CCNP Study

[Dane0554]

I am working on BCMSN.

I purchased a couple of used 250X routers and routersim's Network Visualizer (full version). This was a plenty good enough setup to study for the ccna.

Now, most of the information covered on the BCMSN deals with 6500/4500 - not supported by Network Visualizer. I looked at Boson - CCNP package - it's a bit pricey at almost 500 dollars and it is out of date and geared for the old pre jan 2007 CCNP.

Needless to say - the cost of a 6500 is way way out of reach...

So, I'm looking for some advice on the best route for "hands on" - looks like it's old boson or maybe renting time on a rack.

If renting time on a rack, suggestions are welcome.

What's your thoughts???

I can't be the first guy to not have a 6500 to work on! =)

Thanks,
Dan

 

[lerdalt]

I lucked out and had 6500 experience from work. Honestly, you don't need it for lab work. Any smaller switch that can do layer 3 will work for you. I think a 3550 with enhanced image would be fine for a home lab.

 

[Cluebird]

I teach all the labs with 3550 EI. The wireless can be done with access to a single Wireless LAN Controller.

 

[helpdeskdan]

I didn't have any equipment for ISDN, yet I knew I would probably be required to configure it from memory for the BCMSN. So, I wrote down the configuration in a text document and read it over and over. Then, I practiced typing it out a few times. Then, I practiced typing most of it out from memory only looking to the original when I got stuck. Soon, I could do it from memory which helped me quite a bit on the test even though I had not practiced ISDN on a real router.

 

[Cluebird]

ISDN is gone from the CCNP courses.

 

[helpdeskdan]

Yes, and good riddance, yet I used it as an example

 

[darkhut]

yea ISDN has always been an expensive, slow and way too complicated technology for what it's worth...good riddens

fresh CCNA

 

[wabob]

We cancelled all the ISDN BRI WAN backup circuits we had at this facility.

I agree, good riddance. They were a pain-in-the-xxx to set up, and were not worth the trouble and monthly expense.

I believe Cisco did the right thing by adding wireless to the BCMSN agenda. It is definitely usable knowledge to have in the real world...

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

George Bernard Shaw

 

[Cerdito]

Just to add my 2c here...

I left a job in Feb that I had 6500's and 4500's to work on, basically so I could get my CCNP in 4 months and then go travelling. I have already passed the BSCI. Studying or the BCMSN at the moment.

You'll be fine with any IOS switch tbh. The sims on the BCMSN exam are way simple and don't differentiate between different switch models. Oh and remember that CatOS is gone from the syllabus so you don't have to worry about that.

I know that that it's not all about passing the exams, but as you say a 6500 is an expensive piece of kit. Unless you're really drilling down to really specialist commands, there's no difference (for CCNP purposes) between the config for say a 3750 and for a 6500.

 

[burtsbees]

I think that the only configs in a 6500 series switch as far as CCNP goes are configs that do strict backbone switching---no QoS, no VLANS---just super fast switching. This is called the Core layer. The next layer is where you'll mostly see layer 3 switching, access-lists, QoS, VLANs, and stuff like that. The 3550 and 3560 are layer 3 switches which are sometimes even used as backbone switches. The access layer is where you would see things like mac layer filtering and the actual microsegmentation. In other words, I don't think you'd need to worry yourself about the 6500's---concentrate more on the 3550's. And was ISDN covered on BCMSN? I thought it was BCRAN...it stands for It Still Does Nothing or I Still Don't kNow...lol.

Burt

 

[helpdeskdan]

Yeah, BCRAN.