Day 0: Makin' a Blog

Recently I've set a goal for myself of getting certifications to formalize a lot of the stuff I've learned over the years, and pick up some new stuff. I've never liked to specialize when it comes to computers, so my goals are kind of all over the place: MCSA, RHCSA, CCNA, and so on.

The problem I've found is that most study books focus on teaching concepts, and only teach you how to "follow the steps" to accomplish a single task at a time. This is not great when it comes to learning by doing, nor does it let you see all the pieces working together.

Which got me wondering if there was any kind of repository out there, of scenarios that give you a network/system configuration to build, and let you figure out how to make all the pieces work together - since thanks to the magic of virtualization, the days of needing a complex physical lab setup are over!

I didn't find one.

Undeterred, I figured I'd try and use my imagination to conceptualize my own network and build and expand it.

I have, like, a 30 minute commute to/from work (Schriever AFB, holler!) and a whole lot of free time while I'm at work since I'm in the process of getting out, which gives me a lot of time to think about things. On the way home today, I realized I should blog my experiences, because they might help some people recreate my adventures and make some of their own from there. Also, some day, I might turn them into the "scenario bank" I couldn't seem to find.

"Let the games... begin." - Victor Nefarius, Lord of Blackrock Mountain