FM TecHub blog
Blogs
Career advice, study tips, home labs and lessons from real network and security work.
Exam in 8 weeks? How to build a study plan you actually finish
Most study plans fail in week three, not on exam day. How to size your plan to real life, what to do each week, and how to use a free planner, flashcards and quizzes to stay on track.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Browser extensions at work: a simple policy that keeps you safe
Hundreds of fake extensions recently read millions of people's searches. In a business, an extension can see email, customer data and passwords. How to take control without annoying everyone.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Your first switch configuration, step by step, in your browser
No lab kit, no downloads: a guided walkthrough of a first Cisco switch configuration using our free command practice, from enable to saving your work, with what each command does.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Secure your home router in 15 minutes
Your router protects every device in your home, yet most people never log in to it. A short checklist anyone can follow: passwords, updates, Wi-Fi settings and the features to switch off.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Network documentation that actually gets used
Most network documentation is out of date the day after it is written. A practical, lightweight approach: the five documents every small network needs and the habits that keep them accurate.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Your first 90 days in an IT support job
Starting on the help desk is the most common way into IT. What to focus on in your first three months, the habits that make people trust you, and how to turn support work into your next step.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Test environments with real data: the breach nobody plans for
The University of Copenhagen says hackers reached a test system holding real personal data on around 525,000 people. Why test systems leak so often and how to fix the habit.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Should you give an AI agent your bank password? Bank of America says no
Bank of America has told customers not to share banking logins with AI assistants that offer to act for them. Why banks are worried, who carries the risk and safer ways to use AI with money.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
PHP2Shell: a practical patch guide for web admins
CISA has confirmed attacks on two PHP flaws nicknamed PHP2Shell. Here is how to find every PHP version you run, what to upgrade to, and why patching alone is not the end of the job.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
IP CCTV on the network: the design basics that prevent headaches
IP cameras look simple until bandwidth, PoE budgets and security catch up with you. A field guide to planning camera networks: VLANs, PoE, storage, retention and keeping cameras off the internet.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Packet Tracer lab: two VLANs, a trunk and inter-VLAN routing
Build a classic CCNA lab in Cisco Packet Tracer: two VLANs on two switches, an 802.1Q trunk and router-on-a-stick, with every command explained and the checks to prove it works.
9 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Your first Wireshark capture: see DNS, TCP and HTTPS with your own eyes
A beginner-friendly lab: install Wireshark, capture your own traffic and find a DNS lookup, a TCP handshake and a TLS connection. The fastest way to make the OSI model click.
8 min read · Mohamed Fayas
A LinkedIn profile that gets network and security recruiters to call
Recruiters search LinkedIn by keywords, certifications and location. A section-by-section guide to a profile that shows up in searches and convinces a hiring manager in 30 seconds.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
The LiteLLM poisoned release: lessons for every dev team
Attackers used stolen GitHub tokens to push a credential-stealing version of a popular AI tool through its own release pipeline. What happened, and the controls that would have stopped it.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
How to learn from vendor documentation (without drowning in it)
Configuration guides, command references and release notes are the most accurate sources you have, and the most intimidating. A practical method for finding what you need and actually understanding it.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Spaced repetition: remember ports, commands and acronyms for good
Cramming fades in days. Spaced repetition uses short, well-timed reviews to move facts into long-term memory. How to set it up for CCNA, Network+ and Security+ in 15 minutes a day.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
CCNA interview questions and answers (2026): 29 questions with clear answers
The networking questions junior network, NOC and support engineers are asked most, with short, accurate answers you can explain in your own words, from OSI and VLANs to OSPF and troubleshooting.
12 min read · Mohamed Fayas
CompTIA Security+ study plan: an 8-week plan for 2026–2027
A realistic 8-week plan for the CompTIA Security+ exam, what changes with the new SY0-801 version, which exam to choose, and how to practise for the performance-based questions.
9 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Why scam texts look so real: inside the phishing kits Microsoft just took down
Toll fines, missed parcels, tax refunds: the fake pages behind these texts are bought ready-made. Microsoft just shut down three platforms selling them. Here is how the business works and how to stay ahead of it.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Fake remote IT workers: how "laptop farms" fool employers
US police raided more than 40 homes holding laptops used by North Korean workers posing as Americans. How the scheme works, why it matters to anyone hiring remotely, and the checks that help.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Hacked supermarket fridges: what every business can learn
Around 700 French supermarkets had their fridge controllers attacked through old devices left reachable from the internet. Here is how it happened and a simple checklist for any shop, school or office.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro no longer get security fixes: what to do
Since 13 October 2026, Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro no longer receive security updates. Here is how to check your version and move to a supported one in a few clicks.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
FortiBleed: when the firewall falls to a password, not a bug
More than 86,000 Fortinet firewalls were taken over without any software flaw. Here is how stolen and guessed passwords beat a security appliance, and the checks every network team should run this week.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
How to study with FM TecHub: one route from first lesson to job-ready
Domains, tutorials, cheat sheets, tools and labs: how the pieces of FM TecHub fit together and the order to use them in.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Explaining tech to your family without losing patience (or them)
"Is the internet broken?" Helping parents and relatives with technology is a real skill. Here is how to explain, fix and protect without taking over.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
How to learn networking from zero: a realistic 90-day plan
A week-by-week plan for complete beginners: what to study first, what to practise, and how to know you are ready for the next step.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Planning a VoIP phone rollout: bandwidth, VLANs and PoE budgets
Before 50 new desk phones arrive, check three things: enough bandwidth per call, a separate voice VLAN, and a switch that can actually power them all.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Building an IT portfolio that gets you interviews, even without experience
A CV says what you know. A portfolio proves it. How to choose projects, write them up and present them so a hiring manager can see your skills in five minutes.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Building a home lab on a budget: what you actually need
You don't need a rack of servers to practise. Here is how to start with the laptop you already own, and when it's worth buying real gear.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Slow or patchy Wi-Fi at home? A step-by-step way to find the real cause
Before you buy a new router, find out whether the problem is the signal, the channel, the device or the internet connection itself.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Route summarisation made simple (with a CCNA-style example)
Four /24 networks, one route. How to find a summary by looking at the bits, and when a summary covers addresses you don't own.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Five mistakes I see in small-office networks (and how to fix them)
Flat networks, default passwords and "temporary" cables that become permanent. Common problems from real support work, with simple fixes.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Linux for network and security beginners: the 20 commands to learn first
Servers, firewalls, routers and security tools often run Linux. Here are the commands that give you confidence at the command line, grouped by what you need to do.
8 min read · Mohamed Fayas
How authenticator app codes really work (and why they beat SMS)
Six digits that change every 30 seconds, with no internet needed. A plain-English look at TOTP, its weak spots, and what is even stronger.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
How to read a security alert: a beginner's triage method
An alert is a question, not an answer. A calm, five-question method for deciding whether an alert is real, what it affects and what to do next.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
MFA fatigue: why "just press Approve" attacks work and how to stop them
Attackers with a stolen password spam push notifications until someone taps Approve. Here is how the attack works and the settings that stop it.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Preparing for a network engineer interview: what they ask and how to answer
Most junior network interviews test the same few areas. How to prepare for the technical questions, the troubleshooting scenario and the "tell me about a time" questions.
8 min read · Mohamed Fayas
The Cisco commands you'll use most in your first week as a network engineer
Not hundreds of commands: about a dozen do most of the daily work. Here they are, and what each one tells you.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Using AI tools to study IT: helpful tutor or shortcut that backfires?
AI assistants can explain, quiz and check your work, or quietly stop you learning. How to use them as a study partner without handing over your thinking.
7 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Writing a CV for your first network or security job
No experience? You have more than you think. How to turn labs, study and support work into a CV that gets interviews.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Using public Wi-Fi safely: what the real risks are in 2026
Cafés, airports and hotels: is free Wi-Fi still dangerous now most websites use HTTPS? What has changed, what hasn't, and a short checklist for staying safe.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
A simple risk assessment for a small business, in one afternoon
You don't need a consultant to start. List what matters, what could go wrong, how likely it is, and what you will do about it.
6 min read · Mohamed Fayas
Studying while working full time: a routine that actually lasts
Long shifts, family and a course to finish. A simple, realistic routine for working people who are studying IT on the side.
5 min read · Mohamed Fayas
No posts match. Suggest a topic.