How do I set up a home lab for remote access?

[startingout]

Hello.

I am beginning to study networking (for ccna) and I have recently been able to get a few routers (2501, 2511, 2514). Since I need all the practice I can get, I want to set up a lab at home and enable it for remote access from my job just as if I was ordering rack time. I have a broadband connection and a zyxel router (the zyxel is the ISPs choice). Since I am the newest of newbies, I need advice on the setup of the 2511 and the zyxel for a vpn or telnet solution. I also have a pix 501 for a vpn if that is a better choice. Any assistance in this would be greatly appreciated.

SO

 

[pmesjar]

Why trying to setup your lab with Zyxel, what is I assume your live Internet connection? For purpose of studying, connect just your three 2500 series routers "back-to-back" - that means buy yourself 2 or 3 DTE and DCE serial cables. These cables needs to have DB60 connector on one side and X.21 or V.35 connector on the other side. Don't forget you can't mix X.21 with V.35 standard, they are different, so in order to connect DTE part to DCE, both ends need to be X.21 or both ends need to be V.35.

For VPN, it depends what IOS version are you running. If you need further help on this topic, post the output of "show version" command from all your Cisco routers, to see if you can load IOS with VPN functionality.

Peter Mesjar
CCNP, A+ certified
pmesjar@centrum.sk

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.