Preparing to start studying for ICND1 and 2

in CCNA & CCENT
Hi all,
I am starting to prepare for taking my CCNA. My CEO has offered to buy me a physical lab (as long as its reasonably priced). I have seen kits on Ebay and training sites but wanted to get some ideas from everyone. I also have looked at some training materials but would like advice of where to begin.
I am starting to prepare for taking my CCNA. My CEO has offered to buy me a physical lab (as long as its reasonably priced). I have seen kits on Ebay and training sites but wanted to get some ideas from everyone. I also have looked at some training materials but would like advice of where to begin.
Comments
Current Certs: CCENT | MCTS | Network+
Currently Working On: Security+
1. The PoE version of 10/100 3560 switches only have 16mb FLASH and so can't run 15.0, so you'll either have to run 12.2 or buy the non-PoE TS versions. 3560G gigabit switches have 32mb FLASH and so will run 15.0.
2. I think it might be 15.2 that the way IOS is licensed changed dramatically so avoid this otherwise you'll likely be stuck with a limited IOS or a very costly upgrade.
Expanding on point 2, If you buy a bunch of the same model switches, let's say WS-C3560-24TS-S for example, and one comes with IOS 15.0 but the others all have 12.2 installed, you can upgrade the older ones by backing up the 15.0 image to a TFTP server and restoring it to the other switches. Only do this if they're the same family/model, i.e. all 3560 or all 2960 switches - do not try to install 3560G IOS onto an older 3560.
3 years ago when I started I always stood by the belief that buying 50-series (3550) switches was silly when newer, better featured 60-series (2960, 3560) were barely any more expensive. I've not bought kit for some time so don't know whether anything newer is affordable yet, but in my mind the 3560 you're looking at is a more sensible start (than something even older). However, while my first router was an 1841, I soon learned that 2811's offer better expansion and are therefore a better buy, so I soon added 4 of those. And as for the stand, forget it! I started with a proper 12U rack which didn't take long to fill, so when a 24U rack was going in the skip where I worked I made sure it went in my car instead. While I've not started using it yet, I'm just looking at picking my studies back up so I can finish my CCNA, so I'm pretty sure before very long my 5 switches and 5 routers will expand (I foresee a WS-C3560G-48PS-S gigabit PoE switch to run my Aironet wireless access points and a few IP cameras which will replace my WS-C3560-24PS-S 10/100 switch, a 2504 WLAN controller if I can stretch to one or drop on one cheap, a patch panel or two as I cable up my house, and a firewall of some description).
Make sure you get rack mounts with everything otherwise you'll have to pay out more to get them, and one or more console cables. Back when I started the USB cables were expensive, so I ended up with a 4-port serial card (plus an onboard port) cabled to my switches as the console ports are on the opposite side of the device to the switch ports so hard to get at in my rack, while the router ports are all on the same side of the device so I used a USB cable with those and swapped it between devices.