.
What I Learned
Working hands-on with VLANs, routing, and firewall rules outside of a live client environment has made me noticeably faster at diagnosing networking issues at work, since I've already run into (and fixed) many of the same problems here first.