Setting up a lab 5

[johnhicken]

Hi all
Im from England and i've not long started CCNA 640-607.
I've heard quite alot about setting up your own lab, and im very close to buying 2 2501 Routers and a 1912 Switch.
Could anyone give some advice on the advanatges of running a physical lab rather than using something such as Router Sim which i have got.
At this moment in time i am only planning on doing CCNA as i want to carry on getting my MCSE finished when i have done this.
Cheers for any help
John

 

[Andyleates]

Hi John

I would say that having your own hardware is invaluable. For a start you know you can trust the commands are right and that nothing is missing.

My best advice though would be to get three routers and forget the switch for now as the CCNA is mainly on routing and with three routers you can see protocols like RIP etc working properly.

Andy

Andy Leates MCSE CCNA MCP+I

 

[Cluebird]

You do need a switch. Both 1900 and 2950 switches are tested on the exam. So are VLANs, port security, and MAC address tables. Although the main focus of the exam is routing, there are enough questions from the L2 switches to keep you from passing.
Make sure your routers can support NAT and OSPF since those topics are fair game.

 

[johnhicken]

Thanks for the advice guys. Are there any other protocols other than RIP that require 3 Routers. My budget really only stretches to 2 Routers and a Switch but i can wait a little longer and get the extra Router if it is essential.

 

[Cluebird]

Two routers and a switch are all you really need. You can create loopback interfaces to inject routes in a routing process and observe the behavior of a routing protocol. You can also experiment with redundant link behavior with two routers with ethernet interfaces (preferably fastethernet)and serial interfaces. You can even create multiple area ospf networks using the loopbacks although the CCNA is only concerned with single area.

The main benefit of a third router is to build a Frame Relay switch so you can play with FR.

Make sure your IOS is above 12.0. Preferably enterprise edition of some sort. 2501s and 1900s are starting to get limited on what you can do regarding CCNA and become nearly useless if you want to go to CCNP.

 

[CCIEcandidate]

Cluebird,

I disagree with the part about the 2500's being useless.

Right now I'm preparing for my CCIE lab exam and have a rack comprised mostly of 2503's and 2514's.

While it is true that 2500's can't perform all of the functions the IOS has available today, it can do almost of the functions necessary to complete the CCNP and CCIE routing portions of those certifications.

I think eventually they will become useless as the IOS becomes more robust and the platform can't handle it, but for now they are more than adequate.

For now, they're great little routers!!!!

Nick

 

[johnhicken]

Heres another one for you then.
I have 3 pc's and want to network them so i can eventually do server 2000 and exchange server 2000. Can i use the switch from my lab and still be able to do all the lab stuff for ccna or will i have to get a cheap switch for the network and keep the lab seperate. Please excuse my ignorance on this.

John

 

[Cluebird]

The switch from your lab will be fine. Don't forget the whole purpose of the CCNA stuff is to support users and servers! Networks don't just exist for themselves.

Although CCIECandidate likes 2500s and those platforms have a place and time, the IOS version is more important to your studies. I stand by my assessment of 2500s. My CCIE prep lab consists of 2611XMs, 2950s (EMI), 3550s (EMI), and an Adtran 550 for POTS/ISDN. I have an old 7000 for FR switching and a couple of 2502s for populating WANs, and a couple PIXen (I still do some TR stuff for clients and I teach security classes besides CCNA/CCNP). These devices give much more flexibility for advanced configurations than 2500s by themselves.

 

[CCIEcandidate]

2600's and 3600's are great routers that support the newer features of the IOS, but they are expensive and not as easily obtained as 2500's. If you want to learn the basics of how to configure routers (routing protocols, ACL's, QoS, etc...), the 2500 platform is more than adequate. If you have the money, certainly buy those newer routers, but for those of us that are on a budget, the 2500's are the best.

My two cents.

Nick

 

[wybnormal]

Nick is quite right in this case. The 2500s are fine for CCNA and CCNP. I picked up my own CCNP using 2500s, 1600s and a single 2620. There is not a reason in the world to spend 1200 US dollars per router not counting WICs when you can buy a stack of the 2500s in various configs for the same 1200 bucks. With the 2514 which gives 2 etherports and 2 serial ports going for 200 or dollars, you can make a nice lab with some imagination.

The only thing that the 2500 fails to do is SSH but I've heard rumors of a version in the wild of IOS that supports SSH. I have not seen it myself.. only rumors.

Only when you get to the CCIE do you need to step back a bit since the test is hands on with current equipment. But even then, you do not need a rack of 2600s.. just a couple will do you.

The 1900 is a waste of money since only the CCNA uses it and then just briefly. THe 2900 is a much more usable switch and is current for both tests.

ISDN is a sticky spot for many. I bought a used ISDN simulator and never looked back. Very handy to have around and it was a great help on the CCNP testing.

Alot of times you can emulate a fancy piece of equipment with multiple pieces of much cheaper "old" equipment. Old does not mean useless.

A sidebar is that any CCNA worth his or her salt had better know the 2500 and this holds true for the CCNP. There are a few zillion of them in the real world and the person cutting you a check will not accept "this was not on my test" when you dont know how to work on it.

My 5 cents worth

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

 

[johnhicken]

Thanks all for your 2 or even 5cents worth (what is that in real money)
I am buying my lab on monday, so i will really be able to get stuck in then as just reading through a book trying to digest everything is hard work.
Does anyone know of any sites where i can get some tutorials to work through on my lab?

John Hicken
MCP
CCNA in progress

 

[bebop1065]

John,

I was able to get two 3620's Routers and a 3550 switch last year before I started my CCNA class. I've learned so much just trying to get the hardware to talk to each other that I was able to clear a school lab networking problem that the instructor couldn't find.

I think that you will learn so much faster by having to put together your own network from scratch.

Configuring your own lab will be a better exercise than any tutorial you find on the 'net.

Good luck (if you believe in that stuff.

http://soulphoto.net

CCNA student

 

[wybnormal]

Bebop has just learned one of the network geeks life lessons Troubleshooting is one of the best ways to learn how something works. When I was working on my CCNP, BGP was my weakest area in routing. I had(and still do) had a copy of the Cisco Acadamy Semester 5 for the labs. I spent the better part of a 8 hour days working on a single lab until I figured out there was a typo in the lab config which is why it did not work. 8 hours of research and dinking around paid off on the test

I would say this, people raise their noses to the Cisco Academy books but I found them and the lab companions to very useful.. semster 5 and u. Off Ebay or used on Amazon they are cheap study aids. Do the labs AND study the GLOSSARY at the end of each chapter. NOtice the stress on GLOSSARY. You WILL see certain phrases again.

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

 

[XTC24]

Hi, I'm new to the 801 course so forgive my ignorance

I have recently purchased a set of 2nd hand routers and PC's

2 x 2501's
2 x PC's (Both have ethernet ports)

1.I have connected one host(a) to router(a) via console cable

2. Router(a) is connected to router(b) via b2b seriel cable

Q. How would router(b) be connected to host(b) ?

Many thanks in advance.
Jim

 

[platypus55]

2501s have a generic aui port which requires a transceiver.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps214/products_tech_note09186a00801f5d86.shtml

and if you have your two routers back to back
Here is a techexams lab that explains what you do
it's all the same stuff you have.

http://www.techexams.net/techlabs/ccna/lab_hardware.shtml

That is one way to simulate a WAN link, or you could get a CSU/DSU and use all DTE cables.

The console cable is only for initial configuration, then you should take it off.

Free IT practice exams:

http://xamsrus.com

 

[XTC24]

Instead of back to back seriel cables, can you use a v.35 cable (DTE to DCE) ?

Also from that site it doesnt specify where to connect the ethernet cables to what devices ?

 

[SGrebliunas]

Hello,

If CCNA is the only goal - real hardware is not necessary. I have used Boson NetSim and was fine.
Going further - yes, You will need it. Simulators do not cover all aspects of IOS.

regards,

SiGiS

 

[XTC24]

I heard the Boson NetSim and the Sybex Virtual Lab Gold are pretty good, but they dont 'behave' as routers just emulate them