How to Set Up an AD Domain (Video Demonstration)

Description

For this guide I thought it would be best to demonstrate how to set up Active Directory with a video as trying to do so with a blogpost would make it very hard to follow along. Making it in a video form also allows me to more effectively explain many of the concepts that goes into creating a domain controller by explaining it visually via drawing tools. I hope you enjoy the video.

Timestamps

Installing Windows 2019 Server on VirtualBox 1:17 - 10:00

Configuring Network Adapters 10:10 - 12:54

Configuring the Domain Controller 12:58 - 24:22

Configuring Network Address Translation 25:15 - 28:48

Configuring DHCP Server 31:00 - 35:13

Creating Users w/ Powershell 35:24 - 51:29

Creating a Windows 10 Client on VirtualBox 52:38 - 59:20

Links

Oracle VirtualBox

Server 2019 ISO

Windows 10 ISO

Random Name Generator

Script Used in the Video

$PASSWORD = "Password1"
$USER_NAMES = Get-Content .\names.txt

$ENCRYPTED_PASSWORD = ConvertTo-SecureString $PASSWORD -AsPlainText -Force
New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name _USERS -ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $false

foreach ($n in $USER_NAMES) {
    $first = $n.Split(" ")[0].ToLower()
    $last = $n.Split(" ")[1].ToLower()
    $username = "$($first.Substring(0,1))$($last)".ToLower()
    Write-Host "Creating User: $($username)" -BackgroundColor Black -ForegroundColor Cyan

    New-AdUser -AccountPassword $ENCRYPTED_PASSWORD `
               -GivenName $first `
               -Surname $last `
               -DisplayName $username `
               -Name $username `
               -EmployeeID $username `
               -PasswordNeverExpires $true `
               -Path "ou=_USERS,$(([ADSI]`"").distinguishedName)" `
               -Enabled $true
}