Azure Networking for Beginners | Full Hands-on Labs
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Master Azure networking with this deep-dive, hands-on masterclass. Learn about VNets, Subnets, NSGs, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Private Endpoints, and more with practical demos. This series is designed for beginners to fully understand and configure Azure networking step by step.
Frequently asked questions
The Azure networking questions I hear most often from beginners — usually ‘what’s the smallest set of concepts I need to start?’ and ‘how do I practise without breaking anything?’
Is Azure networking knowledge necessary for AZ-104? #
Yes — networking is one of the bigger weighted domains on AZ-104 (around 20-25% depending on the current skills update). You need to know VNets, subnets, NSGs, route tables, peering, VPN Gateway basics, ExpressRoute conceptually, and DNS. AZ-104 doesn’t go as deep as AZ-700 (the dedicated networking exam) but every Azure admin needs operational fluency in networking — there’s no avoiding it.
What's the difference between AZ-104 networking and AZ-700? #
AZ-104 networking is operator-level — can you configure a VNet, set up an NSG, peer two VNets, deploy a VPN Gateway. AZ-700 is design-level — can you architect hub-and-spoke topology, choose between ExpressRoute and VPN Gateway, design load balancing strategy, integrate with on-premises networking. AZ-104 admins need to know how. AZ-700 architects need to know when and why.
How do I practise Azure networking without burning my free credit? #
Use B-series VMs (B1s is cheapest) for compute, NSGs and route tables cost nothing, VNet peering is free within a region. The expensive items are VPN Gateway (especially with HA), Application Gateway, Front Door, and Azure Firewall — spin them up briefly to learn the deployment, then delete. Microsoft’s free hands-on labs include guided networking modules that use ephemeral sandbox subscriptions (no personal credit needed).
Should I learn ARM / Bicep or just use the portal for networking? #
Portal first, then IaC. The portal teaches you what each setting does and how the pieces relate. Once you can deploy a working VNet + subnets + NSGs through the portal, switch to Bicep — most production Azure networking is deployed via IaC, and AZ-104 increasingly asks about Bicep syntax. CLI / PowerShell are still useful for one-off troubleshooting but less common for new deployments.
What's the most common Azure networking mistake beginners make? #
Forgetting to peer VNets bidirectionally. Peering is two separate operations — VNet A → VNet B AND VNet B → VNet A. If only one direction is configured, traffic flows out but doesn’t return, and you spend 2 hours wondering why pings don’t work. Second most common: NSGs blocking subnet-level traffic that allow rules at NIC level don’t override. NSG evaluation order trips up almost every beginner — practise it explicitly.
Free video tutorial by Susanth Sutheesh · Subscribe on YouTube