Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: To the quick Lab Convocation For fear of the fact About
Involvement of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to acquisition when you’re putting together your people’s home lab. Some of you are starting with equal or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A customer recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has readily obtainable for the benefit of a habitation lab and asked after my help in coming up with the unsurpassed way to turn to account them.
There is no “true” or “awry” answer to this query; again, part of the lore development is configuring and reconfiguring the specialist topology of your lab. Let’s look at the routers and switches he has readily obtainable, including the interfaces on each, and take up with entire workable CCNA / CCNP serene lab setup.
The equipment 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 personal favorite after stamping-ground labs! These entertain 1 AUI refuge, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
Only 2524 router. This has one serial seaport, 1 ethernet mooring, and bromide BRI interface.
A woman 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 change, and one 1924 switch.
Contemporarily, if you don’t have this much outfit 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 have and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in multifarious of my CCNA / CCNP home lab articles, an access server is a monstrous id‚e fixe to have. All he needs is an octal radiogram to put together his AS to the other devices we decide to from, and he’s all set. (If you be in want of an access server sampling configuration, there is chestnut on my website in the Bailiwick Lab section.)
A system relay switch is also huge to be subjected to, and the 4500 pleasure force a skilful FR switch. Having a structure relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP abode lab is a superb way to pick up experience configuring and troubleshooting put together relay, an important artistry instead of CCNA success.
I would send both of the 3620s on the frame relay cloud via the Serial interface, as well as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that see fit be using construct relay to transmit, and that’s the most we can obtain since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 on desideratum to be configured as a system relay direct and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you for a edging relay divert configuration, the unified I put in my pods is on the website in the same setting as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the frame relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The tellingly lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is high-priority to cede to routers to communicate via their BRI interfaces. Impartial pick up a two of straight-through cables to link those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that component is well-disposed to go. (Bear in mind that you can’t fasten Cisco routers directly 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 entertain custom with trunking, forefathers span election, and VLANs. Having two switches honestly does go on increase somewhat a bit to a CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab’s capabilities. You can procedure with strange subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be intimidated to sink in - that’s what a home base lab is all about!
So right away we’ve got four routers connected via scaffolding relay, two via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their serial interfaces should be connected straight away via their serial ports. For this, you’ll by a hair’s breadth dearth another DTE/DCE cable. Knowing how to diminish up the policy between two unswervingly connected serial ports is an important CCNA finesse, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be qualified to fetch such a connection up with your eyes closed, and directly you post with your own CCNA / CCNP cosy lab, you’ll be superior to!
Also, don’t forget to combine a loopback interface to each equal of your routers. I like to use 1.1.1.1 in behalf of R1, 2.2.2.2 for R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another high-minded way to receive practice with DECEIVE, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and unvarying routing.
We’ve taken a heap of routers and switches and turned them into a bizarre 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 great erudition contact and the start of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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