setting up a cisco lab 3

[UKHicks]

What equipment specifically would i need to setup my own cisco lab? I've finished all my microsoft certs and now want to work my way up the cisco ladder starting with the CCNA. I was going to take a look on Ebay to see what second hand routers and switches are available but i'm really not sure what i would need.

Thanks for any help in advance

 

[wybnormal]

Last year I would have recommended hardware but I'm finishing a series of reviews on the Cisco simulators from several vendors and I can honestly say that a couple of the sims are VERY impressive and lot cheaper then hardware. Its very hard to recommend hardware nowdays given the quality of software vs. hardware. This is not to say that the sims are the best, it depends. At some point you have to touch the hardware to learn things like memory upgrades, incorrect cabling, bad ports, which ports to use, what the ports actually look like ( I have a very good story about a wannabe CCNA and ports) and so on.

I would suggest taking a very hard look at to Sims. Boson's Netsim which has just been repackaged for Cisco as part of their official training packages (I'm running a beta right now) and Gammbit's Cisco lab. Both have decent labs and also let you design your own labs. Both offer IDSN and a good selection of hardware. The Netsim product is designed for training while the Gammbit is an offshoot of their full on network simulator which Cisco also uses for production testing.

Pricing is comparable between the two but I would give the nod towards Boson for Cisco centric training. Gammbit will simulate other vendors such as Extreme and Juniper but not in the Cisco Lab version.

Watch for the upcoming details over at CNET/ ZDnet.. I will announce it when I get a publish date. They tend to run 4-6 weeks out.

MikeS


Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots."
Sun Tzu

 

[UKHicks]

wybnormal, is packetattack your website? oh and thanks for the information btw.

 

[wybnormal]

Yeah.. my site..

MikeS


Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

"Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots."
Sun Tzu

 

[UKHicks]

its a nice site mate, i was impressed

 

[ccbootcamp]

if you have no experience with routers, i suggest you get a couple of actual routers to play with. the experience is worth the extra couple bucks. there's just some weird stuff you wont encounter with a simulator (such as different memory type issues, connector familiarity, etc)

Network Learning Inc

http://www.ccbootcamp.com

http://www.routerie.com

 

[ElijahBaley]

I managed to work through the CCNA with a book, a single 1720 and the older Routersim.

I think this is fine for CCNA, but when you move onto CCNP you probably do need more real hardware.



..EB


"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!"

"Captain A.J. Rimmer, Space Adventurer!"

 

[UKHicks]

Right now i'm a windows admin, but all our network inf is Cisco routers and switches and i have worked with our Cisco contracters a couple of times on them (troubleshooting t1 lines etc) so i have 'some' real world experience. I'm hoping that experience, plus a couple of books and eventually a ccnp is enough to get me a cisco job if i keep working with the equipment (you guys get paid more, lol)

we shall see...