Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Home Lab Fitting Case About
Part 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 equal or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A character recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has to hand in search a habitation lab and asked for my staff in coming up with the best behaviour pattern to drink them.
There is no “right” or “wrong” rebuttal to this without a doubt; again, role of the information course of action is configuring and reconfiguring the physical topology of your lab. Arrange for’s look at the routers and switches he has readily obtainable, including the interfaces on each, and meet up up with ditty credible CCNA / CCNP digs lab setup.
The equipment list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial haven and 2 ethernet ports.
One 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 anchorage, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
A particular 2524 router. This has single serial port, 1 ethernet mooring, and unified 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, one 2924 alteration, and a particular 1924 switch.
At the present time, 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 exercise in looking at what you do have and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in sundry of my CCNA / CCNP to the heart lab articles, an access server is a immense id‚e fixe to have. All he needs is an octal cable to put together his AS to the other devices we decide to object, and he’s all set. (If you need an access server example configuration, there is chestnut on my website in the Home base Lab section.)
A system relay lash is also inordinate to be subjected to, and the 4500 pleasure cause a excellent FR switch. Having a construct relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP bailiwick lab is a great way to pick up common sense configuring and troubleshooting frame relay, an essential artistry seeking CCNA success.
I would put both of the 3620s on the plan relay cloud via the Serial interface, as ok as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that see fit be using mould relay to transfer, and that’s the most we can take since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 devise lack to be configured as a body relay exchange and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you desideratum a frame relay divert configuration, the rhyme I using in my pods is on the website in the in spite of place as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the attitude relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The nursing home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is necessary to cede to routers to down via their BRI interfaces. Principled run about a couple of straight-through cables to affiliate those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that component is well-disposed to go. (Recall that you can’t affix Cisco routers directly via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab have in the offing at least one ethernet or AUI refuge, so we can connect them all to either harmonious of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to entertain technique with trunking, root span designation, and VLANs. Having two switches indeed does combine fairly a speck to a CCNA / CCNP hospice lab’s capabilities. You can experiment with different subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be afraid to sink in - that’s what a rest-home lab is all about!
So in the present climate 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 straight away via their serial ports. For this, you’ll honest need another DTE/DCE cable. Sly how to diminish up the activity between two unswervingly connected serial ports is an important CCNA facility, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be superior to cause of such a relations up with your eyes closed, and once you work with your own CCNA / CCNP composed lab, you’ll be talented to!
Also, don’t lose to tot up a loopback interface to each equal of your routers. I like to utility 1.1.1.1 in behalf of R1, 2.2.2.2 instead of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another heinous trail to accumulate practice with RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and problems routing.
We’ve charmed a holdings of routers and switches and turned them into a fantastic 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 lore event and the start of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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