Post Your Lab (PICS)

Jasiono

The guy I got my switches off of left one of his papers in the box.

It has an entire schema of all of his devices with their IP addresses. I also have outputs on some of the switches where the password is showing


TIME FOR THE SHREDDER

Roguetadhg

@MAC_Addy: The difference for me was enough for me to buy it:

The cover.

spiderjericho wrote: »

The Foundation Learning Guides are developed for the Cisco Networking Academy and have a little more information, expounding than the cert guide. Though the cert guides have or meet all of the certification objectives. Ones geared for those who simply want to pass the exam while the other is less geared toward the exam, but provides a more robust learning experience.

I used to have a huge Cisco library, but have just kept the CCIE books instead preferring digital books.

I prefer the paper books but I've run into times where I wish I had a digital copy, and a large tablet screen. I just find it hard for me to get into a digital book. I'm used to highlighting, coloring all the figures, flipping from chapter to chapter. I'm sure that I wouldn't need to worry about spilling tea on the tablet as much. I'm also sure that I could get used to a digital version. I'm sure sometime when I get a few spare bucks, i'll pick up a Gen 1 iPad.

Jasiono

Aw man. I sold my first gen for 150 bucks. Perfect condition, like you took it fresh out the box.

shodown

Video of my lab


Where have I been - YouTube

Jasiono

Ahhhhhhh!!!!

Spaghetti!!!!

alxx

Need some velcro cable ties (the ones for microphone cables work well)
and yes you can get them in different colours.

Or just get a roll of hook and loop velcro and cut to size.

Not that I can really complain with fiber spagheti


Have a rack on the shopping list now I'm back in full time work.

Cerebro

shodown wrote: »

Video of my lab


Where have I been - YouTube

Jasiono

LinuxRacr wrote: »

Oh not at all. Brand new they are very pricey. I was able to get mine off of Ebay for $48, and locally to boot!

Check out this thread here for more details.

Stupid question.
This is used for connecting a pc to one console and managing all devices on the network right? As opposed to plugging in and out of all the switches/routers every time one needs to make a change?

spd3432

Finally got around to taking a picture.
In the rack (bottom to top)
2x 2620xm
2620 (used as frame relay cloud)
2610 (access server)
2x 2924
2950
On the table
2x 1721 (32F version)

TehToG

Startech RK12OD Audio Rack

2 x 2950s
1 x 2651XM
1 x 2621XM (To come)
1 x 2610

1 x Dell Optiplex 775 running ESXi Free 5.0
- 2 x MS Server 2008R2
- 2 x Fedora 17 installs
- 1 x Windows XP Pro (with serial passed through from chassis for console cable)

Just need to get myself a box of decent cat5e cable and I can get stuck in.

Kory

Cisco
c2950 -12 port
c2950 -24 port
c3550 -24 port POE
2610 - WIC 2T
2611 -WIC 2T
2621XM WIC 2T, NM-2V
3640- NM-4AS, NM-2E2W
AP1242AG

Aruba
2400 WLC
AP-65
AP-61

I think I need to get an actual rack cab at some point as I cant keep things tidy anymore in the spot it currently resides in.

Jasiono

Pulled the trigger on the digi cm 32 console server.

Made an offer he couldn't refuse mwuahaha. Next up, skeletek rack.

JeanM

As of today, not in the picture is 2621 and my VM host. I need to order a new rack, the 12u amazon.com rack is no longer large enough

digi cm32 console server
pix 515 firewall
6 2950 switches, 3 are set up on another subnet for spanning tree labs. 4th one is for VM server, and the last two act as core/access switches with etherchannel. core switch is connected to my home network, and my soho router has routes to the lab as well for remote access.

4x 2620 routers, 3 used for frame relay
1x 2621 for back-up for now.
1x 3620 , it's kind of in the middle of it all, two 3640s connect to it
3x 3640s (running 12.4), 1 is frame relay, 1 is for the 4th 2620, 3rd is a router between the subnets and the 3 switches running spanning tree. Combination of rip2/eigrp/ospf.

elderkai

I don't have any other way to take pictures than with a poor quality webcam right now. =[ I still tried to show what I have.



I haven't fully utilized it yet because I haven't started SWITCH studies, but I did use two of them when I was reviewing for my CCNA. The bottom two are 3550's with an EMI IOS and the top two or 2950's. The white cables are connecting to four usb-nics at my rear I/O panel and the gray cables are just used for if I want to trunk between them.

inscom.brigade

I am using a quad core 9450, running w2k8 r2 x64 as my server, and has a
SILICOM 6 port NIC with VLAN trunking capability.
I use it for GNS3 only, = (my ccie routers). + (storage of music, movies, and files).

the server on the right is running LINUX.

the PC on the far right is how i remote in.
I have 4 pannels which i hope to upgrade, to a SLI x 3

rack:
from the top

Cisco 871W 12.4 OS= very cool just got it and working on the config. OS = to 1841w, or 28xx w.
Docsis 3 sb 6120 x 2 | radio shack Rj-45 crimper, | ebay 100 bag fittings.
2651xm full memory 12.4 ent OS
2651 full of memory 12.4 ent os
2610 12.2
2950 = paper weight <- first switch
19" samsung
as2509-rj
15" keyboard
Corsar headphone with MIC boom.
3541 = junk <- junk free first switch
3550emi
3550emi
3550emi
3550emi
left w2k8 r2 x64 server Silicom 6 port NIC 10/100/1000
right linux server Silicom 6 port NIC 10/100/1000

far right my pc
SLI
2x 9800gtx+
8 gig
Silicom 6 port nic
1 x rs232

The rack:
is all home made 100% even the sliding keyboard shelf!
But it was free cept for the bolts.(pending URL aproval).

Rack NEEDS

2 x 3560 emi
1 duel xeon rack mount server
AS 2511-rj

PC upgrade needs:
sli x 3
psu 1000 watt
16 gig ddr3
3 x 2 tera HD
4 x 27" pannel
2 x 52" pannel



AND for fun i have an 80watt amp tied in and the big black box below is a 12" band speaker with a 12" horn.

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/1465/p1040759w.jpg


hanging on the right is a YAGI wifi antenna with a 2 watt amp

phoeneous

JeanM wrote: »

As of today, not in the picture is 2621 and my VM host. I need to order a new rack, the 12u amazon.com rack is no longer large enough

digi cm32 console server
pix 515 firewall
6 2950 switches, 3 are set up on another subnet for spanning tree labs. 4th one is for VM server, and the last two act as core/access switches with etherchannel. core switch is connected to my home network, and my soho router has routes to the lab as well for remote access.

4x 2620 routers, 3 used for frame relay
1x 2621 for back-up for now.
1x 3620 , it's kind of in the middle of it all, two 3640s connect to it
3x 3640s (running 12.4), 1 is frame relay, 1 is for the 4th 2620, 3rd is a router between the subnets and the 3 switches running spanning tree. Combination of rip2/eigrp/ospf.

Um, not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but you don't really need all of that for ccna. In fact, you don't need any of it. GNS3 is your friend.
But if you're going to use it for np and ie then you should sell 3 of those l2 switches and get an l3.

JeanM

Thanks, I don't want to use GNS3...I do use PT though, and then do the same thing on the real hardware as well. It's a preference, some learn on PT or GNS3 and some learn on real hardware. I like having physical lab, I've been into electronics since being a kid so I enjoy it. You end up working with real hardware after all

I'll get L3 switches after CCNA.

Jasiono

Do router mounts also work for switches?

JeanM

No, the mounting points are different. If you are talking 26xx vs 29xx... for example.

TehToG

If you mean the rackmounts? No. The 2950 and 2600 series have different rack mounts.

astrogeek

Stidrvr wrote: »

How did you mount the 2850? I was under the assumption that the rack isnt deep enough. Thanks in advance.

The standard Skeletek rack isn't deep enough to hold a server, you need an expansion kit which can be bought with your rack, or separately as I did. It's better to just buy the expansion when you buy the rack even if you don't think you will buy a server because it's extremely expensive to buy it separately, (these racks are heavy so shipping from Chicago to California is very expensive!). And as I originally thought that I would never buy a server.....things changed and I ended up paying a lot more for buying them separately.

Here's a side view so you can see the expansion kit holding the back end of the server - this is the 10u expansion.

Rack before expansion kit:

Rack after expansion kit:


I not only had to buy the 10u mini rack, (8u version would have worked too), but also had to buy the 30" wheel base too because this expansion won't work with the smaller base I had. I also bought some metal brackets to hold the server, but eventually I'll probably replace that with an actual server sliding rack mount kit. Keep in mind that you will need either these metal brackets or a server rack mount kit to actually mount the server.

These pictures are a little old, I need to update them as I now have a Digi CM 32 console server and love it! Also, if you are wondering about the rack mounted PC case...that was going to be my server until the motherboard died. So now that awesome rack mounted case is sitting in the garage collecting dust Eventually I want to build a PC for who knows what, but right now I don't need that. I even upgraded it's case fans that I thought looked really sick while running!

oli356

I had a quick google yesterday, I was struggling to find a place which sells 2950 and 1760 rack kits in the UK..

I found some for the switch, Cisco rackmounts for WS-C2924-XL-EN WS-C2950-24 (rack mount brackets ears) | eBay am I being stupid or shouldn't there be more screws then 4 ? 2 for each side to screw the bracket onto the switch and then 2 to screw the brackets onto the rack?

astrogeek

The screws for the rack should come with whatever rack you use since not all are the same. The mount kits only come with the screws to attach the rack ears to the switch or router, but not the actual rack.

oli356

Thanks for that Astrogeek, makes sense. Now to try and find the 1760 mount kit then

TehToG

Most racks just a standard system of cage nuts and screws. The cage nuts clicking into the rack and the screw threads into it. You typically get a small number of cage nuts when you buy a new rack.

lilmansdad

For those of you with these crazy lab set ups, how much are you paying in electricity for them? Looks like some of these set ups would really suck up the juice!

veritas_libertas

lilmansdad wrote: »

For those of you with these crazy lab set ups, how much are you paying in electricity for them? Looks like some of these set ups would really suck up the juice!

I worried about this as well when I first started. You you don't need to have the equipment on 24x7x365. Lab something up and then turn it off. I only turn on what I need to use and don't keep the entire rack on when I only need to use two routers, etc.

I haven't any significant change in my electric bill, but again, I don't keep the rack on 24x7x365

MAC_Addy

lilmansdad wrote: »

For those of you with these crazy lab set ups, how much are you paying in electricity for them? Looks like some of these set ups would really suck up the juice!

Nothing noticeable on the bill, to be honest. I have my lab on while studying, probably 6 - 10 hours per week when studying fully. You wouldn't want to keep them powered on constantly.

spd3432

Same here -- only have what I needed powered on when I'm doing labs. On the other hand, about 5 years ago I had 32 solar panels put on my roof so my normal electric bill is only a couple of bucks a month (connection fee) with annual catch-up to the electric company once a year -- right now, that catch-up is less than $100 for the past 10 months usage.

astrogeek

lilmansdad wrote: »

For those of you with these crazy lab set ups, how much are you paying in electricity for them? Looks like some of these set ups would really suck up the juice!

I have an APC PDU that I can remotely log in and power everything on and off as I please. It's really cool to be sitting at work at 3am on a slow night and log into my gear to test out a few scenarios without having to worry about power consumption or heating issues during these hot days!