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Welcome to my cybersecurity portfolio and blog. I’ll be showcase examples of my work, demonstrating skills in areas like vulnerability assessment,active directory, and incident response.

c:\projects\LAB_1

Building a Home Lab with Active Directory/ Windowns/VirtualBox:
In this comprehensive home lab project, I designed and implemented a small-scale enterprise network environment using Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10. The primary goal was to simulate a real-world corporate network infrastructure, providing hands-on experience with key Windows technologies and server administration tasks.

The project involved setting up two virtual machines using Oracle VirtualBox: a Domain Controller (DC) running Windows Server 2019 and a client machine running Windows 10 Pro. Through this setup, I gained practical experience in configuring essential network services and managing a Windows domain environment.

Netwwork Diagram

Key Components and Technologies

Virtualization Platform: Oracle VirtualBox
Operating Systems:
- Windows Server 2019 (Domain Controller)
- Windows 10 Pro (Client)
Core Technologies:

Active Directory Domain Services
DHCP
DNS
Network Address Translation (NAT)

Implementation Highlights

The project was executed in two main phases:

1. Domain Controller Setup

The heart of the network infrastructure was the Domain Controller. Setting up the DC involved several critical steps:

Configured a dual-NIC setup on the Windows Server 2019 VM:
- One NIC for internet connectivity (NAT)
- Second NIC for the internal network
Installed and configured Active Directory Domain Services, creating a new forest and domain
Set up DNS services for domain name resolution
Implemented DHCP for automatic IP address assignment to clients
Configured NAT to allow internet access for internal network clients

2. Windows 10 Client Integration

With the DC in place, I proceeded to set up and integrate a Windows 10 client:

The Windows 10 Pro VM was deployed and connected to the internal network. Successfully joining the client to the domain demonstrated the proper functioning of Active Directory and related network services. This step simulated the process of adding new workstations to a corporate network environment.

Advanced Features and Challenges

To further enhance the learning experience, I implemented several advanced features:

Developed a PowerShell script for bulk user creation in Active Directory
Implemented basic Group Policies for centralized management
Configured remote access capabilities

Throughout the project, I encountered and overcame various technical challenges, including:

Resolving network connectivity issues between the DC and client
Troubleshooting DHCP configuration conflicts
Fine-tuning NAT settings for optimal performance

Conclusion

This home lab project provided invaluable hands-on experience in Windows Server administration and network configuration. It demonstrated my ability to design, implement, and manage a Windows Server-based network environment, showcasing skills that are directly applicable to real-world IT infrastructures. The project not only enhanced my technical proficiency but also honed my problem-solving abilities in a complex, virtualized setting.

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C:\Projects\Lab_2

In Progress

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