CCNA Lab Question

dopedsmurf

I am starting to get my CCNA lab configured and I have a few questions.

I've included a picture of my lab below. It's just (3) 2911 routers, (3) 2960 switches, and (3) end-devices connected to each switch. I have assigned (3) different VLANs to each switch and configured 802.1q.

What I have not done yet was configure the routing protocols. Where should I start? Cycle through all of them?




Is there a particular "lab guide" that is frequently recommended as a really good one? Currently, I am just messing around without following a structured curriculum. I've also heard good things about gns3, should I tie that into the cisco packet tracer? I've only spent about 30 minutes on this, and I'm already second guessing everything. Is this lab too simple? Should I focus on setting up redundancy? Should I toss an ASA out there? WAN links? Etc.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Cisco Inferno

You're over thinking this. Too much to begin with. If you are learning, you won't be starting with a megalab of any sorts. Maybe a switch, a router and a pc for starters. Do not worry about so many devices until you've learned how to config each type first. Once you learn about routers, you will then study and config routing protocols when you link multiple routers together.
Once you learn about switches, you will learn trunking and vlans when you hook those together.

For instance, with this lab you could learn how to configure routing protocols to make each network on each router's fa0/0 interface talk to each other. This would not be possible without a protocol. An example that you will be tested on is OSPF.

When you get to that chapter, learn it. but before you do, you will be doing much simpler labs.


Lastly before you do any labs, you would want to set the clock rates on your serial links. This is necessary to use them.
The DCE side of the DCE/DTE cable will set the clock speed. (Remember "C" in DCE for clock)
To do this, you go to the serial interface of the DCE side and enter the "clock rate" command.

example.

enable
configure terminal
int s0/0
clock rate 64000 (the number is just the rate)

This sets the clock rate for the serial link to work.

Once your links are up and you can ping from router to the next, You need OSPF so that all 3 routers know about the networks that they aren't connected to.


I suggest you start slow.

dopedsmurf

Cisco Inferno wrote: »

You're over thinking this. Too much to begin with. If you are learning, you won't be starting with a megalab of any sorts. Maybe a switch, a router and a pc for starters. Do not worry about so many devices until you've learned how to config each type first. Once you learn about routers, you will then study and config routing protocols when you link multiple routers together.
Once you learn about switches, you will learn trunking and vlans when you hook those together.

For instance, with this lab you could learn how to configure routing protocols to make each network on each router's fa0/0 interface talk to each other. This would not be possible without a protocol. An example that you will be tested on is OSPF.

When you get to that chapter, learn it. but before you do, you will be doing much simpler labs.


Lastly before you do any labs, you would want to set the clock rates on your serial links. This is necessary to use them.
The DCE side of the DCE/DTE cable will set the clock speed. (Remember "C" in DCE for clock)
To do this, you go to the serial interface of the DCE side and enter the "clock rate" command.

example.

enable
configure terminal
int s0/0
clock rate 64000 (the number is just the rate)

This sets the clock rate for the serial link to work.

Once your links are up and you can ping from router to the next, You need OSPF so that all 3 routers know about the networks that they aren't connected to.


I suggest you start slow.

Thanks for the suggestions. You're points are definitely well taken, but at the same time, I am thinking maybe I should have made my post a bit more clear.

What is the most common way to work through labs? Do most people just set up a bunch of mini labs as they go or is it more common to just keep expanding upon the lab network? Is there a good guide or walk-through to follow?

Since I was impatient while waiting for someone to answer, I went ahead and just used EIGRP to establish communication between the three routers. Then, I decided to make a eigrp stub network. Now that I've had all the fun with eigrp and want to mess around with OSPF, should I just build another new network with OSPF? Should I make a larger network and attach it to the existing one? etc. Or instead of moving onto OSPF, should I mess with HSRP, and get that working in my existing lab? These are the kind of things I am struggling with. Perhaps, I really just need some direction?

FYI- The other learning resources that I am taking advantage of are as follows:

1. I have my 5th and final day of this class tomorrow CCNAX Bootcamp Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Accelerated(ICND1+ICND2) (CCNAX), which included 50 hours of cisco lab access.
2. I've watched a bunch of PluralSight videos (train signal)
3. I am enrolled in WGU. This includes CBT nuggets, 70 hours of cisco lab access, and the cisco press book and labs.
4. I have tons of IT experience, but I don't consider myself a network guy because it's been a few years since I was in a switch or router every day. Most of my networking at my current job done in VMware, HP C7000 blade enclosures, and server side (such as 802.3AD NIC teaming, etc.).

I feel like what I am really missing out on is a detailed, structured lab guide and walk-through.

Jon_Cisco

There are plenty of lab guides out there. I don't have one I could recommend but if you do a little searching this site you will find plenty of threads on the topic. The thing is for CCNA you don't need to keep expanding because it is still at the basic level. So two devices should prove out most of your points.

With that said building bigger and better is fun. If your working with a simulator you could add 20 routers and make them work properly. It might keep your interest and reinforce the learning through repetition. Just don't feel like you need that for your CCNA study. That's just personal motivation and learning style.

I was part of the Cisco Networking academy so I used a lot of their labs.

Good Luck!

earweed

It sounds like you're almost trying to expand into CCNP level stuff on your lab. For the CCNA it is still pretty basic. The knowledge and experience you have from your past experience in networking should propel you further in this (and at a fairly fast rate).
A friend I used to work with had experience similar to yours. He was just getting his CCNA at the time I worked with him. He failed the ICND2 exam his first try. Less than 3 years later he obtained his CCIE R&S.