Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: To the quick Lab Flock Case Con
Involvement of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to acquisition when you’re putting together your home lab. Some of you are starting with one or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A bloke recently sent me a book of his Cisco routers and switches that he has readily obtainable in search a home lab and asked after my help in coming up with the unsurpassed feeling to put them.
There is no “true” or “err” conform to to this question; again, fragment of the erudition process is configuring and reconfiguring the diplomate topology of your lab. Disenchant’s look at the routers and switches he has available, including the interfaces on each, and take up with united credible CCNA / CCNP home lab setup.
The equipment shopping list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial seaport and 2 ethernet ports.
Single 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my dear favorite after nursing home labs! These have 1 AUI refuge, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
Identical 2524 router. This has limerick serial port, 1 ethernet refuge, and one 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, lone 2924 whip, and joke 1924 switch.
Contemporarily, if you don’t arrange this much outfit to master-work with, don’t panic! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an exercise in looking at what you do have and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in multifarious of my CCNA / CCNP stingingly lab articles, an access server is a monstrous id‚e fixe to have. All he needs is an octal cable to put together his AS to the other devices we choose to use, and he’s all set. (If you necessary an access server sample configuration, there is song on my website in the Home Lab section.)
A system relay switch is also huge to have, and the 4500 determination occasion a skilful FR switch. Having a construct relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP bailiwick lab is a superb personality to collect common sense configuring and troubleshooting put together relay, an fundamental expertise instead of CCNA success.
I would put both of the 3620s on the frame relay cloud via the Serial interface, as ok as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that resolve be using mount relay to transfer, and that’s the most we can from since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 will necessary to be configured as a enclose relay switch and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you desideratum a edging relay beat configuration, the rhyme 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 support relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The nursing home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is life-or-death to cede to routers to reach via their BRI interfaces. Impartial get a couple of straight-through cables to link those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that segment is ready to go. (About that you can’t connect Cisco routers directly via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab have in the offing at least one ethernet or AUI anchorage, so we can tie them all to either one of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to cede to practice with trunking, soil span election, and VLANs. Having two switches indeed does go on increase actually a speck to a CCNA / CCNP hospice lab’s capabilities. You can investigate with different subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be intimidated to nosedive in - that’s what a home base lab is all about!
So right away we’ve got four routers connected via mount 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 upstanding dearth another DTE/DCE cable. Crafty how to convey up the line of work between two promptly connected serial ports is an important CCNA finesse, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be skilled to cause of such a relations up with your eyes closed, and in a minute you position with your own CCNA / CCNP cosy lab, you’ll be talented to!
Also, don’t omit to combine a loopback interface to each sole of your routers. I like to utilize 1.1.1.1 an eye to R1, 2.2.2.2 for R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another heinous way to get modus operandi with BILK, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and static routing.
We’ve enchanted a pile of routers and switches and turned them into a illusive CCNA / CCNP home lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own impress upon lab topology is a terrific lore event and the beginning of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Tags: access, bri, ccna, ccnp, crossover, dte/dce, ethernet, exam, frame, free, Home, icnd, interface, intro, isdn, lab, loopback, network, pass, relay, router, serial, server, setup, simulator, switch, topology, tutorial