Entry-level IT Support candidate building public proof through hands-on labs in troubleshooting, Windows Server, Azure, networking, Linux, and security-conscious homelab operations. Last reviewed: April 21, 2026
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Location: Seminole, FL
Target roles: IT Support, Help Desk, Desktop Support
- IT Support Labs - ticket-style troubleshooting across Windows, Linux, and networking.
- Active Directory Lab - Windows Server 2022 domain controller, DNS, Windows 11 domain join, helpdesk user/group validation, and troubleshooting evidence.
- GLPI Internal ITSM Lab - internal ITSM deployment with assets, tickets, service catalog, DNS validation, and backup workflow.
- Home Lab Network Segmentation - first staged move away from a flat home LAN into a routed
OPNsenselab segment with DHCP, routing, and selective-access validation. - Support and Identity Sequence - connected support, Active Directory, and ITSM labs that build from ticket workflow into identity administration and service-desk operations.
- Homelab Operations Sequence - connected architecture, operations, and maintenance repos that show how the lab is designed, run, and kept healthy.
- GNS3 Networking Fundamentals Lab - GNS3 bring-up, switching, ARP, subnetting, and basic routing evidence on a Windows Hyper-V host.
- Windows and Networking Sequence - connected endpoint, host-networking, and GNS3 routing labs that build from workstation setup into subnet-level troubleshooting.
- Azure Lab Series - connected Azure labs covering storage, networking, RBAC, and Linux VM validation.
- Structured troubleshooting with clear issue isolation, validation, resolution, and prevention notes
- Cross-platform support fundamentals across Windows 11, Windows Server 2022, Linux, networking, and virtualization
- Documentation discipline that turns hands-on work into reviewable portfolio evidence
- For direct support troubleshooting proof, start with IT Support Labs.
- For Windows server and identity work, open Active Directory Lab.
- For hands-on networking fundamentals, start with GNS3 Networking Fundamentals Lab and then the narrower GNS3 Default Gateway and Basic Routing Lab.
- For real homelab firewall and segmentation work, use Home Lab Network Segmentation.
- For cloud fundamentals, use the Azure Lab Series.
- For internal service rollout, ticketing, and asset-management workflow, use GLPI Internal ITSM Lab.
- For broader operations and architecture maturity, use Home Lab Overview and AI-Assisted Home Lab Operations.
| Skill area | Best evidence |
|---|---|
| Ticket-style troubleshooting | IT Support Labs |
| Windows Server / Active Directory | Active Directory Lab |
| ITSM / help desk workflow | GLPI Internal ITSM Lab |
| Azure fundamentals | Azure Lab Series |
| Networking and DNS | GNS3 Networking Fundamentals Lab, Home Lab Network Segmentation, Azure VNet/NSG Lab, Home Lab Overview |
| Linux and operations | AI-Assisted Home Lab Operations, Lab Maintenance |
- Lab 1: IT Support Labs - ticket-style troubleshooting across Windows, Linux, and networking with issue-to-prevention documentation
- Lab 2: Active Directory Lab - Windows Server 2022 domain controller build, DNS, domain join, and helpdesk delegation evidence
- Lab 3: GLPI Internal ITSM Lab - internal ITSM deployment with asset records, ticket workflow, service catalog validation, and backup discipline
This sequence is meant to read as a support workflow progression: first the troubleshooting reps, then identity and Windows administration, then the service-desk platform used to organize internal support work.
- Lab 1: Home Lab Overview - public-safe architecture, networking, monitoring, and environment model documentation
- Lab 2: Home Lab Network Segmentation - staged
OPNsensefirewall rollout showing baseline capture, safe recovery, routed-segment validation, and selective access back to the old LAN - Lab 3: AI-Assisted Home Lab Operations - runbooks, monitoring workflows, backup patterns, and incident-minded automation with explicit guardrails
- Lab 4: Lab Maintenance - sanitized Ansible maintenance playbooks, wrappers, and safe Linux host update workflows
This sequence is meant to show how the lab is designed, segmented, and then operated over time: architecture first, routed-boundary and access-control work second, day-to-day operational discipline third, and reusable maintenance automation fourth.
- Lab 1: PC Build - MAIN-PC - Windows 11 Pro workstation build, virtualization readiness, and host-platform validation for the rest of the lab stack
- Lab 2: Windows Host Networking, WSL, and VLAN Validation Lab - managed-switch context, Windows route and adapter review, WSL DNS troubleshooting, and layered connectivity validation
- Lab 3: GNS3 Networking Fundamentals Lab - GNS3 bring-up, switching, ARP learning, subnetting boundaries, and first routing tests on the Hyper-V host
- Lab 4: GNS3 Default Gateway and Basic Routing Lab - two-subnet routing with VPCS endpoints, an Alpine router, and default-gateway proof
The sequence is meant to read left to right: build the Windows host, troubleshoot its networking layers, then move into packet-level networking behavior and routed lab design inside GNS3.
- Azure Blob Storage Lab - Blob Storage deployment, private container workflow, SAS troubleshooting, and lifecycle management
- Azure Virtual Network and NSG Lab - VNet segmentation, public/private subnet design, and SSH-focused NSG rule control
- Azure Lab 3: RBAC - Microsoft Entra group-based Reader and Contributor assignments with scope inheritance validation
- Azure Linux VM and Nginx Lab - Ubuntu VM deployment, SSH key administration, NSG troubleshooting, and Nginx validation
The series is structured to build one layer at a time: storage first, then networking, then access control, then a Linux workload deployed into the earlier network foundation.
- I document technical work in ticket format: issue, environment, troubleshooting steps, resolution, and prevention.
- I practice across Windows, Linux, and networking in a real home lab.
- I focus on support fundamentals employers need: incident handling, root-cause analysis, and user-facing communication.
- I use an evidence-first learning model so training supports portfolio proof instead of replacing it.
- Google IT Support Professional Certificate (Coursera) - Completed
- Microsoft IT Support Specialist (Coursera) - Completed
- CompTIA Network+ - In Progress
- Practical Windows PowerShell Scripting (Coursera) - In Progress
- Operating Systems: Windows 11, Windows Server 2022, Linux (Ubuntu, Linux Mint)
- Networking: DNS, DHCP basics, connectivity troubleshooting, browser DNS behavior (DoH), Pi-hole
- Systems: Active Directory fundamentals, file shares, mapped drives, SSH, permissions
- Virtualization and Lab Work: Hyper-V, Docker, CasaOS, Raspberry Pi services
- Workflow: Git/GitHub, ticket-style documentation, structured troubleshooting
- Troubleshooting workflow:
- Active Directory and Windows Server fundamentals:
- Endpoint build, provisioning, and validation:
- GNS3-based networking fundamentals and routing validation:
- Windows host networking, WSL, and layered connectivity troubleshooting:
- Cloud storage fundamentals and access-control troubleshooting:
- Cloud networking fundamentals and subnet security design:
- Azure access control and least-privilege role assignment:
- Azure Linux administration and cloud workload validation:
- Internal ITSM deployment, asset tracking, and ticket workflow:
- Linux, monitoring, and operations discipline:
- Architecture and networking patterns:
- Monitoring and operator workflow:
- Resilience and migration discipline:
- IT Support Labs (primary portfolio): https://github.com/dallasm92/it-support-labs
- Azure Lab Series:
- Azure Blob Storage Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/azure-lab-1-blob-storage
- Azure Virtual Network and NSG Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/azure-lab-2-virtual-network-nsg
- Azure Lab 3: RBAC: https://github.com/dallasm92/azure-lab-3-rbac
- Azure Linux VM and Nginx Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/azure-lab-4-linux-vm-nginx
- GLPI Internal ITSM Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/glpi-internal-itsm-lab
- GNS3 Networking Fundamentals Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/gns3-networking-fundamentals-lab
- GNS3 Default Gateway and Basic Routing Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/gns3-default-gateway-routing-lab
- Windows Host Networking, WSL, and VLAN Validation Lab: https://github.com/dallasm92/windows-hyperv-wsl-network-lab
- AI-Assisted Home Lab Operations (automation + security + runbooks): https://github.com/dallasm92/ai-assisted-home-lab-operations
- Home Lab Overview: https://github.com/dallasm92/home-lab-overview
- Home Lab Network Segmentation: https://github.com/dallasm92/home-lab-network-segmentation
- AD Lab (Windows Server 2022): https://github.com/dallasm92/ad-lab-windows-server-2022
- Main PC Build and Validation: https://github.com/dallasm92/pc-build-main-pc
- AI-Assisted IT Support Workflows: https://github.com/dallasm92/ai-assisted-it-support
- Resume Support Map (resume claims -> direct proof): resume-support-map.md
- Evidence-First IT Learning: evidence-first-it-learning.md
- 8 ticket-style labs currently published in
it-support-labs - Cross-platform troubleshooting coverage: Windows labs (4), Linux labs (3), Networking labs (3)
- Active Directory evidence includes 100+ screenshots across server build, AD DS/DNS, client join, helpdesk group validation, and policy troubleshooting.
- Azure evidence includes portal screenshots for storage, VNet/NSG, RBAC, and a documented Linux VM/Nginx workflow.
- Building deeper Active Directory and Windows endpoint troubleshooting reps
- Strengthening Linux administration and network diagnostics workflow
- Expanding the lab portfolio with more real-world support scenarios and post-incident prevention notes
- Keeping the homelab portfolio public-safe by publishing sanitized workflow notes while retaining raw screenshots and admin UI captures as private-only evidence