Starting a CCNP Route home lab

The Reluctant Loser

Hello everyone! I'm trying to create a home lab for my CCNP Route studies. I am aware that I could used GSN3, but I'd rather get hands on experience. If anyone has some suggestions or if you just want to post your lab specs, I'd appreciate it!

smcclenaghan

I've got 3x 2950, 2x 2610XM and 1x 2610.

That's what I used for CCNA but it isn't enough for CCNP.

I've got 2x 3750 on the way. Probably Tuesday.

fredrikjj

I would just buy around 5 to 6 of the cheapest routers that I could find that runs IOS. You'd probably be stuck on old 12.4 code or something like that, but the majority of your efforts will be spent on EIGRP, OSPF and BGP, and those haven't really changed in a long time. Then load up GNS3/IOU/VIRL with IOS 15 if something isn't supported on your hardware routers. If you really want modern code, the cheapest routers that run recent IOS versions are, I think, the model 1841, but I believe that you need a certain amount of RAM to load up IOS 15 (don't quote me on that).

Ismaeljrp

Yes for IOS 15 you need a minimum of 256MB of RAM. 1841 do seem to be the cheapest option for running IOS 15, another option is 2800 series or the IAD 24xx series, they are mainly used by telecoms as Voip gateways but they great do it all routers with integrated t1 and Wic slots.

Most routers expandable to 256MB of ram will run IOS 15. Some versions of IOS 15 may require more ram though.

Mooseboost

Lab:

3x2811 (With one functioning as an access server / frame relay )
3x 2821
2z 2950
2x 3550
2x 3560

This lab has served me well for my Route studied. For anything else I need (additional routers) I use GNS3 for.

theodoxa

For CCNP, I used --

5 x Cisco 1841 (IOS 15.1(4)M6 Advanced IP Services)
1 x Cisco 2811 (IOS 15.1(3)T4 Advanced IP Services)
2 x Cisco 3560-24TS (IOS 15.0(2)SE2 IP Services)
2 x Cisco 3750-24TS (IOS 12.2(55)SE9 IP Services)
2 x WIC-1T
8 x WIC-1DSU-T1-V2
1 x Serial Cable
I made all other cables (T1 Crossover, Ethernet Patch, and Ethernet Crossover) as needed.

This allowed me to duplicated the old TSHOOT topology, which I used for all 3 exams, substituting protocols (e.g. VRRP and GLBP for HSRP or EIGRPv6 for RIPng) as needed. I used the 2811 as the Frame Relay switch and the 1841s for the rest of the routers. I also connected the lab to my home network and used BGP to advertise routes between the two, which allowed me to practice more complicated BGP scenarios.