When I first started learning offensive and defensive security, I followed every recommended course and platform: TryHackMe, Hack The Box, CTFs, and YouTube tutorials. I completed labs, watched videos, and solved challenges but something was still missing.

Even as a beginner or intermediate learner, I often felt confused. I knew the concepts, but didn't fully understand how real environments worked together. That's when I realized: practical, hands-on infrastructure experience is irreplaceable.

The Problem with Ready-Made Platforms Platforms like TryHackMe and Hack The Box are excellent for learning tools and techniques. They give structured paths, prebuilt targets, and controlled challenges. However: - They don't teach network architecture or traffic flow. - You rarely see how firewall rules, DNS, and routing interact in a real scenario. - You don't experience the restrictions a real enterprise applies egress filtering, segmentation, and privilege boundaries. In short, they teach "how to hack" but not "why things work this way".

Building Your Own Lab I decided to build my own lab environment from scratch. My setup includes: - pfSense as a firewall and router - Multiple LAN networks with strict segmentation - Windows Server 2025 as a domain controller - Windows 11 as a domain-joined client - Metasploitable2 as a vulnerable machine - An isolated attacker network with Kali Linux I intentionally blocked the attacker network from WAN (internet) access, simulating real enterprise egress filtering. This made DNS and internet-based tools fail initially and that was a learning moment.

It taught me more than any prebuilt lab ever could: - How firewall rules really affect traffic - Why DNS can fail even when IP connectivity works - How network segmentation changes attacker strategy - How enterprise environments enforce controls

Lessons Learned 1. Architecture matters: Understanding the network, server roles, and segmentation is more valuable than memorizing commands. 2. Hands-on practice beats theory: Breaking your own lab teaches problem-solving at a deeper level. 3. Mistakes are learning opportunities: When things fail, it's a chance to reason, troubleshoot, and understand why. 4. Professional growth comes from building: Solving ready-made labs teaches tools, but building infrastructure teaches systems thinking.

Advice for Learners - Use platforms like TryHackMe and Hack The Box for learning tools and techniques. - But build your own environment even a small one on your laptop. - Configure servers, networks, firewall rules, and users yourself. - Simulate real enterprise constraints like segmentation and egress filtering. This approach will teach you how systems interact, why attacks work, and how defenders think. It's the fastest way to go from beginner to professional.

Final Thought Learning cybersecurity isn't just about following courses or labs. It's about building, experimenting, breaking, and understanding your own environment. When you practice this way, you'll not only understand attacks and defenses, but also think like a real red team or blue team professional.

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