Lab Offer

Trashman

About to start my CCNP R&S journey, and now browsing for lab equipment.
Looking to build a lab that will eventually expand to a CCIE v5 lab.

Got an offer on this one for $1100 USD including shipping.
(CCIE v4 lab)

Would you go for it?

Front: http://tinyurl.com/khck3p5
Back: http://tinyurl.com/k8u6qpj

Goodies
1. Cisco 1841 WIC-1T, WIC-2T
2. Cisco 1841 WIC-1T, WIC-2T
3. Cisco 1841 WIC-1T, WIC-1T
4. Cisco 3560 (WS-C3560-24PS-S) - L3
5. Cisco 2514
6. Cisco 2501
7. Cisco 2620XM WIC-1T, NM 8A/S, ISDN BRI S/T
8. Cisco 2611XM WIC-2T
9. Cisco 2611XM NM 4A/S
10. Cisco 2620XM WIC-2T, E1/PRI
11. Cisco 3550 (WS-C3550-24-EMI) - L3
12. Cisco 3550 (WS-C3550-24-EMI) - L3
13. Cisco 3550 (WS-C3550-24-EMI) - L3

Cables
10 x Serial Cables
12 x CAT5 Straight Through Ethernet Cables
18 x CAT5 Crossover Ethernet Cables

dsgm

That potentially as i have been told needs some 3560's and some 3750's

dsgm

My bad i didnt see the 3560's not a bad lab for 1100 i would take it

Heero

I will almost always strongly suggest that you go with a hybrid virtual/physical lab. With all the virtualization options for the routing side (CSR1000V, GNS3, IOU, VIRL) there really isn't much reason to go with physical routers. They will cost you more money, they will eat more electricity, take up more space, and take more effort to manage.

I say buy a couple L3 switches and virtualize all the routers.

theodoxa

1. Decent Router
2. Decent Router
3. Decent Router
4. Get the TS (Non-PoE) Model unless you plan to do Voice or Wireless. The TS will run IOS 15.0
5. Worthless. Even a $20 1760 would be better
6. Worthless. Even a $20 1760 would be better
7. I assume this'll be a Frame Relay Switch. You don't need the ISDN BRI S/T, but they were only about $2 last I checked, so its not like they run the price up
8. Get another 1841. Unless you need the NM slot, the 1841 is only marginally more expensive.
10. You don't need the E1 PRI unless you plan to do Voice
11-13. Get Cisco 3560-24TS or 3750-24TS

You could build a lab with 3560s instead of 3550s and 1841s instead of those antique 2500s for the same or probably less using eBay. BTW, looking at the list of devices, it looks like a CCIE lab from the last version of the exam.

theodoxa

The most important part is to get good switches (3560 or better) as you can virtualize [and given the changes to the CCIE lab, you likely will have to once you get past CCNP] the routing portion.

Trashman

Thank you all for great and wise responses!
Very much appriciated.

I will go for a hybrid virtual/physical lab as suggested in this post, that way I won't end up having too much of the oldest equipment laying around.

Will probably start on ROUTE, and by the time I get to SWITCH, pick up a couple 3560s for SWITCH as they might drop on Ebay by that time I get there (months ahead anyway since I'm currently working on JNCIA).