CCNP SWITCH - Using L2 IOU (how reliable?)

dontstop

Hi all,

I've read some conflicting reports on L2 IOU with regards to practice for the CCNP SWITCH exam. I get that by and large L2 IOU works now for configuration of most of the switching features required for the exam. This would help with the config/verify portion, but I've found on numerous occasions odd behavior from GNS3 and switching especially when digging a little deeper into packet captures. 

When people say they are using GNS3/EVE-NG for switch are they purely talking about configuration/verification or can you actually see reliable behavior of control plane protocols and underlying states?

If you really wanted to learn STP and validate it's behavior would it be wise to steer clear of software solutions?

spiderjericho

You can Google which commands/features aren’t supported. I tried QinQ. It didn’t work. There are quite a few others. Many focus more on the L3/routine with these virtual solutions or mix hardware with software.

Chris.Mackenzie01

I'm using EVE-NG with VIRL images, only one thing that I've had a problem with rest of the labs have been fine. I just find that I might have to reboot a switch for a feature to 'come live'. VTP normally if I'm honest.

That one thing was DHCP Snooping, which is on the list of supported. But people on the R/S study forums had the same problem when i was trying to verify I wasn't doing something wrong.

dontstop

I'm just worried that each time I've given GNS3 a try I've always ended up hitting some weird behavior that I spend hours trying to troubleshoot only to discover it's some behavior or problem with the virtual device. Then you start to doubt the reliability and if what you're seeing is actually expected behavior of just another bug from the virtual devices. I guess in essence is EVE-NG with IOU reliable enough for control plane behavior to really study and understand the protocols for CCIE?
 

kaiju

Utilize David Bombal as a reference when setting up or troubleshooting GNS3. He has vids on Youtube and he teaches many course on Udemy and other places.

I just starting tinkering with Cisco dCloud (VIRL) after watching one of David's vids. My plan is to utilize a combo of GNS3, dCloud and Eve-ng when I start my CCNP labbing next month. Why all three? I can access dCloud and EVE-ng from work during dead time but cannot use GNS3.I love to lab out out non-work related scenarios whenever they appear into my GMHU (grey matter housing unit).