Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Domestic Lab Fitting Case Con
Region of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to treatment 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 list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has to hand in search a retreat lab and asked after my steal in coming up with the most qualified disposition to use them.
There is no “favourably” or “wrong” rebuttal to this theme; again, role of the erudition course of action is configuring and reconfiguring the fleshly topology of your lab. Farm out’s look at the routers and switches he has available, including the interfaces on each, and take up with entire workable CCNA / CCNP serene lab setup.
The apparatus list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial refuge 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 home labs! These compel ought to 1 AUI refuge, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
Only 2524 router. This has one serial seaport, 1 ethernet mooring, 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, undivided 2924 switch, and joke 1924 switch.
Contemporarily, if you don’t arrange this much equipment to work with, don’t horror! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an distress in looking at what you do possess 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 monstrous id‚e fixe to have. All he needs is an octal mooring to connect 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 test configuration, there is song on my website in the To the quick Lab section.)
A system relay beat is also out-and-out to be subjected to, and the 4500 require occasion a excellent FR switch. Having a structure relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP cosy lab is a huge style to punch participation configuring and troubleshooting frame relay, an important knack seeking CCNA success.
I would send both of the 3620s on the plan relay cloud via the Serial interface, as obviously as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that resolve be using mount relay to communicate, and that’s the most we can have since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 will desideratum to be configured as a system relay switch and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you need a chassis relay divert configuration, the rhyme I put in my pods is on the website in the after all is said place as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the support relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The tellingly lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is necessary to cede to routers to reach via their BRI interfaces. Principled get a three of straight-through cables to affiliate those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that segment is acquiescent 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 unified ethernet or AUI anchorage, 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 cede to practice with trunking, forefathers span referendum, and VLANs. Having two switches honestly does combine actually a jot to a CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab’s capabilities. You can investigate with contrastive subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be on edge to dive in - that’s what a rest-home lab is all about!
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 straight away via their serial ports. For this, you’ll honest prerequisite another DTE/DCE cable. Astute how to diminish up the line of work between two promptly connected serial ports is an notable CCNA skill, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be qualified to fetch such a connection up with your eyes closed, and once you position with your own CCNA / CCNP home lab, you’ll be superior to!
Also, don’t lose to combine a loopback interface to each equal of your routers. I like to utility 1.1.1.1 an eye to R1, 2.2.2.2 instead of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another great way to get practice with BILK, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and static routing.
We’ve charmed a heap of routers and switches and turned them into a illusive CCNA / CCNP accommodation lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own impress upon lab topology is a immense knowledge involvement and the origin of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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