Skip to main content

About Me

Well, hello there! Welcome to NodeConnect. My name is Zach. Are you new to the networking scene? My road to networking was sparked by a short-lived interest in electrical engineering. Yes, pun intended. My focus has shifted from that field, but it led me down another path: how data travels from point A to point B (to point C, point D, etc.)

I graduated with a Bachelor's in Information Technology. Along the way, I learned to work with different hardware and software, earned leading industry certifications such as Network+, started my own home lab, and wrote notes in a way that helped me connect concepts more clearly. I hope this will do the same for you.

I started NodeConnect as a blog to explain foundational networking concepts. From my research, I have found it helpful to begin somewhere, and where else is better than starting at the backbone of information transfer. You will see networking concepts explained, my successes and failures, helpful notes, and my home lab chronicles.

Are you a seasoned professional? If so, welcome as well. I hope this site offers a fresh perspective, but I also look forward to learning from you. As you know, the industry is always changing, with more emphasis on utilizing AI, automation, and the cloud. Please do share your experience!

No matter who you are, thank you for visiting. Feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or just want to share some subnetting secrets. I'm all for it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IP in Practice: Special IPv4 Addresses

We have already discussed three private ranges used in classful and classless subnetting. The list does not stop there. This post identifies six types of special IP addresses that you will encounter. By the end of this post, you should have a clearer understanding of how these addresses are used in troubleshooting, how they appear on certification exams, and how they shape the way traffic moves across the Internet. 1. Loopback Address (127.0.0.1) Every networked device has a loopback address. Most commonly, it is 127.0.0.1 . The loopback address is typically used to test internal connections. You may wonder, “Why do I need to know if my device can connect to itself? Shouldn’t it connect to other resources and the Internet?” Think about it this way. Before you walk out the door, you make sure you look presentable by taking a shower, brushing your teeth, ironing your clothes, and checking yourself in the mirror. Once everything looks good, you are ready to go. Similarly, your compute...

How to Set Up a Cisco Router as a DHCP Server (Step-by-Step Guide)

Lab time! Want to build a DHCP server?  In this lab, I will show you how to build your own DHCP server on a router using Cisco Packet Tracer, as shown above. By the end of this post, you will be able to create your own DHCP server with a Cisco 2911 router, perhaps in a home lab setting, and prepare you to build your own on other hardware.  Why a Router?  A DHCP server is a centralized, automated service that assigns important network configuration details to devices on a network, such as IP addresses. Without it, we would have to create manual entries for our entire network, which can be time-consuming and lead to errors. Traditionally, there are dedicated servers to handle these functions. There are many ways to implement a DHCP server in your topology, including a dedicated physical server, a virtual machine, cloud-based gateways, and firewalls. However, there are specific benefits to using a router as your DHCP server: Reduced infrastructur...

New Series: IP in Practice

I have done a few posts on subnetting and the inner workings of DHCP. I wanted to do a post on IPv6 and a hands-on demo on implementing DHCP on actual networking equipment. However, I missed a few parts that I would like to cover that would particularly help in understanding how IP works and why it is needed. Unlike the previous series, this will be a direct approach to a certain protocol: Internet Protocol (IP). I recently started my first series, covering important ports, protocols, and acronyms used in the networking field. However, I realized not only is it difficult to address the ones to mention, but for some letters it's hard to find. The intended structure was to have several per letter not just one. The idea seemed fun and engaging, however, doing over 20 posts alphabetically on acronyms, ports, and protocols lacks order and deviates from the direct approach I want this blog to have. For that reason, I am putting it on hold indefinitely. It was fun at first, but it was not...