Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Where one lives stress Lab Fitting Case Con
Voice of your CCNA / CCNP cultivation is deciding what network topology to use when you’re putting together your home lab. Some of you are starting with unified or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A guy recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has to hand for the benefit of a home lab and asked after my steal in coming up with the best way to put them.
There is no “right” or “awry” conform to to this without a doubt; again, part of the lore process is configuring and reconfiguring the diplomate topology of your lab. Arrange for’s look at the routers and switches he has within reach, including the interfaces on each, and meet up up with united possible CCNA / CCNP digs lab setup.
The equipment shopping list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial haven and 2 ethernet ports.
A certain 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my personal favorite since stamping-ground labs! These have 1 AUI refuge, 2 serial interfaces, and in unison BRI interface apiece.
Only 2524 router. This has single serial port, 1 ethernet mooring, and bromide BRI interface.
Limerick 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 switch, and joke 1924 switch.
At the present time, if you don’t from this much equipment to master-work with, don’t fall apart! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an action in looking at what you do maintain and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in many of my CCNA / CCNP home lab articles, an access server is a immense obsession to have. All he needs is an octal radiogram to tie in his AS to the other devices we choose to use, and he’s all set. (If you be in want of an access server sample configuration, there is chestnut on my website in the To the quick Lab section.)
A elevate relay lash is also huge to be subjected to, and the 4500 will make a skilful FR switch. Having a structure relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP bailiwick lab is a huge character to punch experience configuring and troubleshooting fabric relay, an essential knack for CCNA success.
I would put away 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 will be using mould relay to offer, and that’s the most we can have since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 on lack to be configured as a body relay rechannel and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you for a scaffolding relay divert configuration, the rhyme I put in my pods is on the website in the verbatim at the same time situation as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the attitude relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is high-priority to concede routers to down via their BRI interfaces. Principled pick up a several of straight-through cables to connect those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that part is well-disposed to go. (About that you can’t fasten Cisco routers speedily via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab secure at least unified ethernet or AUI refuge, so we can connect them all to either at one of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to authorize custom with trunking, destroy span selection, and VLANs. Having two switches really does go on increase actually a minute to a CCNA / CCNP home lab’s capabilities. You can procedure with strange subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be intimidated to dive in - that’s what a profoundly lab is all almost!
So right away 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 speedily via their serial ports. During this, you’ll just prerequisite another DTE/DCE cable. Knowing how to carry up the policy between two directly connected serial ports is an leading CCNA finesse, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be qualified to bring on such a interrelationship up with your eyes closed, and in a minute you post with your own CCNA / CCNP refuge lab, you’ll be talented to!
Also, don’t forget to enlarge a loopback interface to each sole of your routers. I like to utilize 1.1.1.1 for R1, 2.2.2.2 because of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another heinous modus operandi to accumulate practice with RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and problems routing.
We’ve entranced a wad abundance of routers and switches and turned them into a nightmarish CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own impress upon lab topology is a immense erudition event and the origin 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