Active Directory Home Lab

Purpose of the Home Lab

The Active Directory Home Lab provides enthusiasts and professionals with a platform to gain hands-on experience in deploying, configuring, and managing Active Directory services in a controlled environment. By simulating real-world scenarios, users can enhance their skills in network administration, security, and system integration.

What I did in this lab looking like following:

Lab Environment Set up

  • Windows Server 2019, Windows 10
  • VirtualBox

Basic Set up

  1. Network Configuration:

Upon creating the Windows Server, configure IP address, subnet mask, and DNS address for both NAT and Internal Network adapters.

2. System Customization:

Rename the Windows Server PC for clarity and ease of management.

3. Service Installation:

Install necessary services such as Active Directory Domain Services, DHCP Server, and Remote Access. When installing Remote Access, select RAS and Routing components.

After installing the services, restart the PC to apply changes effectively.

Domain Service Set up

  1. Active Directory Domain Service Installation
  • Initiate the setup by clicking “Promote this server” on the Server Manager dashboard.
  • Right-click on the domain and add a new forest.

2. Organizational Unit Configuration:

Create Organizational Units (OUs) to organize the domain effectively. In this lab, assuming an employee count of 50 to 100, create five different OUs.

3. User Management:

Create new users within the domain and assign appropriate group memberships to manage access rights effectively.

Routing & Remote Access Set up

  1. Installation and Configuration:
  • Install Routing and Remote Access Server and access its configuration by right-clicking “Server Status” and selecting configuration.
  • Configure Network Address Translation (NAT) settings by selecting the NAT Internet Connection, representing the NAT adapter on the Windows Server machine.

DHCP Set up

  1. Installation and Scope Creation:
  • Install DHCP services and create a new scope by right-clicking IPv4 and assigning an IP address range.
  • Configure the Default Gateway address and other relevant server options such as Router settings.

Client PC Set up

1.Virtual Machine Installation:

  • Install a Windows 10 Virtual Machine (VM) on VirtualBox to serve as a client PC within the lab environment.

2. System Customization:

Rename the client PC for identification purposes, such as assigning the name “WS1” (Workstation 1).

3. User Assignment:

  • Grant permissions to users for accessing the domain and log in to the client PC with assigned user credentials.

4. IP Address Verification:

Check assigned Client IP addresses on the Windows Server to ensure proper network connectivity and DHCP functionality.