Getting Started, VM Workstation or ESXi

[nucusr]

Hi All

I am looking for guidance on how best to get started with checkpoint fw and begin working towards ccsa. I am soon to start a networking role for a 4000 employee company that has a checkpoint fw environment and wish to get a head start. I am aware of the cp4b site and intend to use this as one my resources initially.
I am however struggling to decide on how best to set myself up with the best hardware, for running beginner labs and building up to more complex lab environments when i start the ccsa studies. I am looking at 2 options:-

1) Purchasing an Intel NUC with 64gb and running esxi.

2) Purchasing a laptop (16-32gb RAM) and running checkpoint labs in a nested environment inside vm workstation.

My background is predominantly Cisco R&S with a limited amount of exposure to asa and next gen firepower. I have very little exposure to vmware (esxi or workstation), and zero exposure to checkpoint.

I don' want to focus on which of the above options is the better vmware home lab (from a hardware point of view, as opposed to buying a 2nd hand workstation or rack mounted server), I am looking to understand from a checkpoint learning perspective, what will get me up and running quickly, is easiest to manage day to day, and serve me best long term?

I will be using windows eval licences and vmware 60 day licencing, if that has any relevance on the above.

Can anyone please offer any guidance? Many Thanks...

[PhoneBoy]

Either option will get you a functioning environment to learn Check Point.
A NUC with ESXi will provide a much better overall experience.
With 64gb of RAM, you can set up a few other VMS as "victims" or "clients" which will only enhance your learning opportunities.
One hint: They have a free license for just the ESXi Hypervisor, which is really all you need to build a lab.
This is what I'm doing for my home lab.

[nucusr]

Thanks Phoneboy..

I am looking at 2 ssd drives for the Nuc, should I consider installing an o/s on the Nuc to manage the ESXi environment, or do this remotely from another device? Would there be any benefit to installing a  local windows o/s on the nuc so that I could also run workstation in addition to ESXi?

[PhoneBoy · Accepted solution]

I forget that ESXi is hardware specific.
My Skull Canyon NUC works great with ESXi 6.7, though.
You can manage it with a web browser.

I actually have a Windows VM on my NUC for two reasons: I'm a Mac user (need it for SmartConsole, etc), and it provides a way to share the NUC's WiFi as an Internet connection for the rest of the lab.
However, I don't see a ton of benefit to having Windows as a base OS on the NUC.

[nucusr]

Great tips and advice to help me on my way - thank you.