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L3 switches and Inter-vlan routers

DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
in CCNA & CCENT
Hey guys,

What are some reasonable prices L3 switches and some good inter-vlans and edge routers? I'd like to acquire a few more for my lab. I'm sure my current lab is sufficient for CCNA but I'd like to grow the lab...

Any suggestions.
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    davenulldavenull Member Posts: 173 ■■■□□□□□□□
    You can get some 3550s for well under $100 now.
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    OfWolfAndManOfWolfAndMan Member Posts: 923 ■■■■□□□□□□
    3550 as said above. However, if you ever plan on venturing further, you're gonna need something that supports more features i.e. 3750 (200ish on Ebay) and for all the features you'll ever need for the switching studies, a 3560 will do (Ain't gonna tell you the price for that one :), but it supports 15.x, assuming you get the right model.)

    If you remember router on a stick, L3 switching configs will be easy.
    :study:Reading: Lab Books, Ansible Documentation, Python Cookbook 2018 Goals: More Ansible/Python work for Automation, IPSpace Automation Course [X], Build Jenkins Framework for Network Automation []
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    Jon_CiscoJon_Cisco Member Posts: 1,772 ■■■■■■■■□□
    I'm not sure about the cost but I picked up a 3750 and 3560 so I can slowly work on CCNP switching.
    No study plan yet but that is my 2015 goal just to keep active using the Cisco IOS while I figure out my career.
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    OfWolfAndMan wrote: »
    3550 as said above. However, if you ever plan on venturing further, you're gonna need something that supports more features i.e. 3750 (200ish on Ebay) and for all the features you'll ever need for the switching studies, a 3560 will do (Ain't gonna tell you the price for that one :), but it supports 15.x, assuming you get the right model.)

    If you remember router on a stick, L3 switching configs will be easy.

    Awesome, this is most helpful. As is it right now i can only do router on a stick on one router and it's a edge router. Plus I just bought a Skeletek 24U-4P rack kind of want to make the lab a little more neat and tidy. I think for even right now a couple 3550's will suffice. I'm sure once I get the CCNA that alone will open more doors for me with my experience.
    Jon_Cisco wrote: »
    I'm not sure about the cost but I picked up a 3750 and 3560 so I can slowly work on CCNP switching.
    No study plan yet but that is my 2015 goal just to keep active using the Cisco IOS while I figure out my career.

    I kind of like Cisco switching a bit now so I'm going to keep at it and go as far as I can. But for me I'm a hands-on person so I only really learn by doing not just from a book. To me a book has a ton of filler, once you get into CLI and start messing around I understand things alot better.
    davenull wrote: »
    You can get some 3550s for well under $100 now.

    Thanks! - going to go on ebay and find some. I'm not really dreadfully worried about the IOS version, I have a master bluray from from a CCNP engineer that has over 4000 IOS images on it, so I could always just flash it.
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    are these L3?

    Cisco Catalyst 3500 Series WS C3548 XL En 48 Port 10 100 2 GBIC CCNA Lab Mint | eBay
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    volumevolume Member Posts: 56 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Deathmage wrote: »
    are these L3?

    Cisco Catalyst 3500 Series WS C3548 XL En 48 Port 10 100 2 GBIC CCNA Lab Mint | eBay

    Those are garbage. The old XL series IOS is different enough from what you'll be tested on that they're probably not going to help you. If money is tight, look for 3550's or even 2950's will work for most topics.
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    volume wrote: »
    Those are garbage. The old XL series IOS is different enough from what you'll be tested on that they're probably not going to help you. If money is tight, look for 3550's or even 2950's will work for most topics.

    I got the following so far:

    1 x 1721 router
    2 x 2600 router
    2 x 2950 switch
    1 x HP Procurve 2910al L3
    1 x Dell PowerConnect 6224

    I'd like to get a L3 switch switch and two more L2 switches from cisco. So I can change up my lab a bit and make it larger.
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    theodoxatheodoxa Member Posts: 1,340 ■■■■□□□□□□
    OfWolfAndMan wrote: »
    3550 as said above. However, if you ever plan on venturing further, you're gonna need something that supports more features i.e. 3750 (200ish on Ebay) and for all the features you'll ever need for the switching studies, a 3560 will do (Ain't gonna tell you the price for that one :), but it supports 15.x, assuming you get the right model.)

    If you remember router on a stick, L3 switching configs will be easy.

    If you're have time, you can run across the occasional deal. You should have no problem scoring a 3750 for $150 or a 3560 for $130. If you find the right auction, you might even be able to win one even cheaper (I got a 3560 for $99.99 this way). Depending on how much risk you're willing to take, you can also buy stuff that is only tested for power on (Sold "As-Is"). I've gotten 2 bad devices doing this, but overall I'm ahead thanks to saving on the ones that did work. Now, if I can just sell the power supplies from the two 3560s that didn't work (Bad Flash and Bad Console port).
    R&S: CCENT → CCNA → CCNP → CCIE [ ]
    Security: CCNA [ ]
    Virtualization: VCA-DCV [ ]
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    volumevolume Member Posts: 56 ■■□□□□□□□□
    That's true too. And if you can tie up the cash for a little while, sometimes you'll find someone selling a large lot which you can buy, pick out what you want, and sell the leftovers.

    Lot of 4 3560's for an ending price of $205? Yes please: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-4-Cisco-WS-C3560-48ts-48-port-switches-/191203911563?pt=US_Network_Switches&hash=item2c84a4278b
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    volume wrote: »
    That's true too. And if you can tie up the cash for a little while, sometimes you'll find someone selling a large lot which you can buy, pick out what you want, and sell the leftovers.

    Lot of 4 3560's for an ending price of $205? Yes please: Lot of 4 Cisco WS C3560 48TS 48 Port Switches | eBay

    that looks like a deal... someone else saw this too :P
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    is 39.99 + 29.99 shipping a good price for a WS-C3550-24P WR-SMI?

    [h=1][/h]
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    DCDDCD Member Posts: 473 ■■■■□□□□□□
    You want the EMI version of the software.
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    OfWolfAndManOfWolfAndMan Member Posts: 923 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Keep in mind those 3560s above do not support PoE. If you ever plan on needing it, you'll need a 3560-PC-S based switch. As in if you ever learn VoIP. Make sure it's upgradeable to version 15 as well.
    :study:Reading: Lab Books, Ansible Documentation, Python Cookbook 2018 Goals: More Ansible/Python work for Automation, IPSpace Automation Course [X], Build Jenkins Framework for Network Automation []
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    DCD wrote: »
    You want the EMI version of the software.

    I have a collection of image from a friend; I think the ipservices is the one I'm after? - I presume I could just flash it, aye?

    my friend said SMI is just a Standard Multilayer Image and EMI is Enhanced Multilayer image and EMI supports EIGRP and OSPF and a few other routing protocols.

    even those these are 122-25 and the latest is 122-44 would these still work?

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    OfWolfAndManOfWolfAndMan Member Posts: 923 ■■■■□□□□□□
    If you want to get specific with IOS features, check out this link. Make sure you know the name of the image first:

    Cisco Feature Navigator - Cisco Systems
    :study:Reading: Lab Books, Ansible Documentation, Python Cookbook 2018 Goals: More Ansible/Python work for Automation, IPSpace Automation Course [X], Build Jenkins Framework for Network Automation []
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    theodoxatheodoxa Member Posts: 1,340 ■■■■□□□□□□
    DCD wrote: »
    You want the EMI version of the software.

    You can download the EMI ("IP Services") image for the 3550 from Cisco [without SmartNet], but only the SMI ("IP Base") for the newer switches - 3560 and 3750.

    Cisco Systems)
    R&S: CCENT → CCNA → CCNP → CCIE [ ]
    Security: CCNA [ ]
    Virtualization: VCA-DCV [ ]
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    DeathmageDeathmage Banned Posts: 2,496
    theodoxa wrote: »
    You can download the EMI ("IP Services") image for the 3550 from Cisco [without SmartNet], but only the SMI ("IP Base") for the newer switches - 3560 and 3750.

    Cisco Systems)

    thanks! - was able to get the software. Just ordered 2 3550's. :)
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