LabForge is written by a working infrastructure engineer based in Greater Manchester, UK. I built this site because when I started learning networking, the good content was either buried in enterprise documentation, scattered across Reddit threads, or hidden behind £500 courses. None of it was practical. None of it showed you what failure looks like.
Every guide on this site follows the same structure: learn it, build it, break it, fix it. That's how I actually learned — not from reading, but from misconfiguring things at midnight and having to figure out why nothing was talking to anything.
What I'm working with
I run a homelab on a mini PC using Proxmox, with a managed switch, pfSense for routing and firewalling, and a bunch of VMs doing various things. I use EVE-NG for Cisco lab work and GNS3 for network simulation. Everything I write about, I've actually done on real hardware or a real simulator — not just read about.
Certifications
I'm actively studying and working through the cert stack. Every cert I cover on this site is one I'm either preparing for or have passed.
Why this site exists
- Most beginner content stops at theory. You need to actually build things.
- Breaking things on purpose is the fastest way to understand how they work.
- UK-specific content is rare. Prices, suppliers, and ISPs matter.
- You don't need expensive hardware to run a serious homelab.
- Cert study and real-world skills should reinforce each other — not live in separate worlds.
Affiliate links and transparency
Some links on this site are affiliate links — mostly to Amazon UK for hardware recommendations. If you buy something through a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I'd actually use or have used myself. Read the full affiliate disclosure here.
Get in touch
Got a question about a guide, a topic you want covered, or just want to share what you've built? Send me a message — I read everything.