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Tools and Resources

Are you wondering what tools and resources I use for networklessons.com? On this page, I share a list of tools, products, services, and resources I use.

Feel anything is missing? Let us know and I’ll update the list.

Graphics

Everything I use to create graphics.

Network Diagrams

I use Microsoft Visio 2019 to create all network diagrams. Stencils are from Visiocafe, they release a lot of good-looking free Visio stencils. I use Excalidraw for quick drawings.

Tools

A collection of miscellaneous tools.

Terminal

Nowadays, I use SecureCRT as my main console/terminal with the Consolas font. SecureCRT might look outdated but does everything you need. There are two main reasons why I use it:

  • The session manager is useful to store all devices you connect to.
  • It supports scripts. I use this sometimes to extract configurations from devices.

Console

I use Windows 11 as my main operating system. I use Cmder Windows Terminal because the default command prompt isn’t very useful. Cmder uses ConEmu under the hood and allows you to open tabs for the Windows command prompt, Git Bash, WSL Bash, and PowerShell.

Windows Terminal supports the Windows command prompt, Powershell, and WSL Bash. That’s everything I need.

Editor

  • Visual Studio Code: I use this for most of my work, including:
    • Python development
    • Docker
    • Kubernetes
    • Ansible
    • AWS CloudFormation
  • Sublime Text: I use this whenever I want to write something down quickly, and I don’t want to get distracted by everything Visual Studio Code shows by default.
  • Notepad++: Simple, free, and it works. I use this as a replacement for Sublime Text.
  • Cursor.sh: vscode alternative with built-in support for LLMs such as GPT or Claude. Works better than GitHub copilot in vscode.

Apps

  • TextExpander: this tool is great for reducing the amount you type. It allows you to type abbreviations that automatically expand into whatever you need. Canned responses, URLs, etc. I use this to write quickly but also to open URLs that are difficult to remember (I don’t use bookmarks).
  • Autohotkey: Similar to TextExpander but free and even more powerful.
  • Obsidian: This tool allows you to create notes and link them to each other. I use this to create a Zettelkasten containing my notes about networking, documentation, research, and more.
  • Raindrop.io: I use this as an alternative to Pocket. With Raindrop, you can store articles, images, and videos that you want to read or watch later.
  • Instapaper: I use this as an alternative to Raindrop because it synchronizes with Readwise.
  • Readwise: this is a great tool because it synchronizes with Obsidian.
  • Readwise reader: fantastic “read later” app that supports web clipping, Youtube videos, PDFs, and more.
  • Kestra: great tool to build workflows and automate business processes.
  • Msty: allows you to use AI models such as GPT or Claude using your own API keys. You can also run multiple chats in parallel so you can test different AI models.

Recording

  • OBS Studio: this is what I use to record videos. Open-source and allows you to create scenes.
  • Shure SM7B Microphone: one of the most popular microphones out there. Sounds great out of the box, even if you don’t edit your audio.
  • Sennheiser MKH 416: a shotgun overhead microphone that remains outside of the scene I shoot.
  • Focusrite 2i2: connects the microphone to my computer.

Labs

  • Cisco VIRL: I use this for most of my labs.
  • Cisco CML: Aka VIRL2
  • EVE-NG: Great for everything that is difficult to do with CML. For example, Cisco SD-WAN.
  • Containerlab: Great to build labs with code instead of a GUI. Supports many docker images and can import VMs. Very useful when you want to build larger topologies and learn a bit more about DevOps.
  • Physical Lab: I also have a physical lab with routers, switches, firewalls, ESXi servers, etc. You can find some details here.