Asked 100 times but...I want to start a Router Lab

[spiderjericho]

Hello everyone. I found this excellent site yesterday. I am a network administrator in the military and currently taking a Cisco Course through the University of Maryland (distance education). In the course, I've been using CCNA Platinum Software by routersim.

However, this past week I finally ran into a limitation of the software when I tried to create an access list:

access-list 120 deny igrp any any

It would not accept the igrp (or some of the other protocols for that matter) so that I could try to filter routing updates out of the 2600 router.

So...I'm headed back from Iraq in a month or so...

I want to setup a Cisco lab (just like many on here have posted they want to do). I saw a couple of CCNP starter kits like the one below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-3640-2611...ryZ51203QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Do you think it would be adequate in order to not only become proficient at the CCNA Curriculum but also the CCNP?

 

[Jsteve]

I have a rack full of routers and switches that I havem't touched since my CCIE a year ago. I have been using only DYNAMIPS on my labtop fo a while and it works great. The only thing is that you will need a lot of ram to run more than 8 routers. It is a free software download that runs the real IOS image. Here is a video link about how to set it up and where to download the files.

http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/iosonpc.htm

 

[spiderjericho]

I saw that posted in another thread and downloaded it. I guess you need to download the IOS software too?

I'll try it out while I'm still here in Iraq but I wanted to get hands-on experience with the physical layer also (without crashing my two networks of over 100 users).

USMC
A+, Network+ and Security+

 

[paulux]

If you decide to get the equipment, instead of using dynamips, which would also be a good option, get the pieces individually. You will save a LOT of money that way.

 

[Jsteve]

I don't know what the shipping cost is, but you may end up paying alot more than what the physical router/switch is worth.

If you have means of getting it out there, than you could purchase routers for cheap on ebay.

 

[Jsteve]

How is it out there by the way? Hope you make it back ok.

 

[spiderjericho]

Thanks for all the responses. I plan on buying the setup when I get back to the States in two months.

I am going to become an instructor whereby I will be teaching future servicemembers on Cisco, so I want to be know the ins and outs on the hardware as well as software. I'll look into buying the parts separately and saw several auctions on Ebay.

Also for dynamips, I have a laptop with a 2.2 Merom C2D and 2 Gbs of ram...is this sufficient. And I have never messed with .net files...is it complicated to get it up and running.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done in this country. And though some may wish for a troop pullout, doing so would definitely create instability. The people are very nice also. It's always pleasant to see the majority of the people happy by our presence (children are always saluting, waving or giving us thumbs up as we convoy or patrol).

USMC
A+, Network+ and Security+

 

[Jsteve]

Your laptop should be good to run about 5 or 6 virtual routers before it begins to slow down. All you need to do is watch the video link in my previous post on how to set it up.

It's good to hear on how things are going down there directly from someone there. The media always seem to distort things.

 

[burtsbees]

I agree with the dynamips thing. IOS's are not that hard to come by, necessarily. The best way is to have a CCO account with Cisco, of course, but there are other ways. Research it a bit and you will find your answer. But if you DO want a physical lab, that will be good for CCNA, CCNP and part CCIE R&S/security, then...
That Ebay link you posted is a COMPLETE ripoff. First off, the 2611XM has two 10MBps ethernet interfaces (NOT fastethernet, which are normally needed for VLAN trunking, as they need to pass trunking info back and forth at the same time...in other words, they need to be 100/full). I have heard that there are IOS's starting with the 2600's to allow ethernet 10MB interfaces to do trunking, but I have not verified this.
Best thing for actual equipment is to get at least one 2600 (2620 will work, but the 2621 is better, as it has 2 fastethernet interfaces---XM's are even better for larger images that do more, like advanced enterprise images that will do many security things, if you want to go the CCIE security route eventually.). Also, a few 2500's (like three 2503's with transceivers would be good, so one could be a frame relay switch, and the other two could connect via frame relay through the serial interfaces, and if the 2600 is a 2621, then one of the 2500's to one fastethernet via crossover, and that would leave the other open to connect to switches and do VLANs). The switches you would want are three 2950's (2924's would do, but the 2950's are better---but NOT 1900's like that rip-off lab in the Ebay link...). A WIC-1ADSL could go in the 2621, and serve as your adsl connection, and you could set it up as a VPN server, to work with your network remotely.
So---that's three 2503's, one 2621/2621XM, and three 2950's, plus a few DB-60 DTE/DCE crossover cables. All this would be many times better than that LINK RIPOFF, AND PROBABLY LESS THAN THAT LAB (IF NOT, THE SAME COST AT THE MOST). Whoops---stupid caps...sorry.
One last thing in my little rant here...THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO PROTECT MY FREEDOM AND DEFENDING MY COUNTRY! Those caps were on purpose! Take care and good luck!

Burt

 

[spiderjericho]

Well, tonight (even though it's in the morning or afternoon in the U.S.), I'll take a look at the video link and try installing it on my PC.

Okay...I was looking at Ebay...what if I purchased a 35XX switch (supposed to be able to do Layer Three switching), two 2950s, two 2621s and maybe a 28XX (well...maybe...price is woah)?

And what should I ensure the routers have as far as modules, NVRAM, flash, etc?

I appreciate all of your help.

USMC
A+, Network+ and Security+

 

[norteldude78]

ios hunter is a good program to find ios files. it wont download new files through it's interface, but if you run a pcap, you can find out where it is ftp'ing to and go there yourself

plus you can do some nifty google searches for cisco bin files...

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Burt,

Good post but the 2611XM does have 2 10/100 Ethernet ports - the 2611 has 2 10baseT ports -

From Cisco -
Cisco 2611XM Multiservice Router Hardware/Software Options
The Cisco 2611XM Multiservice Router provides a 1-network module slot platform with 2 fixed 10/100BaseT Ethernet port(s), 2 integrated WIC slots, and 1 Advanced Integration Module (AIM) slot, with performance up to 20Kpps.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps259/ps4830/index.html

For the 2610s and 2611s (10baseT) there is a "newer" IOS that will do the trunking at 10 - but it would be better with Fast Ethernet! I think it was only 802.1q and not ISL - I will see if I can find the link.

Hope this helps!



E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[burtsbees]

I stand corrected. Thanks for the info.
With router-on-a-stick, it causes a bottleneck as it is (not to mention a single point of failure for all vlans), and I would not try more than 3 or 4 VLANs on it, especially broadcasting hello's from various protocols (CDP, EIGRP, OSPF, STP).

Burt