Is my LAB up to par?

scyrix

Hello to everyone! I am new here , as you can see its my very first post. I apologize in advance to have to ask this question , but there is so much information on the internet , and I'm flabbergasted. I currently have in my possession:
1x2811 768/128
1x2081 256/64
2x2950C Switches
I know I need at least 1 more router (opting for 2811) and a layer 3 switch (opting to get the 3550) is this equipment good , or do I need to replace the 2950's with something better.Do I need some other router etc etc. Please give me some advice , keep in mind that I want to get CCNP after my CCNA as well
Thank you very much.

TechGuru80

2950s are fine for CCNA. I haven't ever used a 2081...usually 2611xm, 1841, 2801, and 2811 are recommended for router models...preferably using any of the last three models with 15.x.

TWX

You don't need a Layer 3 switch for CCNA Route and Switch. You probably could do what you need to do to learn with what you have.

The exam has not kept-up with the curriculum. The curriculum is based on Gigabit stuff and late verions of IOS 12 and 15, but in reality you're going to be tested on Fast Ethernet and even 10BaseT Ethernet.

Now, my lab is huge. I learn well through repeating the same steps over and over.

I'm assuming that "2081" is actually a typo and should be 2801.

scyrix

Yes I was unable to find the "edit" button , weird. I was led to believe that I need 3 routers and 3 switches so should I buy something else or I'm set?

TWX

If you have three switches you are better able to play with spanning tree and its various versions and behavior. In that sense having a third switch is helpful as in the real world and on the test you will typically work in environments with more than two switches.

Also, having more than two routers is handy when it comes to seeing routes propagating across devices, but it's not strictly required.

GDaines

Take a look at these threads:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/115556-ccna-lab.html
http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/115472-do-i-need-layer-3-switch.html
http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/105168-3560-3750-my-ccnp-home-lab.html
http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/115208-understanding-cisco-ios-versions-updating.html

You'll finds tons of discussion on the topic of home labs. Post #2 in the first link was my lab to which I've just added two more 2811's (yet to collect them). Read through them as there are useful tips like if you're going to buy a 3560 L3 switch get a TS rather than a PS, and don't forget to check what version of IOS is installed, if they include rack mounts, and unlikely but are there any cables included as these bits soon add up.

Personally I'd skip the 2950 and 3550 switches unless they're cheaper than the newer 2960 and 3560 models.

scyrix

Thank you for the information , I got these switches cheap as I'm kinda broke right now but , should I sell them and get 2x2960 and a 3560?

scyrix

Again couldn't find the edit button , is this one good ?
[h=1]WS-C3560-48TS-S[/h]

TWX

2950 switches are adequate for CCNA if you already have them. I've played with spanning-tree where I had 2950s and 3560Gs mixed, it worked fine so long as I did not attempt to do any spanning-tree that was too new for the 2950.

I'm fairly certain that the WS-C3560-48TS-S will run IOS 15. The 24-port gigabit-capable models in that same line will.

scyrix

Right , I want to get a third switch for my lab , I'm merely asking if the switch I pointed to WS-C3560-48TS-S was the right one (since I found it at a reasonable price) and since all the TS models have 32mb flash I guess my question is answered. I'll sell the 2950's when I'm done with my CCNA and buy something more relevant. Want to future-proof myself as much as possible. Thanks everybody for the quick responses and the useful information.

GDaines

scyrix wrote: »

Thank you for the information , I got these switches cheap as I'm kinda broke right now but , should I sell them and get 2x2960 and a 3560?

TWX beat me to the answer. The older switches are fine for the most part, my point was that given the choice of which to buy I personally would have the newer model if I could afford it, but I certainly wouldn't sell them at this stage if you already have them.

If you're happy with the price then the WS-C3560-48TS-S is a good switch to add to your lab. Key questions are:
1. Is it being sold as guaranteed working?
2. Has it been reset (easy enough to do)?
3. You already know that as it's a TS model it has 32mb flash so can be upgraded to IOS 15.
4. What version of IOS is installed? I suspect 12.2 ipbase which is fine as it can be upgraded to ipservices.
5. Does it include rack mounts?
6. Does it include a power cable you can use?

Don't rule it out if there's no rack kit, power cable or CAT5 cable(s) as they can easily be bought, but remember to factor in their cost when deciding if it's cheap or not.

scyrix

It's fully operational with all the accessories.Good price.The software is Standard Multilayer Software Image (SMI) installed.

theodoxa

scyrix wrote: »

Yes I was unable to find the "edit" button , weird. I was led to believe that I need 3 routers and 3 switches so should I buy something else or I'm set?

3 Routers is a minimum to do Frame Relay. 4 would be even better. As for switches, you can do some Spanning Tree with 2 switches, but 3 would allow for more options.

While, a Layer 3 switch is not required for CCNA, at least 2 will be needed for CCNP if you decide to continue on. The 3550 won't do IPv6, VTPv3, or Private VLANs, so it won't cover 100% of the CCNP topics. You could lab these extra topics on a rented rack or something like Free Cisco Catalyst Switch Lab if you need to. A 3560 or 3750 should cover all CCNP topics and a 3560-24TS or 3560-48TS will work for CCIE.

scyrix wrote: »

Again couldn't find the edit button , is this one good ?
WS-C3560-48TS-S

For now, this is the probably the best option if you can afford it. I have 4 of the 24 Port models in my CCIE Lab. The 3560 TS models can run IOS 15 (Unofficially supported) and for now (RS v5) can be used all the way to CCIE.

scyrix wrote: »

It's fully operational with all the accessories.Good price.The software is Standard Multilayer Software Image (SMI) installed.

SMI is IP Base. You can leave it at that for CCNA. Once you start CCNP, you will want to upgrade it to IP Services.

Go ahead and download these from Cisco while you can --

12.2(55)SE6 IP Services (https://software.cisco.com/download/release.html?mdfid=279666162&softwareid=280805680&os=&release=12.2.55-SE6&relind=AVAILABLE&rellifecycle=&reltype=latest&i=!pp)

15.0(2)SE2 IP Services (https://software.cisco.com/download/release.html?mdfid=282526415&flowid=2543&softwareid=280805680&release=15.0.2-SE2&relind=AVAILABLE&rellifecycle=ED&reltype=latest)

dl2015

to scale well into CCNP or even CCIE in future, i will suggest 4 x 3560-24TS-S and 4 x 2811 ,