Read the scenario first
Each lab starts with a situation, the way a ticket or an exam question does. Work out what is being asked before you type anything.
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Free Hands-On Labs
Practice what certification exams and IT jobs ask you to do: run Linux and Windows commands, write firewall rules and configure a SOHO router. Each lab checks your work as you go.
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Linux command line
Real commands in a practice Ubuntu terminal: permissions, users, services, logs, DNS and the firewall.
- Beginner · About 10 minLinux File Permissions LabFix a web app’s files with chmod and chown: lock down a config file, make a script executable and hand the folder to the right owner.Start the lab
- Beginner · About 10 minLinux Users and Groups LabCreate an account with useradd, add it to a group without losing its other groups, and lock a leaver’s account.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 10 minLinux Services Lab: systemctl and journalctlA web server is down. Check the service, read its log, start it, enable it at boot and confirm it is listening.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 12 minLinux DNS Troubleshooting LabA server reaches addresses but not names. Test with ping and dig, find the wrong name server and fix /etc/resolv.conf.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 12 minLinux Firewall Lab: Configure ufwPut a host firewall on a new web server: deny by default, allow SSH from one admin address and HTTPS from anywhere.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 15 minLinux Log Analysis Lab: Find an SSH Brute-Force AttackWork through an SSH log with grep, sort and uniq: count the failed logins, find the attacker, see what they got into, then contain it.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 10 minLinux SSH Hardening LabHarden an SSH server’s configuration: turn off root login and password sign-in with sed, then restart the service.Start the lab
Windows command line
The Command Prompt tools a technician uses: ipconfig, ping, net user, tasklist, sfc, DISM and chkdsk.
- Beginner · About 10 minWindows Network Troubleshooting Lab: ipconfig and pingA PC has “no internet”. Use ipconfig, ping and the DNS cache to find a missing DHCP address and a stale name, and fix both.Start the lab
- Beginner · About 10 minWindows User Accounts Lab: net user and net localgroupManage local accounts from the Command Prompt: create a user, give it Remote Desktop access without admin rights, and clean up risky accounts.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 12 minWindows Repair Lab: sfc, DISM and chkdskRepair an unstable PC with built-in tools: end a runaway process, fix system files with sfc and DISM, check the disk and refresh policy.Start the lab
Firewall rules
Write and order the rules, then test them against what the scenario requires.
- Intermediate · About 12 minFirewall Rules Lab: A Web Server in a DMZWrite the rule set for a firewall between the internet, a DMZ and a LAN, then test it against nine requirements.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 10 minFirewall Rules Lab: Fix the Rule OrderA firewall has the right idea and the wrong order. Find the shadowed rules, narrow the one that is too wide and add the one that is missing.Start the lab
SOHO router
Configure a small office/home office wireless router through its admin page.
- Beginner · About 10 minSOHO Router Lab: Secure a New Wireless RouterTake a small-office router from factory settings to secure: admin password, firmware, WPA3, and WPS, UPnP and remote management off.Start the lab
- Intermediate · About 10 minSOHO Router Lab: DHCP, Reservations and Port ForwardingConfigure a small-office router: a DHCP range, fixed addresses for a printer and a recorder, a port forward and a guest network.Start the lab
Take it further in OpenpassAI
More labs for the certification you’re studying
OpenpassAI’s Hands-on Labs put you in a Linux or Windows terminal for the certification you’re studying, in guided, hint-only and timed modes.
Guide
How to get the most from a lab
Type the commands yourself
Typing a command, getting it wrong and fixing it is what makes it stick. Use the hints when you’re stuck, not before.
Check the walkthrough afterwards
Every lab has a worked solution with the reason for each step. Read it even when you finished: there is often a shorter way.
Do it again from memory
Reset the lab a day later and do it without hints. If you can, you know it. If you can’t, you’ve found what to study.
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FAQs
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Are these labs on real machines?
No. They run in your browser on simulated machines: a practice Linux terminal, a practice Windows Command Prompt, a firewall rule table and a router admin page. They understand the real commands and settings each lab needs and respond the way the real thing would, and nothing you do can break anything.
Which certifications do the labs help with?
They practice hands-on skills from Linux+, A+ Core 2, Server+, Security+, Network+, CySA+, A+ Core 1, SecurityX and Tech+. Each lab’s page lists the exams and the exam domains it covers.
How long does a lab take?
Between 10 and 15 minutes each. You can reset a lab and start again as often as you like.
Are the labs different from performance-based questions?
A lab is longer and guided: several tasks on one machine, with hints and a walkthrough. A performance-based question is one short exam-style task, scored when you check it. There are free performance-based questions for 19 CompTIA exams.
Do I need an account?
No. The labs run in your browser and nothing is saved. Sign up only if you want OpenpassAI’s full labs and progress tracking.
