Network - Build & Design Intro

Lab Credits

Much of what is written here is based off of many hours of my own blood, sweat, and tears and many more hours on Youtbue or networking blogs. I'm serious. Racking equipment with the dreaded cage nuts, and pulling cables for new drops is going to make you sweat and bleed. Tears ... well, I mean, there were at least some proverbial tears for want of out-of-my-price-range equipment.

Credits:

• **Network Chuck** - We don't know each other, but we have a lot in common me and that guys. Coffee, beards, networks.
• **CrossTalk Solutions** - If you are running Unifi equipment, you *Must* watch Chris's videos
• **Mactelecom Networks** - Cody is always bringing great info about Unifi equipment, from reviews, guides on setting up controllers and physical installation
• **Jeremy's IT Lab** - If ever you have considered studying for the CCNA, then you'll know who this is. He has helped thousands of people pass the exam.

Lab Overview - Goals + Objective + Equipment

Note

• **Learning Goals**

  - Create a subnet router using Tailscale - Route traffic between different subnets in your homelab - Provide secure access to your devices using Tailscale - Learn how to configure Tailscale on a Linux VM - Understand how to route traffic between subnets using Tailscale

• **Objectives**

  - Build a Linux VM on Proxmox - Install Tailscale on the Linux VM - Configure the Linux VM as a subnet router - Route traffic between different subnets in your homelab - Securely access your devices using Tailscale

• **Equipment**

  **Racked Equipment**

  This is a short list of the primary networking equipment. A future full equipment list will be added and linked here.

  • Unifi Dream Machine Pro
  • Unifi Switch PoE 16
  • USW Flex Mini

  **Wifi**

  • AC Lite
  • U6 In-Wall
  • U6 Mesh

At the foundation of every homelab, small/medium business, or enterprise network is a solid network design. In this guide, we will explore some of the fundamentals of building out a network, including subnetting, VLANs, and network security. We will also look at some common network topologies and how they can be implemented in a homelab environment.

For this guide, we will be using Ubiquiti’s Unifi line of networking equipment, as it provides a robust set of features and functionality that can be easily implemented in a homelab, small business, or enterprise environment. However, the concepts discussed in this guide can be applied to any networking equipment or vendor and over time I anticipate adding in equipment from other vendors.

Note

In the following steps, we will be focused on getting our network configuration set up in the Unifi Controller. This will serve as a foundation for future projects. For example, we will be setting up a VLAN for IoT devices, which will allow us to add our smart devices to a dedicated network segment. A future guide will look at setting up a Home Assistant server and integrating it with our IoT devices.

Prerequisites

• Networking equipment (switches, routers, access points, etc.) You probably have some of this already. So long as you can find the same settings or something comparable in your own equipments interface, you should be able to follow along. That said, this guide is written with Unifi equipment in mind.
• You have a Unifi account and have adopted your devices into the Unifi Controller software.

Overview of What We’ll Cover

Part 1: Network Setup & Design

Part 2: Subnetting and VLANs

Part 3: Network Security

In the next section, we will look at network design and how to plan out your network to meet your specific requirements. We will cover topics such as IP addressing, subnetting, and VLANs, and how they can be used to create a secure and efficient network.