Virtual IT Lab Setup

HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini — Lab Machine

Note: 8GB RAM is workable for beginner labs. Run only ONE VM at a time and close unnecessary apps before starting a VM. RAM upgrade is planned once the HP EliteDesk case can be opened.

C:\IT-Labs — Main Lab Directory

A clean organized folder structure was created in File Explorer to keep all lab files separated and easy to find. This structure supports documentation, GitHub uploads, and future lab expansion.

Two-VM Lab Plan

Both VMs will use NAT networking — this allows internet access while keeping the lab environment safe and isolated from the home network.

Step 1 — Selected and Received the Lab PC

Selected the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini as the dedicated lab computer. The machine was purchased refurbished on eBay and arrived with no operating system installed — starting from a completely bare system.

The i5-7500T processor supports Intel VT-x virtualization technology which is required for VMware Workstation Pro. The 8GB RAM is sufficient for beginner labs with one VM running at a time.

Step 2 — Verified BIOS and Virtualization Settings

Powered on the machine and entered the HP BIOS setup. Verified that Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x) was enabled. This setting is required for VMware to create and run virtual machines. Without it VMware will not function correctly.

// Add your BIOS screenshot and specific settings you found here when you complete your write-up.

Step 3 — Installed Windows 11 Pro

Created a bootable USB drive and installed Windows 11 Pro on the HP EliteDesk. Completed all Windows setup steps including connecting to Wi-Fi, running Windows Update, and verifying all drivers were working correctly in Device Manager.

// Add your Windows installation screenshots here when you complete your write-up.

Step 4 — Created Organized Lab Folder Structure

Created the main lab directory at C:\IT-Labs and built out 8 organized subfolders for ISOs, virtual machines, Packet Tracer labs, screenshots, notes, GitHub projects, network diagrams, and tools. This keeps all lab work separated and easy to document.

Step 5 — Started VMware Workstation Pro Installation

Downloaded and began installing VMware Workstation Pro. The next configuration task is to set the default virtual machine storage location to C:\IT-Labs\02-Virtual-Machines using Edit → Preferences → Workspace → Default location for virtual machines.

// Add your VMware installation and configuration screenshots here.

Step 6 — Download Ubuntu and Create First VM

// This step is in progress. Document the Ubuntu ISO download, VM creation settings, installation process, and first boot here when complete.

• NEXT 01Set VMware default VM location to C:\IT-Labs\02-Virtual-Machines
• NEXT 02Download Ubuntu Desktop ISO and save to C:\IT-Labs\01-ISOs
• NEXT 03Create Ubuntu-Lab-01 VM with 2GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 30GB storage, NAT
• NEXT 04Install Ubuntu and run all system updates
• NEXT 05Install lab tools: nmap, openssh-server, net-tools, curl, git
• NEXT 06Take VMware snapshot named: Clean Install - Before Labs

Completing the Lab Build

• Set VMware default VM location to C:\IT-Labs\02-Virtual-Machines
• Download Ubuntu Desktop ISO and save to C:\IT-Labs\01-ISOs
• Create Ubuntu-Lab-01 VM — 2GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 30GB storage, NAT
• Install Ubuntu, run updates, install nmap, openssh-server, net-tools, curl, and git
• Take VMware snapshot named: Clean Install - Before Labs
• Create Windows-Lab-01 VM — 3GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 50GB storage, NAT
• Install Cisco Packet Tracer on the Windows host
• Complete first Packet Tracer networking lab
• Upgrade RAM to 32GB once the HP EliteDesk case can be opened
• Add Kali Linux as a third VM for cybersecurity labs