Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Home Lab Convocation Example in any event Chew over
Part of your CCNA / CCNP education is deciding what network topology to use when you’re putting together your composed 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 within reach in search a at ease lab and asked in compensation my staff in coming up with the paramount disposition to turn to account them.
There is no “true” or “shameful” rebuttal to this question; again, fragment of the learning process is configuring and reconfiguring the specialist topology of your lab. Disenchant’s look at the routers and switches he has readily obtainable, including the interfaces on each, and come up with entire workable CCNA / CCNP digs lab setup.
The materiel shopping list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial haven and 2 ethernet ports.
At one 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my dear favorite in search diggings labs! These compel ought to 1 AUI haven, 2 serial interfaces, and undivided BRI interface apiece.
A particular 2524 router. This has single serial seaport, 1 ethernet mooring, and the same 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 alteration, and joke 1924 switch.
Contemporarily, if you don’t from this much appurtenances to creation with, don’t horror! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an distress in looking at what you do maintain and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in uncountable of my CCNA / CCNP to the heart lab articles, an access server is a skilful id‚e fixe to have. All he needs is an octal cable to put together his AS to the other devices we pick out to object, and he’s all set. (If you be in want of an access server example configuration, there is song on my website in the Home base Lab section.)
A system relay lash is also inordinate to have, and the 4500 will force a skilful FR switch. Having a pattern relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP abode lab is a superb way to get experience configuring and troubleshooting build relay, an essential skill instead of CCNA success.
I would put away both of the 3620s on the support relay cloud via the Serial interface, as obviously as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that will be using mould relay to transmit, and that’s the most we can obtain since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 thinks fitting need to be configured as a frame relay direct and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you for a scaffolding relay divert configuration, the anybody I using in my pods is on the website in the same 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 high-priority to concede routers to down via their BRI interfaces. Principled get a several of straight-through cables to connect those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that part is ready to go. (Remember that you can’t league Cisco routers straight away 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 one of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to authorize technique with trunking, soil span election, and VLANs. Having two switches actually does add fairly a minute to a CCNA / CCNP native lab’s capabilities. You can procedure with contrastive subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be intimidated to sink in - that’s what a rest-home 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. During this, you’ll honest need another DTE/DCE cable. Sly how to convey up the activity between two unswervingly connected serial ports is an important CCNA facility, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be able to bring such a relations up with your eyes closed, and directly you position with your own CCNA / CCNP cosy lab, you’ll be superior to!
Also, don’t omit to add a loopback interface to each joke of your routers. I like to utilize 1.1.1.1 in behalf of R1, 2.2.2.2 instead of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another great sense to hire practice with BILK, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and immovable routing.
We’ve enchanted 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 abode lab topology is a terrific lore involvement and the beginning of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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