Networking Personal Capstone Complete - 1 Year Later

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I finally did it! I completed my personal goals for Networking!

I used to be a double major in Networking. I didn't consider myself worthy though. I didn't know enough. I made some goals for myself to in-my-mind earn my lost degree that I didn't deserve.

My personal capstone was to make a COMPLETE replica of the CCDC topology. I got 80% there. Three things were missing... INTERNET, a Router, and a Switch. I found out today you can import a Cisco CSR 1000v into VM Workstation. And guess WHAT! I figured it out in under 15 MINUTES! Here are my Slack logs:

I remember struggling with this "internet" issue on the PA-VM for an ENTIRE WEEK. I just blew Amanda-2018 out of the water by 10000%. I seriously lost 16 hours with "trying to get internet to my VM Workstation" in 2018. Looking back on it I was in Cisco 1 and HAD no idea what I was doing. I was playing around with EIGRP and OSPF and that wasn't taught until Cisco 3.

I'm in a pretty unique position. I'm new enough in networking to understand other newcomers. I can't say the same for programming. I was new to coding at 15 years old. That's 8 years ago. I don't have the same detailed memory of what it was like. Someone who's been in networking for 8 years won't understand how someone can't understand NAT and do random settings for 16 hours. I can.

Back in 2018 this was the NAT Radio button. I thought by selecting this, NAT would work. It takes more work then that! Another big issue is not knowing what to Google. "Getting internet to VM Workstation" is not a great Google Search. You need CCNA competency to understand what needs to happen. You won't know where to start.

Failing the CCNA Security was the best thing that ever happened. I accomplished more than $300 worth of work. I found out about the NAT Cloud in GNS3 2 weeks ago. I thought 'gee I gotta step it up in labs' after failing. Then I thought if I can get internet through NAT in GNS3... I can do it in VM Workstation.

The last piece of the puzzle has been solved. I'm confident I can integrate the PA-VM with a Cisco Switch. I jumped over the hardest hurdle. If there's one thing I want to be great at, its definitely NAT. I want to have the commands on rote memorization, always.

I'd say I improved 2X from where I was in March. I collected my CCNA R&S and Security. I'll be exiting Ciscoland to Docker/more coding to Palo Alto Networks next.

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