Home lab

Everything runs as a virtual machine on the single Proxmox host. The domain controller carries the three services every client depends on; the clients exist to prove that joining, authenticating, and resolving names all work end to end.

Each phase records what was built and, more usefully, what broke and how it was diagnosed.

1. Hypervisor

   Install Proxmox VE on the host

   What was built

   Wiped the secondary PC, installed Proxmox VE to the SSD, and configured it to run headless so it could be managed entirely from a browser on my main machine. Set up the virtual bridge that all lab VMs attach to.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   Describe any install or first-boot problems (boot media, network interface naming, web UI access, storage layout), the steps taken to isolate the cause, and the fix. Two to four sentences per issue.

2. Server

   Create the Windows Server VM

   What was built

   Created a Windows Server VM with a static address, installed guest tools, renamed the machine to its planned hostname, and confirmed it could reach the network before adding any roles.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   Cover anything from VM resource sizing to driver or network adapter issues, and what you checked first.

3. Directory

   Promote the server to a domain controller

   What was built

   Installed the Active Directory Domain Services role, created a new forest and domain, and promoted the server to the first domain controller. Verified the promotion with the standard checks and confirmed the server rebooted cleanly into the domain.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   Promotion prerequisites, naming, or replication warnings are typical here. Note the exact error text if you have it, since hiring managers search for those.

4. Name resolution

   Configure DNS on the domain controller

   What was built

   Set the DC as the authoritative DNS server for the lab domain, checked that the AD-integrated zones and service records were created, and configured forwarders so lab machines can still resolve public names.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   DNS is the most common source of "the domain join fails" problems. Describe the symptom, the nslookup or event-log evidence, and the fix.

5. Addressing

   Configure DHCP on the domain controller

   What was built

   Installed the DHCP role, authorized it in Active Directory, and created a scope for lab clients with the DC set as the DNS server option so every client automatically learns where to resolve names.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   Authorization, scope options, or clients not receiving leases are typical. Include how you confirmed a lease was handed out.

6. Clients

   Join two Windows clients to the domain

   What was built

   Created two Windows client VMs, confirmed each received an address and DNS settings from DHCP, joined both to the domain, and signed in with domain accounts on each to verify authentication end to end.

   Placeholder: what broke, how it was fixed

   Domain join errors, time skew, or sign-in failures belong here. This is usually the richest troubleshooting story on the page.

7. Users

   Create test users and organizational units

   What was built

   Built an OU structure that mirrors a small company (for example, departments and workstations), created test user accounts inside it, and confirmed those users could sign in on the domain-joined clients. This is the foundation the Group Policy work will attach to.

   Placeholder: OU layout and what broke

   List the OU tree you settled on and any account or permission issues you ran into while testing sign-ins.

• Domain controller with DNS and DHCPComplete
• Two domain-joined clients, test users and OUsComplete
• Group Policy ObjectsApply password, desktop and software policies to the OUs already in place
• File share with NTFS permissionsDepartment shares with group-based access, the everyday ticket in a real environment
• VLAN segmentationSeparate server, client and management traffic; the Network+ material in practice
• Monitoring with Uptime KumaAlerting on DC, DNS and DHCP availability