Cisco Home lab 4 ccna

[staticusr]

After lurking around these pages for a couple of weeks I have realized there are quite a few smart people in here!!!

Keep up the great work!

Have a question regarding a home lab setup. I have read web pages, newsgroups etc... There seems to be no straight answer regarding home lab setup. I have most of the equipment already, but am looking to upgrade to a different switch in the next couple of months.

Here is the list: so far
2-2501 routers
1-2502 router
1-1924 switch (which will be a 5000 soon as I get the $$$)

Question is how should I go about setting this up?
I am gearing down for a long road up the cisco chain and don't want to miss anything. I know I need a couple dte/dce cables, but other than that I am at a loss.

I don't want to buy the wrong stuff and be stuck somewhere down the road, so any pointers you all may have would be great.

If it matters all 3 routers are running 11.2 I believe. I hope I didn't miss anything.

Thanks

 

[rburke]

Well, the first thing you'll probably need is newer IOS images for your routers. Right now the exams are based on the 12.0.x IOS images, and although they are downward compatible to the old IOS images it will be good to know the newer commands for the ever changing Cisco exams. Right now my lab is just made up of routers, I'm waiting for more money to get a switch.... I have:
1-2514 (IOS 12.2.1)
1-CPA 2514 (IOS 12.2.1)
2-CPA 2501 (IOS 12.0.6 and 11.2)
1-4500M (4-Sync serial, 1-ethernet, IOS 12.2.10)

Like I said, I'm waiting for $$$ to get a switch, I want to get at least one 2900 and one 1900, and then later maybe cough up the dough for a 5000. Also my lab lacks token ring and ISDN. I would recommend at least one router with ISDN, and since you have 2x2502, the token ring is covered for you. Let us know if you have anymore questions, or need more explaination....

burke

 

[staticusr]

I guess what I am looking for here are the cabling requirements. How many? Connected too? ETC....

 

[rburke]

Well, the cabling can change depending on what you want to do. Although it is possible to setup a home la that has a little of everything, it is pretty expensive. If you were going to setup a frame switch, then you would probaly want to change the setup before you tried configuring RIP, IGRP, etc. At least that is what I have, a dynamic configuration depending on what I am playing with. If you want a static configuration, then you might want ot look into renting a rack online, they are usually much more complex, but also have a little of everything. I hope this helped out some....Let me know.

burke

 

[wybnormal]

Take a look at my rental rack diagram.

http://www.packetattack.com/cisco_lab_network_diagram.html

The current config can do virtually every lab in Semester 5 and most of 6 without changing one wire. It's done by making up vlans to isolate things, using loopbacks where an interface might needed and so on. Also, consider a terminal server so you telnet to a single point and then reverse telnet via the console cables into the equipment. This will save you frustration when you blow away the interface you had run a normal telnet session on .. happens all the time


So cabling??

back to back serials
A handfull of straight and crossover Cat5s
A handful of 8 conductor satin cables with the RJ45s flipped.. this is your basic console cable when used with the DB9 adapters.. your basic AUX to MODEM cable when used with the DB25 modem adapter, your basic AUX to AUX back to back cable and ISDN cable.. I may have missed one or two things that it may do.. very useful cable


Depending on the model, the termserver might have 2 serial ports along with the async ports. So it be your frame switch at the same time. Or whatever else you need it to be.

The older(cheaper) 500s do not have the serial port.. just the ethernet port and async ports. The newer 2500 terminal servers have it all. Of course, you can save ALOT and get a *off brand* of Terminal server like LanTronics, IBM or the like.

MikeS
Find me at

http://www.packetattack.com

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