Russell Everson / Network Lab
Russell Everson · Network Lab

Come explore the lab.

See the network I built, how I fixed a DNS problem, and a hands-on sign-in demonstration. No networking background needed.

The game is optional. Hints are included, and you can explore the portfolio at any time.

Explore the lab

From an isolated network to a working Windows domain.

A hands-on office network lab covering routing, DNS, Active Directory, and the checks that make them work together.

Interactive walkthrough · read-only demonstration

How the lab connects

A VirtualBox internal network keeps the practice environment separate from the home network. OPNsense routes the lab subnet; DC01 provides domain and DNS services; LAB1 is a domain-joined client.

GatewayOPNsense

192.168.50.1
Routes traffic for the lab subnet.

Domain controllerDC01

192.168.50.10
Active Directory and DNS for lab.local.

Domain memberLAB1

192.168.50.20
Uses DC01 for DNS and joins the domain.

What I configured and verified

These checks come from the working lab, with private management access kept out of this public-facing overview.

01 / Routing

Network path

Configured the lab gateway and confirmed LAB1 can reach another lab host and the internet.

Gateway 192.168.50.1
02 / DNS

Clean name resolution

Corrected DNS registration so lab.local resolves to the internal domain controller address; verified the DC host and LDAP service records.

DC01 192.168.50.10
03 / Identity

Standard user sign-in

Created a Test Employee account in Active Directory, signed in on LAB1, and verified the identity with whoami.

lab\test.employee

Explore a DNS investigation

Choose a check to follow the investigation. The terminal output is an illustrative reconstruction of the commands and results observed in this lab.

Try a sign-in event

Run a sample sign-in and see how an activity entry appears. This browser-only demonstration does not contact Active Directory or use real credentials.

Demo sign-in

Browser activity

Sign-in events

  1. Run a demo sign-in to create an event.

Events appear in this browser session only. Other visitors cannot see them.