Cisco VoIP lab 2

[CiscoGuy33]

To all,

Ok guys, kind of think I might want to play with a little VoIP.

Basics I or anyone who was looking at learning VoIP, not counting routers I already have

I am thinking the basic setup is -
Router: a 1760 router with CME 4.1 (is that the latest) on it. I have seen some labs on Ebay include a Cisco MC3810 Router also with a 1760, why?

I have also seen CME on everything from 26xxXM routers to 3725 routers but I see that the 1760 is considered a "voice" router - any comments why or why not?

Switch: a 3524-PWR-XL-EN to power the phones (or power units for the phones) I like the switch route for several reasons, would the 3524 be my best "bang for the buck"?

Phones: at least 2 Cisco IP phones like 7940 or 7910, anything I should watchout for? I have seen some sites say the phones have been "registered" with the router already?

Like I said, this is both for me and for a few who have asked about getting the CCNA voice!

I can better understand things when someone says, you connect the 1760 to the 3524, you plug in the phones to the 3524 and away you go (config of course) ...... now if you want to take that lab and connect to the outside world you would need this WIC or you would do this next????

I had looked at some LINUXX Astrict boxes before and had a fair understanding of connecting to POTS or a VoIP provider.... lets talk CISCO

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

 

[lerdalt]

lol..disappointed you don't still have a Windows 3.11 box still running.

 

[CiscoGuy33]

lerdalt,

Don't laugh - at work I have one of our old Gateway 2000 P1 200 (the metal cases with 17 screws to get a floppy drive out ) I attached an old Gateway keyboard and mouse and an old 17 inch monitor and I am playing with installing 3.11 for Workgroups for yuks and giggles

It is on a moble cart, I put it to the side to work on something else, and I am on vacation this week! But when I get back, I want to show some of the students what some of the first things from Microsoft looked like.

I EVEN have Microsoft Bob around here somewhere !!!! Anyone remember Bob ??????

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

 

[lerdalt]

I kind of remember Bob, if you want, I might be able to find my MSDOS 5.0 disks, you could bring back the dosshell for a real eye opener.

Somewhere around here, we have a copy of Windows 1.0 too.

 

[burtsbees]

I remember Bob...now it's his kid, Microsoft Sam...

Burt

 

[maczen]

You should skip the MS-DOS and run DR-DOS just to show what options were available at the time! DR-DOS Rocked! LoL

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[silverhairb]

I was disappointed that DR-DOS never got traction. I recall that it was pretty good.

[the other] Bill

 

[maczen]

Yeah, my Uncle swore by it! He was the one that first introduced me to the computer world (namely IRC, Gopher and BBS's) LoL

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[silverhairb]

Oh, so you're a relative newcomer. (lol)

[the other] Bill

 

[maczen]

LoL.. Sadly yes! I wasn't fortunate enough to have lived through the naming of the term "debug"! (Google: debug mainframe Admiral Grace Hopper)

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[burtsbees]

Moths...

Now what about "hack"?

lol

Burt

 

[maczen]

You tell me..

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hack

The figurative use of the term (to try or attempt) is stated to have first been used in 1898 which falls quite inline with the hacker philosophy! I mean, everyone is not a "Cisco Hacker", or even a "Computer Hacker".. LoL

There is some interesting information regarding MIT and the first usage of the term in the more popular sense but of course this would be open to much debate and I am not trying to recreate snother incident like the Great OSI Layer Debates of February 2009!

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[madwok]

Hi Ciscoguy33 and all,

I am too extremely insterested in Cisco VOIP gear and had been asked around for awhile now . Two of the network guys recommended the following parts to go with high end 26xx XM or 28xx router for CME . Other than that they said to go with full blown CallManager. On the 1760 V, they are not sure that you can implement the Unity express. On the POE, they said go with the brick unless we come across cheap switch ( ie no Cisco ) which might or might not work on older Cisco phones.

UC500 linelooks interesting but way too expensive for me .

What do you guy think ?

Buy the way, we had a mixed of Avaya Definity TDM based, Nortel BCM ( VOIP based ) and Cisco callmanager at our locations . I handled the Avaya and Nortel but have no idea ( but willing to dive on )on the Cisco VOIP stuff.

Thanks,

===NM and various PARTS =======

AIM-CUE UNITY EXPRESS AIM 12 MAILBOX
VIC2-4FXO Cisco Four-port Voice Interface Card - FXO
VWIC-1MFT-T1 Cisco 1-Port Multiflex Trunk-T1 Voice/WAN Interface Card
FL-CCME-SMALL CISCO CALL MANAGER EXPRESS FEATURE LICENSE
PVDM2-8 Cisco 8-channels Packet Fax/Voice DSP Expansion Module or get a 12 channels models depends on
what phones that you get

Phones:

CP-7911G Cisco 7911 Global Series Telephone - get 1
CP-7931G Cisco 7931 Global Series Telephone - get 2

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Madwok,

Well, I guess it depends on what cert you are working towards......

I am working on CCNA Voice which is basicly getting an exam taker ready for a small office deployment - Cisco wants people who possess an entry level certification like CCNA Voice, to be able to set up a complete solution based on IOS technologies - CME/UCME.

So, I have a 1760-V, MC3810, 3524-PWR and 2 7910 phones as well as several 26xxXM and a 3620 router for what I want to learn right now. Once I understand VoIP than I hope I can move to a UC500, which is big $$$$$$$ so I am not in a rush!!!

For a good lab layout, here is a post by Kevin Wallace at Network World of a CCVP "home" lab which uses routers, switches and a server -

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/36683

This would be a good place to start for a good idea of what you would want to setup a good VoIP lab - once again depending on what you want to do or what cert you are working towards!

As far as POE switches, the Cisco 3524-PWR goes for from $60 to $109 on Ebay, just depends on what technology you are learning or trying to learn. I know how power "bricks" work, I want to see the limitations of a POE switch THATS JUST ME I learn more by doing whereas some people work with this technology everyday so it is no big deal!! What ever works for you!!

Hope this helps!

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

 

[lerdalt]

I think just like the other certs, there is no one size fits all for options when it comes to lab equipment. While we'd all love to have a set of 3845 routers and 3750 switches with a 6500/sup720 holding it all together, we all have to make do with what we can get our hands on.

I'm currently substituting a couple of routers with a GNS3 setup to run CME until I can get something beefier to run it. It's not great, but for now, it's getting me by enough to connect my softphone and 7940 to, and make calls between them.

Of course, I'm still taking things a step further, and connecting one of the phones to a 2507 router, crossing a t1 circuit, into my mc3810, to then connect back to the CME router. Not pretty, but still works and gives me plenty of opportunity to learn, and refresh other skills as well..(Default route kicked my butt at first).

Even more fun was starting to take packet traces of the call setup and such.

Thanks for that link CG, good read from Kevin, and great ideas on setting up the lab.

 

[maczen]

Lerdalt said,
"I'm currently substituting a couple of routers with a GNS3 setup to run CME until I can get something beefier to run it. It's not great, but for now, it's getting me by enough to connect my softphone and 7940 to, and make calls between them."

You should try Skype.. Much easier to set up! LoL J/K but seriously could you post your config for the above default route? Kind of curious what you mean!



B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Billy,

I am still "fuzzy" about VoIP - the same way I was about "Cisco" and subnetting back in 1999 when I first started all of this

It gets clearer and clearer with each post I read or video that I watch.

I love to see diagrams of what is hooked up to what (and why) such as this represents the "branch office" or this is the connection to POTs, the home CCVP lab listed above by Keven Wallace is one that helped me have a better vision of a whole system!

It is Sunday morning, I am drinking my coffee, watching TV Guide channel in one Window (trying to find something good on) and reading posts in another Window. GREAT morning so far!!

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

 

[lerdalt]

Billy, what I meant, is I'm using a 172.16.1.0/24 for my home network. Only had a default route pointing out to my dsl router. When I tried brining up the t1, and another network of 172.16.1.2.0/24, my phonne would send the request to 172.16.1.13 (CME router), but the router, didn't know how to get back to 172.16.2.0/24...it was going out my dsl modem. On my dsl modem, I had to setup a static route to point 172.16.2.0/24 out my t1 router.

Didn't take me long, but still had to think about it while I was setting it all up on the fly.

Something I try and do when I have problems like that is, think like the packet. Where am I trying to go, and how am I going to get there.

 

[maczen]

Gene,
I had a wonderful Sunday as well. A lot of coffee and a lot of study/play! Next weekend is the exam and today was a 8AM until thirty minutes ago study day! It was great! I do not get to play around (wife's permission) for 12 hours with the lab very often! Even bought a dry erase board and have been using it today!

Can now create a class-map, apply a policy-map, play with C3PL and tweak the zone-pairs from within SDM and somewhat from within the CLI pretty well! The Zone-Based FW is the best thing since sliced bread!!! LoL

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[maczen]

Todd,
I see now... was just curious! Anytime someone mentioned troubleshooting it peaks my curiosity!! LoL

Well, time for dinner and a movie! Going to go watch Firewall with Harrison Ford! J/K (Was a pretty good movie though!)

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[lerdalt]

LOL..be sure and follow up Firewall, with The Net. It's such an accurate movie.

No problem on asking. Didn't take me long to figure out, but was nice to actually have a routing problem in my VoIP studies.