Do I need a router for a VCP lab

APJAMES

I have just finished up my CCNA and have received a good offer for my 2 switches and 3 routers, I'm about to start studying for my VCP-DCV , I have one dell poweredge server for that but I'm wondering is there any benefit to me holding onto them for the VCP-DCV, are there any labbing scenarios in the VCP that would require the routers, different vlans etc ?

Asif Dasl

I don't think you have provided enough information.

I don't know what switches you've got, are they Gig switches? - they probably aren't if you used them for CCNA. Do you have a NAS or are you going to use a VM for iSCSI and/or NFS?

If you need to use a virtual router you could use ClearOS, CentOS or even DD-WRT.

I know JibbaJabba uses a Cisco SG300, I use a HP v1910-48G. You can go from simple to multi-featured depending on how complex you are going to set everything up.

SteveFer

I was going to use an old laptop for external storage with freenas, the switches are 2950 and routers are 2610xm. I was just wondering are there any scenarios that I am going to come across while labbing that it would be useful to have one of the routers /switches. I have a basic switch from and ISP that I can use for connecting to the poweredge from my laptop that I will install the client on.

jibbajabba

Asif is right (me using a SG300 and that we need more info )

But let me guess ..

Now for the PHYSICAL infrastructure I am using a SG300 for one important reason : VLANs. When you start studying for the VCP you will quickly learn that separating networks - vMotion / Management / IP Storage / Fault Tolerance / Virtual Machine Networking and so on, are a must. And the way you do that, unless you got countless NICs in your servers, is by using VLANs

If your lab has multiple servers but you don't have a managed switch in the background, VLANs can't really be used unless you have the virtual machines using the same VLAN on the same host.

So if you do want to "play" with the whole spectrum of vSphere, separating networks, maybe even with private VLANs, then you DO need a managed switch in the background .. well not so much of a router but my other switch - a 3750 - can technically do Layer 3 too

Now the other part Asif touched - virtual router. Again, something I also do. Personally I run two separate setups - ClearOS as a VM, one "external" portgroup, one "internal". The whole infrastructure is behind that virtual router. Not necessary, but convinient as you don't depend on the network your physical host is connected to. In fact, my virtual router has DHCP on the external / public interface enabled as I moved my nested host between office and home and I never had to worry about re-IPing the lot.

In some more advanced setups (likely too advanced when you just start) I am not using a vShield Edge rather that ClearOS - but let's not get into that :P

Asif Dasl

APJAMES wrote: »

I have just finished up my CCNA and have received a good offer for my 2 switches and 3 routers, I'm about to start studying for my VCP-DCV , I have one dell poweredge server for that but I'm wondering is there any benefit to me holding onto them for the VCP-DCV, are there any labbing scenarios in the VCP that would require the routers, different vlans etc ?

SteveFer wrote: »

I was going to use an old laptop for external storage with freenas, the switches are 2950 and routers are 2610xm. I was just wondering are there any scenarios that I am going to come across while labbing that it would be useful to have one of the routers /switches. I have a basic switch from and ISP that I can use for connecting to the poweredge from my laptop that I will install the client on.

Alter ego alert! WOO WOO WOO! j/k No need to setup different users just to ask questions unless you really want to..

Anyways, the 2950's are not good enough for a VMware lab. You likely won't need the routers either. Run the NAS on the server as a VM it'll run A LOT faster than through the old laptop - that's for sure. Just say "NO" to 5400rpm laptop hard drives!! Great post by Jibba!

Other than that good luck with the studies!