This guide provides essential information on venue and room setup, network requirements, and the EXP-401 Course PDF. It is designed to help hosts create a professional, fully equipped environment that supports a smooth and effective training experience.

Venue/Room Setup Requirements

A well-prepared training environment plays a key role in the success of the EXP-401 course. Here are the following guidelines. 

• The room size must accommodate the number of students comfortably, with space for the trainers to walk around and assist as needed
• The room must be private, i.e. no areas where the public are walking through.
• Depending on the size of the room we need at least 1 projector or screen. Each student must be able to see the screen clearly in order to follow along with the class. (incl. additional screens, etc if needed)
• 1 table with two chairs at least for the two instructors to sit comfortably, at least.
• Ample electrical outlets for trainers and students
  • An outlet or extension cord should be provided for each student workstation
• At least one microphone in the class (clip-on is preferred)
• Our trainers prefer to visit the classroom the day before training to review the room set-up and network. This takes about 1-2 hours based on the readiness of the room.
• It would be preferable if there was a front desk with a sign-up sheet with the names of the students registered for the course so the trainers don’t need to take attendance. This is not required, but it’s helpful.
• The client is required to have course books printed for each student, PDF to be provided.
• Here is an example room setup:

Network Requirements

To ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience during the EXP-401 Live Training, it's essential to meet the necessary network requirements, below are the following:

• EXP-401 does not require access to the OffSec’s portal
• The VMs are distributed in class via USB
• During the class we host a local web server that students need to be able to access to download files from our local server.
• Our internet usage is quite light in AWE, so 10 MPS is likely enough unless the class is 25+ students
• All Microsoft domains should be allowed if there is any filtering
• Whoever is in charge of the network at the facility needs to allow host to host communication.
• A good wifi router and access to the facility’s main router (physical access to plug-in our other router) is required depending on the distance between these
• Decent internet connection speed

EXP-401 Course PDF

Since the EXP-401 class is hosted on local environments and not in OffSec’s learning platform, we have a separate EXP-401 course PDF that accompanies the live instruction. 

In order to host the course, the client or venue will need to print physical copies of the PDF for each learner. 

• The soft copy PDF file may not be distributed to learners
• Each PDF is watermarked with details pertaining to each specific class
• 717 pages, color
• Spiral binding or ring binder preferred, no loose pages

Hardware Requirements

• Bring your own device (BYOD) to the training session.
• Have a USB-A port available to transfer Hyper-V virtual machines.
• Ensure at least 200 GB of free storage on your system.
• Use Windows 11 Pro or later as the host operating system.
• Enable Hyper-V and install Hyper-V Manager before class.
• System requirements:
  • 64-bit CPU with at least 4 cores
  • Support for NX, SMEP, VT-x/EPT
  • 16 GB RAM minimum
  • Wired and wireless networking support
  • USB 2.0 support or higher
• Verify that SMEP and VT-x/EPT (VMX) are enabled (may require BIOS configuration).
• CPUs lacking the required virtualization/security features will not work properly for course labs.
• Avoid netbooks or low-resolution devices; they are unsuitable for debugging and lab work.