PingLabz is a networking education site for engineers, sysadmins, and IT professionals. It combines technical guides, real-world lab captures, printable field references, and guided CCNA practice in a browser simulation.
What you will find here
The site is built around four content types. Together they cover the topics a working network engineer hits in their first decade of practice.
Cluster pillar guides
Long-form complete-guide treatments of fourteen networking topics: BGP, OSPF, VLANs and Layer 2 Switching, Spanning Tree, 802.1X and NAC, Wireless and Catalyst 9800, SD-WAN, QoS, EIGRP, MPLS, FHRP (HSRP/VRRP/GLBP), IPv6, GRE, and Cisco ASA. Each pillar has 30 to 60 supporting deep-dive articles linked from the cluster index.
The CCNA Labs library
The browser lab library has 68 guided exercises: IOS Essentials is free, and PingLabz Pro unlocks the other 67. The app uses an IOS-style simulator, not a CML image; progress is saved in this browser. New Pro membership is $7.99/month or $59/year. Explore labs by topic: Network Fundamentals, Network Access, IP Connectivity, IP Services, and Security Fundamentals.
Field-reference PDFs
Four printable field references are available: Linux Networking Field Reference, BGP Field Reference, OSPF Field Reference, and the new Cisco ASA Field Reference. They vary in length and include quick-reference tables, troubleshooting guidance, and examples. A free account opens the resource library after email confirmation.
Deep-dive articles
Several hundred articles linked from the cluster pillars - each one a focused single-topic deep-dive (e.g. "BGP path attributes", "OSPF DR/BDR election", "VLAN hopping defense"). Use the cluster pillar pages above as the index; search is also available.
What makes this different
Three things separate PingLabz from the rest of the networking education space:
- Real captures, not synthetic. Every
showcommand output you read in a PingLabz article was captured from a working lab - usually a Cisco Modeling Labs IOL-XE 17.16 router. Where output is intentionally illustrative (not captured from the lab), it is clearly labeled. No fabricated CLI dressed up as evidence. - Modern Cisco IOS XE 17.x syntax. A lot of CCNA and CCNP material on the internet is from 2010-2015 and uses IOS 12.x / 15.x syntax. PingLabz uses current IOS XE syntax throughout, and notes legacy alternatives where they differ.
- Standardized lab IP scheme. All labs across the site use the canonical PingLabz lab IP scheme:
10.255.0.xloopbacks,10.30.30.0/30transit links,10.20.0.0/24LANs,192.0.2.0/30for inter-AS / public-internet simulation. The labs you do for OSPF use the same addresses as the labs you do for QoS or NAT. Concepts compound instead of resetting every time.
Who runs PingLabz
PingLabz publishes practical networking guides and maintains a browser lab library. Pro memberships support ongoing writing and app development.
The site began as a networking blog in 2022. Its browser lab library and field-reference PDF series expanded in 2026.
How to engage
- Read for free. Every cluster pillar and most deep-dive articles are open. No paywall on the theory content.
- Sign up free at the signup portal for the field-reference PDFs and the newsletter. No card required for free signup.
- Subscribe to Pro at $7.99/month or $59/year to unlock the other 67 browser labs. IOS Essentials remains free.
- Reach out at contact@pinglabz.com if you have questions, corrections, suggestions, or want to discuss content partnerships. See the contact page for details.
The standards behind every post
A few editorial rules I keep:
- No synthetic or fabricated CLI captures presented as real. Where output is illustrative, it is labeled as such.
- Every config example uses current Cisco IOS XE syntax (17.x). Legacy syntax is noted where it diverges.
- Cross-links go to the most relevant prior article. The site is a connected graph, not a flat collection.
- No em dashes (a personal style preference). No buzzword filler. No "in conclusion" paragraphs.
- If you find an error, please tell me. Corrections ship within 48 hours.
Thanks for reading.