Hands-On Labs

I’ve always believed that the best way to learn IT is by doing. These labs are a collection of real-world simulations I’ve built to sharpen my skills across support tasks, networking, and system administration. From configuring Active Directory policies to troubleshooting network drivers and VLAN setups, each lab represents a challenge I wanted to understand—and solve—through hands-on practice. They’re part of my journey to become a more effective IT professional and a reliable, resourceful asset to any team I join.

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Support Labs

Networking Labs

Support

Active Directory Account Lockout Simulation and Resolution

User Login

Simulated an Active Directory account lockout scenario by configuring Group Policy, inducing failed login attempts, and unlocking the account via administrative tools on a Windows Server domain.

Skills Demonstrated:

Configuring Account Lockout Policy via Group Policy
Managing Active Directory Users and unlocking accounts
Performing domain join operations on client systems
Verifying domain membership with whoami and %userdnsdomain%
Simulating user login failures and lockout scenarios
Analyzing security logs (Event ID 4740) to diagnose account lockouts
Setting up network connectivity and DNS resolution between client and domain controller
Enforcing password change on next login for user accounts

Configuring Password Expiration with Group Policy in a Windows Domain

User Login

Simulated a password expiration scenario by configuring Group Policy settings in Active Directory and verifying the enforcement through a client login prompt.

Resolving Slow Boot Issues on Windows Client and Server Systems

Performance Issues

Diagnosed and mitigated slow startup issues on a Windows client using Task Manager, and optimized server-side boot performance via Group Policy configuration.

Skills Demonstrated:

Identifying startup impact of applications using Task Manager
Disabling unnecessary startup programs to improve boot time
Creating and linking Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to Organizational Units
Disabling non-essential Windows components (e.g., Windows Search) via GPO
Structuring and applying performance tuning policies across domain users
Using Active Directory OU design for targeted policy deployment

Deploying a Logon Script via Group Policy in an Active Directory Environment

Performance Issues

Simulated a custom user logon experience by deploying a startup batch script through Group Policy linked to a specific Organizational Unit.

Managing Windows Updates on Client and Server Systems

Performance Issues

Resolved paused updates on a Windows client and enforced automated update policies on domain-joined systems using Group Policy from a Windows Server domain controller.

Manually Reinstalling a Network Adapter Driver on a Windows Client

Performance Issues

Simulated a network adapter failure and performed a manual driver reinstall by downloading, extracting, and applying a .cab driver package through a mapped shared folder.

Skills Demonstrated:

Identifying and troubleshooting network adapter issues using Device Manager
Verifying loss of connectivity via ping to external IPs
Searching for and downloading correct drivers from the Microsoft Update Catalog
Creating and managing shared folders with proper permissions
Extracting .cab driver packages using the Command Prompt
Manually reinstalling a driver using the Update Driver > Browse method
Verifying successful driver installation through network functionality tests

Enabling Remote Desktop Access via Group Policy in a Windows Domain

Remote Access

Configured and deployed a Group Policy to enable Remote Desktop access on a domain-joined Windows client through centralized policy enforcement.

Enforcing Security and User Restrictions via Group Policy in a Windows Domain

Policy Enforcement

Created and applied a Group Policy Object to enforce password complexity, display a login banner, and restrict user access to the Control Panel on domain-joined systems.

Skills Demonstrated:

Creating a comprehensive security GPO with both computer and user configurations
Enforcing password complexity and length requirements via Group Policy
Setting a logon message and title for legal or informational notices
Restricting user access to the Control Panel through User Configuration
Organizing users and computers into separate OUs for structured policy targeting
Linking and applying multi-scope GPOs across multiple Organizational Units
Verifying GPO success through startup behavior and user restrictions

Installing and Sharing a Network Printer Between Server and Client in a Windows Domain

Printer Troubleshooting

Simulated the setup of a network printer by manually installing and sharing a virtual printer from a domain controller and connecting to it from a Windows client.

Resolving an Offline Shared Printer in a Windows Domain

Printer Troubleshooting

Simulated a shared printer going offline by stopping the Print Spooler service on the server, then restored printer functionality and verified client-side connectivity.

Skills Demonstrated:

Installing and sharing a virtual printer between server and client
Connecting to a network-shared printer via UNC path
Simulating real-world printing issues by stopping the Print Spooler service
Diagnosing printer offline status from the client system
Restoring printing functionality by restarting Windows Print Spooler
Understanding printer-client-server communication within a domain

Restricting Printer Access Using Security Permissions in a Windows Domain

Printer Troubleshooting

Restricted client access to a shared network printer by modifying security permissions, resulting in a denied print attempt to simulate real-world permission issues.

Ticket-Based Troubleshooting Simulation Lab

Helpdesk Tickets

Simulated a professional IT ticketing workflow by diagnosing and resolving 10 common user-reported issues, documenting each case with root cause analysis and resolution steps.

Skills Demonstrated:

Network connectivity troubleshooting (Wi-Fi, VPN, mapped drives)
User account and password lifecycle management (expiration, RDP login flow)
Microsoft Outlook crash diagnostics (Safe Mode, add-in isolation)
Printer and Print Spooler troubleshooting (offline status, service restarts)
Group Policy auditing and correction (login scripts, RDP access issues)
Windows update recovery (sfc, DISM, manual .msu installs)
BitLocker recovery and platform integrity re-sealing
User-friendly ticket documentation and root cause summaries
Remote and on-premise support workflows
Simulated Tier 1 and Tier 2 help desk resolution paths

Multi-VLAN Segmentation with Inter-VLAN Routing

VLAN

Simulated a multi-department office network by segmenting devices into VLANs, assigning subnets, and configuring router ports for inter-VLAN routing to enable cross-department communication.

Skills Demonstrated:

Creating and assigning VLANs for department-based segmentation
Calculating and applying subnetting for scalable IP allocation
Configuring access ports for VLAN membership on a switch
Using straight-through cabling to connect endpoint devices
Implementing inter-VLAN routing using separate router interfaces per VLAN
Assigning gateway IP addresses based on subnet design
Verifying VLAN-to-VLAN communication using ping tests
Using CLI commands for hostname config, password hardening, and interface setup
Interpreting router and switch output to validate configuration

Multi-VLAN Segmentation with Trunking and ROAS

VLAN

Simulated a multi-department office network by segmenting devices into VLANs, assigning subnets, and configuring router ports for inter-VLAN routing to enable cross-department communication.

Skills Demonstrated:

Creating and assigning VLANs for department-based segmentation
Calculating and applying subnetting for scalable IP allocation
Creating and configuring trunk ports between switches and to the router for VLAN propagation
Naming and managing VLANs using best practices
Simulating a multi-department structure: Sales (VLAN10), HR (VLAN20), Engineering (VLAN30)
Implementing Router on a Stick (ROAS) with subinterfaces using encapsulation dot1q
Setting native VLAN to VLAN1001 for trunk security
Verifying trunk status, VLAN propagation, and ROAS functionality via ping tests
Demonstrating inter-VLAN connectivity with ping replies across VLANs on different switches

Multi-VLAN Segmentation with Layer 3 Switch

VLAN

Simulated a multi-department office network by segmenting devices into VLANs, assigning subnets, and configuring router ports for inter-VLAN routing to enable cross-department communication.

Skills Demonstrated:

Creating and assigning VLANs for department-based segmentation
Calculating and applying subnetting for scalable IP allocation
Creating and configuring trunk ports between switches and to the router for VLAN propagation
Naming and managing VLANs using best practices
Simulating a multi-department structure: Sales (VLAN10), HR (VLAN20), Engineering (VLAN30)
Enabling Layer 3 routing via SVIs on a Multilayer Switch
Setting native VLAN to VLAN1001 for trunk security
Verifying trunk status, VLAN propagation, and ROAS functionality via ping tests
Demonstrating inter-VLAN connectivity with ping replies across VLANs on different switches

Spanning Tree Protocol Load Balancing

STP and RSTP

Configured and manipulated Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to observe root bridge elections, port roles, load balancing across VLANs, and STP security features like PortFast and BPDU Guard.

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Analysis and Configuration

STP and RSTP

Analyzed Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) behavior across multiple switches and link types, then configured link types, PortFast, and observed dynamic role and state assignment.

Skills Demonstrated:

Identifying the root bridge based on priority + VLAN ID and MAC address
Understanding port roles: root, designated, alternate, backup
Observing and verifying default RSTP port types (point-to-point, shared, edge)
Configuring PortFast for end-host connections
Classifying links as point-to-point or shared based on duplex settings
Validating configurations with show spanning-tree command

Layer 2 and Layer 3 Etherchannel Configuration

Etherchannel

Configured Layer 2 and Layer 3 EtherChannels using LACP, PAgP, and static mode across Cisco switches, optimizing bandwidth and enabling IP-based load balancing.

Skills Demonstrated:

Configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels using LACP (active mode)
Configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels using PAgP (desirable mode)
Implementing Layer 3 static EtherChannel with routed ports
Verifying EtherChannel states using summary commands
Modifying and confirming EtherChannel load-balancing behavior
Establishing IP routing and configuring static routes for inter-VLAN communication
Testing end-to-end connectivity across the topology

OSPF Configuration and Default Route Advertisement

OSPF

Configured basic OSPF on four routers with loopback interfaces, passive-interface rules, and a default route advertisement to demonstrate OSPF adjacency, LSDB structure, and routing behavior.

Skills Demonstrated:

Creating and configuring loopback interfaces
Configuring OSPF using multiple approaches
Setting OSPF passive interfaces for non-routing interfaces
Advertising a default route using default-information originate
Understanding OSPF router ID selection
Using OSPF show commands to analyze protocol behavior
Verifying full OSPF neighbor adjacency and LSDB contents
Observing route propagation and load balancing via OSPF metrics

OSPF Neighbor Troubleshooting

OSPF

Configured OSPF across a multi-router topology and resolved adjacency, timer, and default route issues to ensure full route propagation and external connectivity.