Network 101

Purpose

Configure and test common network services (HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, SMB) for penetration testing lab environments. Enable hands-on practice with service enumeration, log analysis, and security testing against properly configured target systems.

Inputs/Prerequisites

• Windows Server or Linux system for hosting services
• Kali Linux or similar for testing
• Administrative access to target system
• Basic networking knowledge (IP addressing, ports)
• Firewall access for port configuration

Outputs/Deliverables

• Configured HTTP/HTTPS web server
• SNMP service with accessible communities
• SMB file shares with various permission levels
• Captured logs for analysis
• Documented enumeration results

Core Workflow

1. Configure HTTP Server (Port 80)

Set up a basic HTTP web server for testing:

Windows IIS Setup:

1. Open IIS Manager (Internet Information Services)
2. Right-click Sites → Add Website
3. Configure site name and physical path
4. Bind to IP address and port 80

Linux Apache Setup:

# Install Apache
sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2

# Start service
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

# Create test page
echo "<html><body><h1>Test Page</h1></body></html>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html

# Verify service
curl http://localhost

Configure Firewall for HTTP:

# Linux (UFW)
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp

# Windows PowerShell
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80 -Action Allow

2. Configure HTTPS Server (Port 443)

Set up secure HTTPS with SSL/TLS:

Generate Self-Signed Certificate:

# Linux - Generate certificate
sudo openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048 \
  -keyout /etc/ssl/private/apache-selfsigned.key \
  -out /etc/ssl/certs/apache-selfsigned.crt

# Enable SSL module
sudo a2enmod ssl
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Configure Apache for HTTPS: