Hey,
I've been a bit quieter than usual over the last couple of weeks, and I owe you the honest reason why: almost every spare hour I've had has gone straight into SwitchLab.
You’ve probably seen it mentioned here before as an external link, but what I haven't told you yet is that I’m actually the lead developer on it. I’m not doing it alone, though—we’re a tight team of five building this specifically for the networking community.
What SwitchLab Actually Is
Think of it as a browser-based platform for learning networking the hands-on way. There are no heavy installs, no clunky simulators to configure, and no lab files to hunt down and download. You just open a tab and start drilling switching concepts interactively. It’s exactly where you go when you just want to get your reps in without firing up Packet Tracer.
Right now, it’s completely free.
But that won't last forever. As the platform matures, we’re moving to paid access—honestly, that’s just what it takes for a small team to build something sustainable that sticks around instead of quietly dying off like most side projects do.
Before we flip that switch, we’ve opened up an early-access discount. If you want to get in at the lowest price it will ever be, this is your window:
I’ll keep sharing the build with you as it comes together. For now, just know this is where the bulk of my time is going, which is why the update pace around here has looked a little different lately.
New on TheLineman
Even with SwitchLab taking up big hours, the site hasn't stopped moving. Here is what has dropped since the last issue:
How is the OSPF DR/BDR elected? – A plain-English walkthrough of the election process, priorities, and tiebreakers. Completely technical, entirely accurate, and absolutely zero hand-waving.
Subnetting Practice Set – Real-world practice questions with click-to-reveal answers, designed so you're actively quizzing yourself instead of just passively re-reading theory.
The Study Hub Leveled Up – Both of these new pages have been slotted directly into the CCNA Study Hub under their respective domains. Plus, the homepage character card is officially maxed out: CCNA is at 100%, and I've added a fresh CCNP Enterprise row for the new grind I'm on right now.
What's kicking your teeth in?
Have you hit a networking concept lately that just will not click? Something that is completely kicking your teeth in?
Reply directly to this email and tell me about it. That exact frustration is what turns into the next Q&A page or guided lab on the site. Almost every single piece of content here started as someone asking, "Wait, why does this actually work this way?"
Talk soon,
Dylan