Setting up MPLS test Lab?

redgoblin

I know this isn't really a CCNA topic, but I've got 4 2500's and 2 2600's that I've been using for my CCNA lab, and I would like to create a small MPLS 'cloud' with a couple of the routers as the remote sites. Anyone have any advice if this is possible with the routers I have and the best way to go about doing this?

mikej412

I don't think that its still available.... but there was an experimental IOS for the 2500 where a Cisco Engineer had added some MPLS support. The link is in a thread in the CCIP forum.

For the 2600s, you might have to boot from a TFTP server to run a newer 2600XM image that has MPLS support -- but a search through the Cisco IOS Feature Navigator would let you know for sure what 2600 IOS images support MPLS.

In the CCNP forum there is a CCNP Lab Equipment discussion where I commented on the suggested Labs for the new CCNP exams as they were posted on the Cisco CCNP Prep Center. The 3 router MPLS lab has got to be a joke.... unless they are covering just the basic commands.

The best solution for studying MPLS is to use Dynamips. This is a post where I collect the good Dynamips/Dynagen links. There is a link to the Internetwork Expert Dynamips page where you can download their Dynagen Topology files for their R&S and Service Provider lab configurations. The more powerful your PC, the more emulated routers you will be able to run.... and the more fun MPLS stuff you can do.

redgoblin

Thanks for the advice Mike I'll look into Dynamips as it doesn't really seem feasible to do it with the equipment I have.

My main motivation for doing this is that I work for a Service Provider where we do alot of MPLS troubleshooting. I figured it would be nice to know how to set it up so that I could understand exactly what I was doing (eg VRF's).