Post Your Lab (PICS)

Timber Wolf

I make my cables pretty if im going to be using the same setup for a while or if we'll be having guests over or something like that. Otherwise to heck with it.

PC509

Here's mine. Homemade rack, bought everything else for dirt cheap. The 3660 at the Goodwill for $5, the 1600's at a yard sale for a few bucks, the 3620's for $20 each. Switches were cheap.

The Dell servers were $50. For 18 of them. I picked a few and put as much RAM as I could and put Linux on one and Windows on the other. I have a few spare. The firewall is an empty case - parts incoming for a pfSense box.

td1163

OK, here's my lab in progress (new member, first time poster):



The unit at top is a Cyclades TS-2000 I picked up on eBay. The rest of the equipment:
2x Fast Hub 400
3x 2950-24 Switch
1x 3640
1x 2621
1x 2501
1x 2505
1x 3620
1x 4000 (yup, but I'm looking to replace it!!)

I'm currently patching the term server into the console ports on all the devices. I also made a web page to access everything:



The icons are clickable and launch putty either to the loopback interface or to the console (via the term server). Can also see the up/down reachability from my main network.

Still to do:
- integrate remote power switch (so I can turn on/off remotely)
- install ISDN simulator & POTS simulator
- purchase & install a 1U poweredge for virtual machines (one on each segment, with a few on the switches, I purchased a Silicom 6-port ethernet card for it)
- manage all the cables

And, finally, here is the entire rack including my "production" home network.



Already passed the CCNA, going to do the two Linux ones next, then on to CCNP/CCDA!!! Hope I didn't OVERSHARE on my first post...

tod

TheShadow

Welcome Tod, I like your web page for control. One can never overshare if there is time, it keeps the place lively.

lenell86

why is it when I search ebay for "skeletek" there is only 2 hits that come up and their not even racks? Does no one sell these anymore?

alan2308

lenell86 wrote: »

why is it when I search ebay for "skeletek" there is only 2 hits that come up and their not even racks? Does no one sell these anymore?

Probably because every rack for sale on ebay is labeled as a "Cisco Rack" rather than the name of the manufacturer. Try here:

Dantrak Net  - New and Used Networking Equipment and Peripherals. Skeletek Racks and Accessories.

SdotLow

Been trying to get an image to just post like in full screen, not tabbed and the forums aren't playing nice with me.

PC509 - That looks like the exact same tower I use in the left of the picture. Lancool K62?

TheShadow

SdotLow wrote: »

Been trying to get an image to just post like in full screen, not tabbed and the forums aren't playing nice with me.

hmmm Are you saying not a thumbnail? They get created when you uploadJust use the img command in square brackets surrounding the url of the image followed by the closing img command in square brackets. Just quote one of the messages above with a full picture and look at the commands. You can put your image on someplace like imageShack.com for free

HTH

alxx

CyberNBD if you need a scheduling server and login control via ldap or db,
could try SAHARA Labs - Browse Files at SourceForge.net

Its java based for running remote labs with scheduling , booking etc

You would still need to modify one of the rig clients to control access to the lab.

I work for the group that wrote it, except I do a bit of the hardware

What I'm currently working on
Labshare -
Labshare -
Labshare -


A pic of my home lab

Need a rack and a pdu

few 2950's
1x 3550
2x 1760 not in picture
1x 1750
1x 1751
1x 3640
2x 2620's
3x 2600xm's

1x 2514 going to sell it and 1x 2600 and get a couple of NM8A/16A/32
for the other 2600 (I'd use the 3640 but its quite noisy)

The 2950-48G is becoming my main home switch
once I get the gbics

wolfinsheepsclothing

Starting small...

TIA568B

Todo:

• Tidy things up and rack mount them (if I can find the lugs for the 2500).
• Find affordable USB - RS232 adaptors that actually work
• Find an IOS update for the 2620 routers

All that's got to wait until I pass CCNA as it's time to panic as I've been focusing on toys too much!

Squibcat

I would throw mine on here, but I don't see where to upload pictures. O'well, All the gear in the past several pages looks great. Some people have tremendous setups. Very impressive.

TheShadow

Squibcat wrote: »

I would throw mine on here, but I don't see where to upload pictures. O'well, All the gear in the past several pages looks great. Some people have tremendous setups. Very impressive.

If you are brave enough to throw them on here, those are not uploded pictures but links to a photo hosting service like photobucket or image shack. Hit the quote button on the message above yours and look at the code to see how it is done with the open and close img tag. photobucket.com and imageshack.us accounts are free.

Squibcat

s

Here are the pics from my setup. I have
2-2611's
1-2509
1-2650
1-2650xm
1-3550
3-2950's
2 Windows 7 Boxes, 1 with dual 23" monitors.
1-HP DL 360 blade running server 2008 with VM Sphere 4.1
1-Dell box running server 2003
My next project is to get Linux up and running on the Sphere. I was able to get a great deal from Dantrak on the rack. He's in the Chicago area and set me up with the deep rack and shelves(He's awesome). I have 2 towers on a shelf in the back part of the rack. All my gear fit perfect with plenty of room for expansion.

TheShadow

Nice pictures, glad to see that you figured it out other than an extra quote tag in there somewhere.

dead_p00l

For people using flat stacked(no space between) 2500 and 2600's do you have any problems with them overheating since they vent from the bottom?

Squibcat

I put an extra 2 spaces between the units with bottom fans to make sure they wouldn't overheat. There's a half inch between. I think that's enough.

alxx

dead_p00l wrote: »

For people using flat stacked(no space between) 2500 and 2600's do you have any problems with them overheating since they vent from the bottom?

Or get some rubber door stops or rubber strips to give air gaps

NewManSoon

TIA568B wrote: »

Todo:

• Tidy things up and rack mount them (if I can find the lugs for the 2500).
• Find affordable USB - RS232 adaptors that actually work
• Find an IOS update for the 2620 routers

All that's got to wait until I pass CCNA as it's time to panic as I've been focusing on toys too much!

re the USB -> Serial .. I have found any model that uses Prolific drivers works without any problems. Mine I bought on Ebay works in Linux and Windows.

alxx

The ftdichip based ones work well on mac,windows and linux.

have four here at home and at least ten at work(for embedded programmers etc)

easy is one brand that uses the ftdichip chips
EasySYNC Ltd.

also have their usb rs485 and canbus adaptors

TIA568B

NewManSoon wrote: »

re the USB -> Serial .. I have found any model that uses Prolific drivers works without any problems. Mine I bought on Ebay works in Linux and Windows.

I recently bought 3 that use Profilic drivers off ebay, I tried them on 3 different PCs, including one PC that's already using a Profilic adaptor, I ended up getting a refund as I couldn't get any of them to work and the driver disks bundled were unreadable.
Probably my own fault for going for cheap ones to be onest.

alxx wrote: »

The ftdichip based ones work well on mac,windows and linux.

have four here at home and at least ten at work(for embedded programmers etc)

easy is one brand that uses the ftdichip chips
EasySYNC Ltd.

also have their usb rs485 and canbus adaptors

Thanks for that, got some studying to do (ending up on forums etc. as usual!), but I'll have a proper look at them later - USB2-H-1004 | Hi-speed USB to 4-port RS232 looks like it could be useful, I was planning to connect 4 adaptors to a USB hub so this will save me the trouble.

NewManSoon

TIA568B wrote: »

I recently bought 3 that use Profilic drivers off ebay, I tried them on 3 different PCs, including one PC that's already using a Profilic adaptor, I ended up getting a refund as I couldn't get any of them to work and the driver disks bundled were unreadable.
Probably my own fault for going for cheap ones to be onest.
Thanks for that, got some studying to do (ending up on forums etc. as usual!), but I'll have a proper look at them later - USB2-H-1004 | Hi-speed USB to 4-port RS232 looks like it could be useful, I was planning to connect 4 adaptors to a USB hub so this will save me the trouble.

i have never used any of the driver disks.. both windows and linux detected mine with no problems.

*shrug*

lenell86

ok guys really dumb question but, I just bought a open frame 4 post 45U rack from tripplite:
SR4POST - 45U 4-Post SmartRack Open Frame Rack - Organize and Secure Network Rack Equipment

Question is, the manual only had instructions on how to build it. It came with a bag of screws/nuts to go into the holes but what direction do they need to go? and also just to size up how my server would fit, it looks like my 1U server can mount by the ears that it comes with but how does it mount to the rear? It looks like it mounts to the front but no support for the back? does that mean I have to buy a rail for each and every one of my devices?

lenell86

here is a link to what they call "cage nuts". It came with the rack but I have no idea how they install, sorry noob question:/
SRCAGENUTS - Square Hole Hardware Kit (Includes 50 M6 screws and washers.)

TIA568B

In my experience (selling racks, rack mount equipment, building an upgrading severs, building a few flat pack cabinets) a lot of rack kit is just supported by the lugs at the front and unless the server or equipment comes with rails they're not usually required. A lot of the deeper 1U servers come with rails, but I've come across a lot that are simply held up by the 4 screws at the front which I was always pretty surprised by. Certainly most switches and routers (certainly CCNA level ones) aren't heavy or deep enough to warrant rails.

The cage nuts are a pain in the ass, or at least I think so! You pop the square nut section in the back of the rack strip (first determine where they need to be!) which is the awkward part, I find putting the bottom half in first then using a flat headed screw driver to get the top half in then once you've done that it's as simple as positioning your kit then screwing it in.

Never buy cheap cage nuts! The place I used to work for sold tons of them and they were a nightmare to get in which is probably why I hate them so much and they have a habit of breaking when you're trying to get them in.

MAC_Addy

Cage nuts - they are awesome. But after installing 70+ a few weeks ago, ouch!

lenell86

TIA568B wrote: »

In my experience (selling racks, rack mount equipment, building an upgrading severs, building a few flat pack cabinets) a lot of rack kit is just supported by the lugs at the front and unless the server or equipment comes with rails they're not usually required. A lot of the deeper 1U servers come with rails, but I've come across a lot that are simply held up by the 4 screws at the front which I was always pretty surprised by. Certainly most switches and routers (certainly CCNA level ones) aren't heavy or deep enough to warrant rails.

The cage nuts are a pain in the ass, or at least I think so! You pop the square nut section in the back of the rack strip (first determine where they need to be!) which is the awkward part, I find putting the bottom half in first then using a flat headed screw driver to get the top half in then once you've done that it's as simple as positioning your kit then screwing it in.

Never buy cheap cage nuts! The place I used to work for sold tons of them and they were a nightmare to get in which is probably why I hate them so much and they have a habit of breaking when you're trying to get them in.

Thanks for the advice. Im just surprised how they are held up by the front screws. I actually mounted it and surprisingly it does feel pretty sturdy by just the front screws but Im just scared one day it will just break off from a imbalance of weight.

As for the cage nut, I just popped it in, I will have to youtube your procedure with a screwdriver, just in case I get what your saying and to confirm I didn't do my initial mount wrong. I just mounted 1 1U server for now just to see how it will hold up before mounting the rest of my switches and UPS (yes the UPS is 70lb and the manual says it will support itself by just the front screws also wth???!)

alxx

The only things I'd be worried that the front screws aren't enoughto hold are 3660 and 3640's.More the 3640 due to the weight and only 2U


Even though I've seen some 4 and 5U UPS that were only mounted via
front screws

mattlee09

alxx wrote: »

The only things I'd be worried that the front screws aren't enoughto hold are 3660 and 3640's.More the 3640 due to the weight and only 2U


Even though I've seen some 4 and 5U UPS that were only mounted via
front screws

I have my 3640 mounted with only the front screws (all of them, though). Even on a rolling rack no less (Skeletek is friggin' amazing!!!).

I don't use it because one of the front fans is bad, and the other two spin at 100,000 RPMs, but indeed - it's pretty sturdy.

Not sure about a UPS though...that's a bit iffy. Seems like more trouble than it's worth, since if you sit it on the bottom it isn't going anywhere unless someone REALLY wants it to, lol.

alxx

Had a APC ups that was held in just held by front screws in a rack, had to be lifted into place in the rack(industrial with eye bolts on top)by a crane.

Was on top of this bridge in the little hut for while a few years back(2006/2007) to run a test lpr(license plate recognition) setup
Bridge over Clyde River at Batemans Bay, South Coast NSW
http://ih3.redbubble.net/work.3790393.3.flat,550x550,075,f.clyde-river-bridge-batemans-bay.jpg

still have the pics somewhere , will dig them out and post later