Lab Setup recommendations. 1

[bebop1065]

Could anyone give me an example physical and logical setup for my lab that would give me the best usage of my equipment? The 2501's and the X.25 switch are new to my inventory.

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I have:
1. (4 maybe 5) 2501 routers (with serial DTE/DCE adapters & ethernet adapters / 9.2, 10.2 and 11.2 IOS's)

2. (2) 3620 routers (one with 4 serial and Frame port/one with 4 ethernet and serial port / 12.1 IOS)

3. (1) 3550 switch (SMI image / 12.2 IOS)

4. (possibly an X.25 switch)

5. Cable modem internet connection
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I'd like to setup the lab to give me the best experience with my equipment so that I can have an excellent chance of passing the CCNA (soon) and CCNP test (later) when I feel I am smart enough.

Is the X.25 switch a recommended addition to the lab?

Thanks.

http://soulphoto.net

CCNA student

 

[thek25]

http://www.ccie4u.com/study_guide.htm

http://www.psexams.com/pages/ccielab.htm

Check out the above sites. I've used them for ideas and places to start.

What are you trying to learn? Are you going for CCNA, I hope not with that lab as it would be overkill, CCNP, or CCIE? CCSP is out of the question as no PIX devices are listed so I would check the back of either CCNP titles or CCIE books on practical studies:

http://www.informit.com/title/1587051346

http://www.informit.com/title/1587050722

Any one fo the CCNP Self Study books will have lab setups in the back of each chapter that should support the equipment you have posted.

Good Luck


thek25
CCNP, CISSP in progress...

 

[bebop1065]

I feel so bad now with my potentially extensive lab setup.

I haven't taken any certs yet. I'm just in semester two of my CCNA course. My lab now works pretty good without the 2501's and the X.25. I just thought that I could "get more smarter" by incorporating some more variables.

I'd love to be able to take the CCNP but without much real world experience, I feel I would be lacking. Most of my experience is breaking my working lab and then fixing the mistakes I've made.

Thanks for those links. I think that will help out my design quite a bit.

I should take the CCNA before attempting the CCNP, right?

Or perhaps I should just skip the CCNA, continue my studying and then go for the bigger one. Nah, I might need to pad my resume' before then.

Thanks again.

http://soulphoto.net

CCNA student

 

[thek25]

Wow, I wish I had your budget. Its good to have the 3xxx equipment as you will see this stuff on the exams. Keep on breaking your system, you learn more by breaking something and fixing than any other way ;-)

CCNA vs CCNP. Before you can become a CCNP you have to have your CCNA license, meaning you have to pass the test or tests, depends on which route you take. You can take the tests for CCNP and maybe pass but you will not get your license (cert) until you take and pass the CCNA exams(s).

CCNA is fairly easy, simply studying the book and you can almost pass the test. Add in the equipment and it is a guaranteed pass. Stay focused do not pursue to many things at once in the IT field, like I did. I bought the CCSP and CCNP books at the same time. By the time I finished my CCNP the books I had for CCSP were outdated twice over.

Are you in college/highschool or the Cisco Academy? Suggestion, if in Highschool get your CCNA, go to college and use your CCNA cert to get a low level job on campus to help defer costs. If in college or later ignore the highschool remark, use both your lab and whatever job/volunteer experience you can get in IT Networks to improve your chances of getting hired.

Once you have your CCNA then pursue the CCNP OR pursue a Microsoft exam or two. Employers are looking for rounded individuals, especially at the lower levels. If you pursue the Microsoft cert go after Server 2003 portion. One test and you get Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) after your name. Not much, but shows the ability to learn. Instead of Server you may want to pursue XP Pro desktop and you would be perfect for a HelpDesk Technician slot. So CCNA, MS XP Pro and/or Server 2003 may equal Help Desk or Server Operator. Not great jobs but in the door jobs. Plus, at either job you WILL get experience.

Good luck

thek25
CCNP, CISSP in progress...

 

[bebop1065]

I'm in the Cisco Academy.

I'm a 13 year employee of a company in which I currently support Int'l and Domestic Data.

My biggest claim to experience is hands-on with DACS frames, Alcatel 1631-1680OGX's, Nortel, AT&T and Lucent OLS's and LCT's, DC power, Mitsubishi, etc. soforth and so-on, blah, blah, blah...

All that good stuff.

http://soulphoto.net

CCNA student

 

[setnaffa]

dang, I'm still struggling to get the wife to let me buy three 2501s and a 1912...

You'll do fine hooking it up any which way until you get it right... probably learn a lot that'll be useful in "real life"...

Setnaffa is an MCP-W2K (working on MCSE-W2K) with a few other certs, too...

 

[bebop1065]

You shouldn'ta told her!

-hehe-

http://soulphoto.net

CCNA student

 

[thek25]

Yeah! this is what I do:

Buy an amplifier for the stereo. Wife asks will this pick up radio? Oh YEEEAH We can get a radio with this. Not technically wrong but(I have to buy a radio but wife thinks it is one, never told her the difference)...12 years later I still havent bought a radio and I get reminded of that everytime ZI walk near the stereo department. On the flip side I was able to get a pre-amp and a tape deck all with the same reasoning!

Keep your hand in the Telcom devices as that is one of the futures for network admins. VoIP is really breaching the gap between Network and Telcom. Where I'm working half of the trouble calls are answered by both a telco and a network guy.

Get Your CCNA!

thek25
CCNP, CISSP in progress...