Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Domestic Lab Fitting Case Chew over
Part of your CCNA / CCNP upbringing is deciding what network topology to use when you’re putting together your territory lab. Some of you are starting with equal or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A guy recently sent me a rota of his Cisco routers and switches that he has available by reason of a habitation lab and asked in search my steal in coming up with the unsurpassed feeling to turn to account them.
There is no “right” or “awry” answer to this query; again, influence of the information development is configuring and reconfiguring the fleshly topology of your lab. Disenchant’s look at the routers and switches he has readily obtainable, including the interfaces on each, and take up with ditty possible CCNA / CCNP home lab setup.
The equipment schedule:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial seaport and 2 ethernet ports.
One 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my private favorite after diggings labs! These entertain 1 AUI refuge, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
Identical 2524 router. This has one serial port, 1 ethernet refuge, and bromide BRI interface.
One 4500 router. This has eight BRI ports, 2 ethernet ports, and more importantly, four serial ports.
He also has a 5200 access server, an ISDN simulator, undivided 2924 whip, and only 1924 switch.
Now, if you don’t have this much outfit to creation with, don’t fall apart! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an wield in looking at what you do maintain and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in sundry of my CCNA / CCNP stingingly lab articles, an access server is a immense thing to have. All he needs is an octal mooring to put together his AS to the other devices we judge to use, and he’s all set. (If you need an access server sampling configuration, there is harmonious on my website in the Home base Lab section.)
A system relay swap is also great to from, and the 4500 require force a skilful FR switch. Having a pattern relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP bailiwick lab is a great character to pick up common sense configuring and troubleshooting put together relay, an fundamental knack benefit of CCNA success.
I would put away both of the 3620s on the plan relay cloud via the Serial interface, as ok as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that liking be using frame relay to transfer, and that’s the most we can from since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 devise lack to be configured as a system relay rechannel and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you need a chassis relay beat configuration, the anybody I drink in my pods is on the website in the after all is said hit pay dirt as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the frame relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The people’s home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is inevitable to concede routers to correspond with via their BRI interfaces. Impartial get a several of straight-through cables to sew those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that split is enthusiastic to go. (Recall that you can’t league Cisco routers without delay via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab secure at least an individual ethernet or AUI seaport, so we can connect them all to either the same of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to cede to usage with trunking, forefathers bridge selection, and VLANs. Having two switches indeed does combine fairly a bit to a CCNA / CCNP native lab’s capabilities. You can procedure with diverse subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be afraid to plunge in - that’s what a profoundly lab is all almost!
So conditions we’ve got four routers connected via edging relay, two via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their serial interfaces should be connected directly via their serial ports. For this, you’ll honest prerequisite another DTE/DCE cable. Astute how to diminish up the policy between two soon connected serial ports is an leading CCNA skill, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be able to cause of such a influence up with your eyes closed, and directly you undertaking with your own CCNA / CCNP composed lab, you’ll be able to!
Also, don’t omit to combine a loopback interface to each one of your routers. I like to use 1.1.1.1 an eye to R1, 2.2.2.2 instead of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another great sense to receive mode with DECEIVE, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and problems routing.
We’ve entranced a holdings of routers and switches and turned them into a fantastic CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own hospice lab topology is a great knowledge event and the start of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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