Configuring your home network.
Configuring your home network.
I’m starting with some older gear to build a home lab beyond just virtual machines. I’m not sure if my Google skills are falling short or if I’ve simply missed the point—like forgetting the water is right in front of the horse. I aim to experiment with tools such as Wireshark, Snort, Pi-hole, etc., on a larger scale. My limited grasp of networking makes sense; I’d need a VM running each program or several, with all traffic flowing through them to monitor the whole network. Am I misunderstanding something, or am I just not quite getting how these tools work? I can share a diagram if that helps, though I haven’t mapped out my actual network yet. I also plan to add Opnsense on one VM and possibly other security solutions as I learn more.
I’ll attempt that, but with multiple programs running I should consider connecting them in a sequence: Internet → Router/Switch → Wireshark → Firewall → Switch → Home computers. Using all ports on the switch is fine. For Wireshark, firewall, and VPN, you can run them together without affecting your home computers’ traffic. The firewall and VPN will still safeguard those devices. In terms of setup, parallel operation should work and maintain protection, while series connection isn’t necessary for functionality.