Networking - basic building

[Orangeb]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to networking - I have posted a couple of times on here. My cousin and I are building a very basic network for me, so I can learn by experience, not just watching videos etc.
He has a very complicated network. My little network is currently only in design stages - although now my tower PC works again, and has more memory in it and a very powerful graphics card (not that relevant I guess, but still)!
What I am working out, without giving my cousin a million questions a day, whislt he is at work, is if I have my basic network - PC tower with windows 11 on it, and ‘ontop’ that, a virtual machine, which will run a server OS, and then a small 5 port switch going to my Vodafone router.
I hope I have not missed anything, or got anything way off with that.
The first thing is, how does the PC with windows 11 on it AND the virtual machine with the server OS simultaneously talk to the network at the same time. It’s hard to describe what is in my head with this. It’s like they are ontop of each other. I am assuming the OS server would have to take priority, so it could act as a server? I’m guessing a domain controller would sit on that server OS too? I am not sure where, or what would deal with the DHCP and the DNS?.

Once I figure these basic things out I was thinking about putting in some storage, and wiring that into the network too, and maybe a small firewall. BUT I can’t do that without solving the more basic things, above. The DNS and the DHCP for example, what would be doing that? Where would they sit, and or exist? They are not hardware, they are a function of something - but what, in hardware terms?
Sorry for the complexity of this description - it’s a bit of a mess in my mind, being slowly untangled.
Thank-you for reading this.
Matthew

 

[Orangeb]

That’s really kind of you to write such a detailed reply - thank-you.
Do domain controllers have to sit on a server? Like a windows server?
Is it just a program that runs, like Active Directory?

 

[Orangeb]

This is what appears on some searches about DCs.
“A domain controller (DC) is a server that responds to security authentication requests within a computer network domain. It is a network server that is responsible for allowing host access to domain resources”
If its gotta be on a server - how can it just sit on a normal windows 11 setup?

 

[Orangeb]

I’;m doing it all really so I can get into IT support, with an aim to work in networking and then security (later down the line). There is so much stuff, and its hard to know where to focus. It’s like i need to be able to see a picture and or diagram of these things in my mind. So with the DC, its kind of working out “so if it sits on the Server, how can it also be beneficial for the standard windows 11 for example.

 

[Orangeb]

I'm still not sure which bit you are struggling with?

Maybe a diagram will help

A Domain Controller is just a PC that runs Windows Server. Can be a Physical PC (e.g. the pink one in the diagram) or a Virtual PC (one of several Virtual Machines running on the Green hypervisor PC).

The Physical Windows 11 PC would use either of the Server 2019 instances for Active Directory and other Services. E.g. To log onto the Windows 11 PC using a domain User, the Win 11 PC would contact one of the Server 2019 PCs to verify the username and password.
Once logged on, domain controllers are then used to verify security access rights to File Shares, and are used to provide Local DNS services e.g. mapping computer names to IP addresses within your local network. E.g. typing Ping PC3, will look up the IP Address of PC3 from one of the domain controllers.


I think the point you are confusing based on your earlier posts, is that you want to run a domain controller on top of your Windows 11 PC?
You should never do this, as you can run into a catch 22 situation where if you set your Windows 11 PC to use the resources of the domain controller e.g. to log in, but you can't log in unless it's running.

I’m confused how is best to approach networking, and how much depth you might need for an IT support role (just to start). Like do I need to know every intricate detail a switch might do - flooding with a MAC address of all Fs, when it might or might not do this, or does knowing what switches do and how to physically wire them up, and a more basic knowledge ok? I don’t mind learning every small detail, but don’t wanna waste time doing something people don’t really bother with.
The other bits are also a depth of knowledge required for routers, and then like you have written about, the diagrams of how everything sits and maps out on a network (like your diagram) - and what talks to what, and when it does so. For example, I didn’t realise the wi-fi aspect sits ina seperate place from the router (but having said that, I have not gotten into how and where wi-fi does its stuff, yet). I figured it would exist somewhere in the router. But that is obviously a very important bit of knowledge!!
Thank-you so much for the detailed reply. It is very helpful.

 

[Orangeb]

You should study the CompTIA A+ curriculum, it really is made for people in your position. If you can hack his accent, Professor Messer on YouTube has free training for the entire thing:

Professor Messer CompTIA A+ 1101 Playlist (Hardware, Networking, Virtualization)
Professor Messer CompTIA A+ 1102 Playlist (Software, operating systems, security)

I would advise doing the exams as well. This has three effects:

1) Gives you something tangible to show to prospective employers.
2) Creates a sense of urgency/a more clearly defined purpose behind your studying.
3) Gives you experience in self-paced learning. This is something that will pay dividends moving forward in the industry.

I went to the YouTube links you sent me (thank you for those). There is a main video saying something like how to pass your exams etc etc. Then there is the first video. I assume just stick with the order they are presented in YouTube? I would assume they have laid them out that way, rather than randomly, but having said that, YouTube has a strange habit of mixing things up illogically, when you watch a number of videos from the same person.