This Week: Home Lab Challenge Week

The best IT pros know that to truly master the information, content, and skills they need for success, they have to get hands-on experience. And what better way than with home labs? We spent the week exploring the home lab setups and tools that will help you to be all that you can be in the IT army.

• Building Your Cisco Home Lab There's no substitute for hands-on experience in the world of IT. As you're looking to advance your IT career, it's always a good idea to have a home lab where you can practice your skills, break things (and figure out how to fix them!), and even prepare for your certification success along the way. Explore these step-by-step instructions for building your Cisco home lab.

• What's Better: Home Labs or Virtual Labs What's better: A home lab or a virtual lab? We dig into the pros and cons of the home labs and virtual labs IT pros use to enhance their skills, practice what they learn, and prepare for certification exams. Weigh in on the debate about this valuable IT experience!

• Constructing Your VMware Home Lab Ah, the world of virtualization. It's a fun place to dabble, but be sure you're not dabbling in your live production environment! This is your chance to get some tips for putting together a VMware home lab that will help you develop the skills you need to move your IT career forward.

• Designing Your Microsoft Home Lab Master Microsoft products and technologies in your very own home lab! Delve into the tips, tricks, and gear you need to design a Microsoft home lab that will help you hone your skills and advance your IT career.

• Your Guide to Buying the Best Home Lab Gear We may not have rotating stages filled with items priced to sell, but we do offer some guidance on where you can buy the gear you want and need to build a home lab all your buddies in IT will drool over. Knowing is half the battle. So, get in the know!