Networking Career Development Program 2026

From Classroom
to Job Ready

You completed A+, N+, CCNA, Windows Server, Linux, and Cloud in class. This roadmap turns that invisible knowledge into a visible portfolio and gets you hired in 30 days.

30 days to job ready
5 portfolio projects to build
$0 extra cost
2–3 hrs per day
13+ modules completed
CCNA Networking Windows Server Linux Server AWS Cloud Wazuh SIEM 5 GitHub Projects
Tasks done
0
Total tasks
0
Phases
0/4
Overall progress
⚡ Your situation is better than you think. You have completed more structured training than 90% of self-learners. The problem is not missing knowledge — it is that none of it is visible yet. A recruiter who meets you today has no evidence you can do any of it. This plan fixes that in 30 days by rebuilding every key lab yourself, documenting it on GitHub, and applying from Day 22 onwards.
Identify your gaps first
Topics Likely Skipped or Fuzzy
Based on your 13-module curriculum, these topics are most commonly rushed or skipped in offline classroom courses. Check each one honestly — your Week 1 priority order depends on this.
Most likely missed
Subnetting without calculator
Theory was covered in N+ / CCNA but rarely drilled until fast. Fix: subnettingpractice.com — 30 questions per day for 3 days. This is asked in every networking interview.
Most likely missed
Cisco CLI from blank canvas
Packet Tracer was probably only shown by instructor. Fix: open a blank Packet Tracer and build a VLAN + OSPF network from memory. No guide. If you can't — that's your gap.
Probably fuzzy
Active Directory GPO config
AD DS was installed in class but Group Policy Objects, OU structure, and DNS integration may be unclear. Fix: set up AD DS solo in VirtualBox with no instructor help — see if you can do it.
Probably fuzzy
Linux ufw / iptables rules
SELinux and firewalld were in Module 3 but likely rushed. Fix: on your Ubuntu VM, configure ufw rules from scratch — allow SSH, allow HTTP, deny everything else. Verify each rule works.
Probably fuzzy
AWS IAM + VPC hands-on
Currently in cloud module. IAM roles, VPC subnetting, S3 policies — probably still at demo stage. Fix: get your own AWS Free Tier account and do every cloud lab independently this week.
Likely not covered
Wireshark real-traffic analysis
Wireshark was listed in N+ module but probably only shown. Fix: capture your own home network traffic for 15 minutes and identify 5 different protocols by reading packets directly.
Not in course — add now
SIEM deployment (Wazuh)
Splunk was mentioned in cybersecurity module but likely never deployed. Wazuh is free and faster. Install it this week — this single project is the most impressive thing on your resume for security-adjacent roles.
Not in course — critical
GitHub + documentation habit
No course teaches this. Create GitHub today. Every lab you redo gets a README and screenshot. This single habit converts invisible knowledge into visible evidence that employers can evaluate.
W1
Days 1–7
Networking Recall — Cisco CLI + Subnetting + Wireshark
Rebuild everything from your CCNA + N+ modules solo, without notes. Produce 2 Packet Tracer labs on GitHub. Get your subnetting to 85%+ accuracy.
▾
What to rebuild this week
VLANs + trunk ports (802.1Q) Inter-VLAN routing (router-on-a-stick) OSPF multi-router configuration Standard + Extended ACLs NAT / PAT configuration DHCP on a router Subnetting (CIDR, /26 /27 /28 /29) Wireshark protocol identification Top 20 port numbers from memory GitHub repo setup
Free tools you need
Tool
Cisco Packet Tracer (Free — you already have this)
Download from NetAcad. You used this in class — now use it alone, from a blank canvas. That's the difference between "I've seen it" and "I can do it."
netacad.com/courses/packet-tracer
↗ Practice
SubnettingPractice.com — Free unlimited drills
Do 30 questions every day this week. Score yourself. Subnetting comes up in every networking and sysadmin interview — you need this to be automatic.
subnettingpractice.com
↗ Tool
Wireshark — Free packet analyser
Install on your laptop. Capture your home network traffic. Find DNS packets, TCP handshakes, HTTP requests. Your N+ module covered this — now see it for real.
wireshark.org
↗ Portfolio
GitHub — Free, create today on Day 1
Create account → create repo "networking-lab" → add README describing your course background. Every lab this week gets pushed here with screenshots. This is your visible proof.
github.com
↗ Video
Hindi: "CCNA VLAN configuration Hindi" — YouTube
Search "VLAN configuration Cisco Packet Tracer Hindi" on YouTube before building your labs. Watch once, then close the video and build from memory.
VLAN, OSPF, ACL, NAT — ये सब Hindi में YouTube पर available हैं। देखें, समझें, फिर खुद से बनाएं।
Search: "CCNA VLAN configuration Hindi" on YouTube
↗
Week 1 daily checklist
Day 1Create GitHub account + "networking-lab" repo. Do 30 subnetting questions. Write down every one you got wrong — those are Day 2 priority.
Day 2OSI recall test without notes: write all 7 layers + one protocol at each. Then open Wireshark, capture 10 min of traffic, identify 5 different protocols by reading the packets.
Day 3Packet Tracer Lab 1: blank canvas → 1 router, 2 switches, 4 PCs, 2 VLANs, router-on-a-stick, all PCs ping each other. Screenshot topology. Push to GitHub as "lab1-vlan-routing".
Day 4Packet Tracer Lab 2: 3-router OSPF topology + ACL blocking one PC from a server + NAT/PAT for internet access + DHCP pool. Document every command. Push as "lab2-ospf-acl-nat".
Day 5Subnetting drill: 40 questions on subnettingpractice.com — target 85%+. Write the /24–/29 CIDR table from memory: subnet mask, usable hosts, broadcast. Memorise it.
Day 6Write interview answers from memory: "What is OSPF?", "Difference between router and switch?", "What is a VLAN?", "Explain NAT/PAT", "What is 802.1Q?". Push as "interview-prep-networking.md".
Day 7Polish both GitHub labs: every README explains what the lab does, skills it demonstrates, and has a topology screenshot. Week 1 done — 2 portfolio projects live.
Week 1 portfolio projects
🔀
VLAN + inter-VLAN routing lab
Cisco Packet Tracer: router-on-a-stick topology with 2 VLANs, trunk port, full IP connectivity verified. Shows your CCNA Module 9 skills in action.
portfolio #1
🌐
OSPF + ACL + NAT enterprise network
3-router OSPF, standard + extended ACLs, NAT/PAT internet access, DHCP pool. Covers your CCNA Modules 8, 10, and 11 end-to-end.
portfolio #2
W2
Days 8–14
Windows Server + Linux — Build Real Labs at Home
Set up Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPOs on Windows Server 2022. Configure Apache, SSH hardening, ufw firewall, cron jobs on Ubuntu Linux. All in VirtualBox. Document everything.
▾
What to rebuild this week
Active Directory DS (fresh install) Users, OUs, Security Groups Group Policy Objects (GPOs) DNS zones + A records DHCP scope + leases NTFS + Share permissions Linux SSH key-based auth ufw firewall rules Apache web server + permissions cron job automation Linux users + groups + chmod
Free tools you need
Tool
VirtualBox — Free VM hypervisor
Install this first. Runs both your Windows Server and Ubuntu VMs. Free for personal use. Snapshot before every major change — revert in 30 seconds if something breaks.
virtualbox.org
↗ Tool
Windows Server 2022 Evaluation ISO — Free (180 days)
Official Microsoft evaluation edition. No cost, no activation needed for 180 days. More than enough time for your portfolio. Download the ISO and install in VirtualBox.
microsoft.com/evalcenter — search Windows Server 2022
↗ Tool
Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS — Free
Your Linux lab machine. Install in VirtualBox alongside Windows Server. You covered Ubuntu in your Linux Modules 1–3 — this is where you practice everything you learned.
ubuntu.com/download/server
↗ Video
Hindi: "Active Directory setup Hindi" — YouTube
Search this on YouTube for a Hindi walkthrough of AD DS installation. Watch once to refresh your memory. Then close the video and do it yourself from scratch.
Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPO — ये सब Hindi में YouTube पर मिलेंगे। एक बार देखें, फिर खुद करें।
Search: "Active Directory Windows Server Hindi" on YouTube
↗
Week 2 daily checklist
Day 8Install VirtualBox + Windows Server 2022 Evaluation ISO. Create VM: 4GB RAM, 60GB disk. Install OS. Create a snapshot called "clean-install". This is your base.
Day 9Install AD DS role. Promote to Domain Controller. Create domain "lab.local". Create 5 users, 3 OUs (HR/IT/Finance), 2 Security Groups. Apply GPO: password policy + disable USB on HR OU. Screenshot everything.
Day 10Add DNS + DHCP roles. Create DNS zone for lab.local. Add A records for your VMs. Set up DHCP scope 192.168.10.100–200. Connect Ubuntu VM as client — verify it gets a DHCP IP and resolves DNS.
Day 11Ubuntu VM: configure SSH with key-based authentication (disable password login). Configure ufw: allow SSH + HTTP, deny everything else. Verify both rules work. Configure a cron job backing up /etc hourly.
Day 12Ubuntu: install Apache. Host a simple HTML page. Create user1 (can edit web content) + user2 (cannot). Set permissions with chmod. Verify access restrictions work. This is a real sysadmin interview lab.
Day 13Write interview answers from memory: "What is Active Directory?", "What is a GPO?", "NTFS vs Share permissions?", "How does SSH key authentication work?", "What is SELinux?", "Difference between ufw and iptables?"
Day 14Push complete "windows-linux-server-lab" repo to GitHub. Both labs need: what you built, why it matters, all key commands, screenshots of working output. Four portfolio projects now live.
Week 2 portfolio project
🖥️
Windows Server 2022 — AD, DNS, DHCP, GPO
Full Active Directory environment: domain controller, 5 users, 3 OUs, 2 security groups, password GPO, DNS zone, DHCP scope with client verification. Covers Windows Server Modules 1–2 from your course.
portfolio #3
🐧
Linux Server — SSH, Apache, ufw, cron
Ubuntu hardened with SSH key auth, ufw firewall rules, Apache web hosting with Linux permissions, and cron job automation. Covers your Linux Server Modules 1–3.
portfolio #4 (part of same repo)
W3
Days 15–21
Cloud + Security — Your Most Job-Relevant Week
AWS Free Tier: EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudTrail, CloudWatch. Wazuh SIEM on Ubuntu with Windows Server agent. Real incident detection and a written report. This is what separates you from other candidates.
▾
What to build this week
AWS VPC (public + private subnet) EC2 instance + SSH access IAM users + roles + policies (JSON) S3 bucket + bucket policy CloudTrail logging CloudWatch alarm setup Wazuh SIEM installation Windows Server as Wazuh agent Brute force alert detection Incident report writing Wireshark protocol analysis
Free tools you need
Cloud
AWS Free Tier — Free for 12 months
Create a free account (needs a card but won't charge for Free Tier usage). Gives you: 750 hours/month EC2 t2.micro, 5GB S3, 1 million CloudWatch events. More than enough for all 3 AWS portfolio tasks.
aws.amazon.com/free
↗ Tool
Wazuh SIEM — Open source, completely free
Install on your Ubuntu VM in ~30 minutes using the official quickstart. Web dashboard shows real Windows events as SIEM alerts. Your course covered Splunk/ELK — Wazuh is the same concept but free to self-host. The single most impressive thing you can add to your resume this week.
wazuh.com/install
↗ Docs
Wazuh Official Quickstart Guide
Step-by-step guide to install Wazuh manager + dashboard on Ubuntu. Then install the agent on your Windows Server VM. Follow exactly — takes 30–45 minutes total.
documentation.wazuh.com/current/quickstart.html
↗ Reference
EventID.net — Windows Event ID reference (Free)
Explains every Windows Security Event ID. Your Windows Server module covered these — bookmark this now. Event 4624=logon, 4625=failed logon, 4720=new account created. You need these for your Wazuh incident report.
eventid.net
↗ Video
Hindi: "AWS Free Tier tutorial Hindi" — YouTube
Search this for Hindi walkthroughs of EC2, VPC, IAM, S3. Your cloud module covered these concepts — a Hindi refresh before building them yourself will help significantly.
AWS EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudTrail — Hindi में clearly explain किए गए हैं YouTube पर। Cloud module की concepts refresh करें, फिर खुद deploy करें।
Search: "AWS free tier tutorial Hindi" on YouTube
↗
Week 3 daily checklist
Day 15Create AWS Free Tier account. Create a VPC (your course Module 9 covered this) with one public subnet and one private subnet. Launch a t2.micro EC2 instance in the public subnet. SSH into it. Install Apache. Visit its public IP in a browser. Screenshot every step.
Day 16AWS IAM: create 3 users (admin, read-only, S3-only). Enable MFA on admin. Create S3 bucket. Write a JSON bucket policy allowing only your users. Test that read-only user cannot delete objects. Document the JSON policy you wrote.
Day 17Enable CloudTrail on your AWS account. Enable CloudWatch. Create an alarm that fires on 5+ failed login attempts. Try logging in with wrong credentials. Does the alarm trigger? Export 10 CloudTrail log entries and identify who did what, when, from which IP. Write 1-page analysis.
Day 18Install Wazuh SIEM on your Ubuntu VM following the official quickstart guide. Open the Wazuh dashboard at https://localhost. Install the Wazuh agent on your Windows Server VM. Verify that Windows events are flowing into the dashboard as SIEM alerts.
Day 19Simulate an attack: try 10 failed logins on Windows Server (wrong password). Watch Wazuh raise a brute force alert. Try creating a new admin account — watch Event ID 4720 alert. Screenshot the Wazuh dashboard. Write a 1-page incident report: what happened, what was detected, which Event IDs, recommended action.
Day 20Wireshark: capture 15 min of home network traffic. Filter dns — what domains are queried? Filter http — any unencrypted HTTP? Filter tcp.flags.syn==1 — any port scan-like patterns? Write a 10-bullet analysis of what you found. Push to GitHub.
Day 21Write interview answers: "What is the AWS shared responsibility model?", "IAM role vs IAM user?", "What is a SIEM?", "Name 3 Windows Event IDs and what they mean", "What is CloudTrail?", "IDS vs IPS?" Push complete "aws-cloud-security-lab" repo to GitHub.
Week 3 portfolio project
☁️
AWS cloud infrastructure lab
EC2 + VPC + IAM (3 users, MFA) + S3 bucket policy + CloudTrail + CloudWatch alarm. Covers your Cloud Modules 8–11 hands-on. Free Tier — no cost.
portfolio #5
🛡️
Wazuh SIEM + incident detection
Wazuh deployed on Ubuntu, Windows Server as agent, brute force attack simulated and detected, incident report written. Direct from your course cybersecurity modules. The most impressive single project in this plan.
portfolio #6 (bonus)
W4
Days 22–30
Capstone + Resume + Job Applications
Build your final capstone network. Write your resume. Optimise LinkedIn. Apply to 5 roles per day. Prepare for technical interviews. By Day 30 you will have 40+ applications and a polished portfolio.
▾
Target job roles for your background
Junior Network Engineer Network Support Engineer Systems Administrator IT Support Engineer Junior Cloud Engineer Cloud Support Engineer Junior SOC Analyst Network Operations Center (NOC)
Where to apply (India + global)
Jobs
Naukri.com — India's largest job board
Search: "Network Engineer", "Junior Network Engineer", "Systems Administrator", "Cloud Support". Set up daily email alerts. MSSPs and IT companies actively hire from here.
India mein Naukri sabse important job portal hai. "Network Engineer", "Cloud Support", "IT Support" search karein aur daily alerts set karein।
naukri.com
↗ Jobs
LinkedIn Jobs — Turn on "Open to Work"
Target companies: TCS, Wipro, Infosys, HCL, Accenture, IBM India — all have large networking and cloud operations that hire freshers with demonstrated skills. Set job alerts for all 8 target roles.
linkedin.com/jobs
↗ Internship
Internshala — Networking + Cloud internships (India)
If you're a fresher with no work experience, internships are a legitimate first step. Many convert to full-time. Better to start with an internship at ₹15k/month than to wait 6 months for a "real" job.
Fresher ho toh internship se shuruat karna bilkul sahi hai — experience milta hai aur bahut full-time convert hoti hain।
internshala.com
↗
Week 4 daily checklist
Day 22Capstone Packet Tracer network: VLANs + OSPF + NAT/PAT + DHCP + ACLs + simulated WAN link — all in one topology. This is your "everything I know in one diagram" project. Document all configs. Push as "capstone-enterprise-network".
Day 23Write your 1-page resume. Skills section lists: Cisco Packet Tracer, VLANs, OSPF, NAT/PAT, ACLs, Windows Server (AD DS, DNS, DHCP, GPO), Linux (Ubuntu, Apache, SSH, ufw, cron), AWS (EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudTrail, CloudWatch), Wazuh SIEM, Wireshark. Projects: 5 GitHub links.
Day 24LinkedIn: professional photo, headline "Network Engineer | Windows Server | Linux | AWS | CCNA student | Wazuh SIEM", About section (3 sentences), all 5 projects in Projects section. Turn on Open to Work. GitHub profile README links to all 5 repos.
Day 25Apply to 10 jobs today across Naukri, LinkedIn, and company career pages (TCS, Wipro, Infosys, HCL). Create application tracker spreadsheet: Company, Role, Date, Source, Status. Apply where you meet 60%+ of requirements.
Day 26Mock interview: ask a friend to ask you these out loud: "Configure a VLAN from scratch — what commands?", "Explain DHCP step by step", "What is OSPF?", "Explain Active Directory to a non-technical person", "First thing to check if a user can't access the internet?" Record yourself.
Day 27Apply to 5 more roles. Write a LinkedIn post: "I just completed a Networking Career Development Program and built these 5 labs: [list with GitHub links]." Recruiters in India actively source from LinkedIn posts — this post will be seen.
Day 28Apply 5 more. Start studying 30 min/day for CompTIA Network+ (Professor Messer free course). Your classroom training is directly aligned — the exam is the credential that proves your knowledge to employers who can't see your lab.
Day 29Apply 5 more. For any application sent 7+ days ago with no response: find the hiring manager on LinkedIn and send a 3-line message with your GitHub link. Direct outreach doubles response rates.
Day 30Review: 5 portfolio projects live, 40+ applications sent, LinkedIn active, interview prep done. Keep applying 5/day until you have a signed offer. The 30 days built the foundation — the job comes from consistent daily applications after that.
Final capstone project
🏢
Full enterprise SOHO network — capstone
Complete Packet Tracer design: VLANs + OSPF + NAT/PAT + DHCP + ACLs + WAN simulation. Everything in one topology. Proves end-to-end CCNA-level competency from your Module 8–11 curriculum.
portfolio #5 (capstone)
Your 5 portfolio projects
Complete Portfolio Summary
Every project is built from your existing course knowledge. Each one proves a specific skill set from your curriculum to a hiring manager.
🔀
Project 1 — VLAN + inter-VLAN routing (Day 3)
Cisco Packet Tracer: router-on-a-stick with 2 VLANs, 802.1Q trunk, full IP connectivity. Maps to your CCNA Module 9.
Skills: VLANs · 802.1Q trunking · router-on-a-stick · Cisco IOS CLI
GitHub: "lab1-vlan-routing"
🌐
Project 2 — OSPF + ACL + NAT network (Day 4–5)
3-router OSPF, standard + extended ACLs, NAT/PAT internet, DHCP pool. Maps to your CCNA Modules 8, 10, 11.
Skills: OSPF · ACLs · NAT/PAT · DHCP · routing protocols
GitHub: "lab2-ospf-acl-nat"
🖥️
Project 3 — Windows Server + Linux lab (Day 9–13)
AD DS + DNS + DHCP + GPOs + Ubuntu SSH + Apache + ufw + cron. Maps to your Windows Server Modules 1–3 and Linux Modules 1–3.
Skills: Active Directory · GPO · DNS · DHCP · Linux CLI · SSH · Apache · permissions
GitHub: "windows-linux-server-lab"
☁️
Project 4 — AWS + Wazuh SIEM (Day 15–19)
EC2 + VPC + IAM + S3 + CloudTrail + CloudWatch + Wazuh SIEM with Windows agent + incident report. Maps to your Cloud Modules 8–11 and Cybersecurity Module 10.
Skills: AWS · IAM · S3 · CloudTrail · Wazuh SIEM · Windows Event IDs · incident reporting
GitHub: "aws-cloud-security-lab"
🏢
Project 5 — Full enterprise capstone (Day 22)
Complete SOHO network: VLANs + OSPF + NAT + DHCP + ACLs + WAN simulation. Proves end-to-end CCNA competency in a single topology.
Skills: full network design · all CCNA topics · documentation · troubleshooting
GitHub: "capstone-enterprise-network"
Recall tests — do these without notes
Quick Self-Assessment
If you can't answer any of these fluently, that topic is your Week 1 priority. These questions come directly from your 13 course modules.
Networking (N+ / CCNA Modules 6–11)
  • Name all 7 OSI layers and one protocol at each
  • What is a /26 network? How many usable hosts?
  • What is 802.1Q and what does it do?
  • What is the difference between OSPF and RIP?
  • What command creates a VLAN on a Cisco switch?
  • Explain the DHCP DORA process
  • What is NAT and why is it needed?
  • What is the difference between standard and extended ACLs?
Windows Server (Modules 1–3)
  • What is a Domain Controller?
  • What is an Organisational Unit (OU)?
  • How does GPO inheritance work (site/domain/OU)?
  • Difference between NTFS and Share permissions?
  • What Windows Event ID is a failed login?
  • What are FSMO roles?
  • What is WSUS used for?
Linux Server (Modules 1–3)
  • What does chmod 755 mean? chmod 644?
  • Command to check all listening ports on Linux?
  • What file controls sudo privileges?
  • How do you allow port 443 with ufw?
  • What is SELinux enforcing mode vs permissive?
  • Command to list all running services?
  • What does a cron expression "0 * * * *" mean?
Cloud (Modules 8–14)
  • Explain the AWS shared responsibility model
  • Difference between IAM user and IAM role?
  • What is a VPC and what problem does it solve?
  • What does CloudTrail log?
  • Difference between Security Group and NACL?
  • What is S3? When would you use it vs EBS?
  • What is AWS GuardDuty?
Security (Cybersecurity Modules)
  • What is the CIA triad? One example of each being broken?
  • Difference between IDS and IPS?
  • What is a SIEM and what problem does it solve?
  • What is phishing vs spear phishing?
  • Difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?
  • What is a vulnerability vs a threat vs a risk?
Certification roadmap
Which Cert to Take First
Your classroom training maps almost directly to these certifications. Pick one and start studying 30 min/day from Day 28 onwards — even while applying for jobs.
🏆
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) — Recommended first
Your N+ and CCNA modules directly align with the N+ exam syllabus. Professor Messer's free full video course (professormesser.com) is the best free prep resource. Exam cost ~$392. Required or preferred by most junior network engineering job postings. Free prep: professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-009
🎖️
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) — Take second
Your cybersecurity modules (10–13) map to Security+ content. Opens up SOC Analyst and security engineering roles in addition to network roles. Professor Messer has a free full course for this too. Most valuable for Indian MSSP roles at TCS, Wipro, Infosys. Free prep: professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-701
☁️
AWS Cloud Practitioner — Take alongside or after N+
Your Cloud Modules 8–14 directly map to this exam. AWS Skill Builder has a free official preparation course. Exam cost ~$100. Opens up cloud support and cloud operations roles. High demand in India's IT sector. Free prep: explore.skillbuilder.aws — search "Cloud Practitioner Essentials"
30-day overview
Every Week at a Glance
W1
Networking recall + Packet Tracer labs + subnetting drill
GitHub setup · VLAN lab · OSPF+ACL+NAT lab · 85%+ subnetting · interview Q&A written
2–3 hrs/day
W2
Windows Server + Linux server home labs
VirtualBox + Windows Server 2022 + Ubuntu · AD DS + DNS + DHCP + GPO · SSH + Apache + ufw + cron
2–3 hrs/day
W3
AWS cloud + Wazuh SIEM + incident report
EC2 + VPC + IAM + S3 + CloudTrail + Wazuh · brute force simulation · 1-page incident report written
2–3 hrs/day
W4
Capstone + resume + LinkedIn + 40+ job applications
Enterprise network capstone · 1-page ATS resume · LinkedIn optimised · 5 jobs/day · mock interview done
2 hrs/day