Cisco Router

Ok i've looked through the other threads and seen what switchs are suggested for CCNA / CCNP etc but i have a slightly different question.

I am currently following the MS path but as im sure with most of you my interestes can be a bit sporatic and I start looking at one thing and soon end up on something else entirley.

IE: Started with 2003 Server stuffs > TCP/IP, DNS and DCHP > IP/Networking > Setnetting / VLANS etc and now im interested in having a 'play' with a switch.

Now whats the best for a 'hobby' piece rather than for a cert etc?

Something cheap so I can get an idea of the general things (nothing too indepth yet) but not something to much out of date.

I know its 'another' of the what router should i get threads so one word answers are fine by me

PS: TFI Friday

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tech-airman

Sie wrote:

Ok i've looked through the other threads and seen what switchs are suggested for CCNA / CCNP etc but i have a slightly different question.

I am currently following the MS path but as im sure with most of you my interestes can be a bit sporatic and I start looking at one thing and soon end up on something else entirley.

IE: Started with 2003 Server stuffs > TCP/IP, DNS and DCHP > IP/Networking > Setnetting / VLANS etc and now im interested in having a 'play' with a switch.

Now whats the best for a 'hobby' piece rather than for a cert etc?

Something cheap so I can get an idea of the general things (nothing too indepth yet) but not something to much out of date.

I know its 'another' of the what router should i get threads so one word answers are fine by me

PS: TFI Friday

Sie,

How fast is your internet connection?

Sie

Works out to be roughly 4.5MB to 5MB (lovely Tiscali fluxuation

)

Using a Netgear DG834 currently btw.

Paul Boz

You won't really be able to do anything "interesting" with vlans without a couple of switches and at least one router that can do vlan trunking. The current switch which the CCNA is based on is the 2950 but they're still in production so they're relatively expensive compared to an end of life 2900 series.

Here's a thread from the CCNA forum about low cost switches. Follow this link and the links contained in the various replies.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22894

As far as what router to get, I'd get a 26xx series, with two fast ethernet ports (either built in via WIC).

You can go super cheap or you can buy current gear that will actually help you learn - it's up to you.

ally_uk

Yeah I'm in a similar position what kinda interesting stuff could I acheive with a Cisco switch?

I am undertaken my CCNA this year would be it be a good idea to get a switch just to get a feel for IOS?

Paul Boz

If you're going to buy one piece of equipment I'd get a 26xx series router as described above. Switching is just a small component of the CCNA curriculum.

Of course hands on experience with real Cisco gear will improve your ability to configure, understand, and work with Cisco equipment, but to be honest with you I barely used my lab for the CCNA. You'd probably be better off buying Boson's NetSim software for the CCNA. It's like $150 but gives you tons of labs and access to a virtually unlimited number of Cisco devices.

tech-airman

Sie wrote:

Works out to be roughly 4.5MB to 5MB (lovely Tiscali fluxuation )

Using a Netgear DG834 currently btw.

Sie,

Questions:

How many "networking clients" do you have in total?
Are you planning to get any more networking clients in the future? If so, how many?
Are any of them wireless? If so, how many?

Sie

tech-airman: Four network clients at present. Nothing planned for near future for anymore. (may run multiple VM's but that doesnt count) Currently no wireless either (not till i move house which isnt going to be for a few months).

Paul Boz: Thanks for that link, its just something fairly cheap that i can have a play with and 'get my feet wet' more out of interest at the moment than anything else.

Just enjoying learning new things and I have never owned any cisco routers/switches and thought it about time.

Im not planning to be any type of guru right now but just to be able to hold a conversation concerning it would be nice and to know what things mean even if i dont know how to implement them myself. (and no i dont mean a conversation down the pub, do you know how quickley you get left if you start talking bout binary and hex?

)

Thanks guys for your responses.

Paul Boz

If you just want something to toy around with, pick up a 2900 series like I mentioned

Sie

Would this work with the netgear fine or should i look at a cisco router instead and not use the netgear?

Guess the question is : Router or Switch? (im leaning to switch ? )

tech-airman

Sie wrote:

Would this work with the netgear fine or should i look at a cisco router instead and not use the netgear?

Guess the question is : Router or Switch? (im leaning to switch ? )

Sie,

Your existing Netgear DG834 router seems to meet your current live networking needs of:

Connecting to the internet.
Connecting 4 networking clients to the internet.

For the goal of a "hobby/study network" to continue your Microsoft studies in an isolated home network, how about the following:

Cisco 2514 router
Cisco Catalyst 19XX switch with at least 6 ports.

The tasks to be done would be:

Configure the switch into two VLANs.
Connect the first ethernet port of the router to a switchport in the first VLAN.
Connect the second ethernet port of the router to a switchport in the second VLAN.
Configure a routing protocol on the router.

Since you specified this is on a "hobby" basis and not CCNA study track, you should be able to accomplish your goals in a cost effective way with my recommendation.

I hope this helps.

Source:

DG834 - ADSL Firewall Router - NETGEAR.com - http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/WiredRouters/DG834.aspx?detail=Specifications

Sie

Thank you for your detailed reply, my only thoughts are : the 19XX's arnt these only 10meg and not 10/100? This would be fine within a isolated network if i was to use them within my live network (which i may end up doing) this would throttle the bandwidth available.

Am i asking too much for 10/100 capacity at a low cost??

tech-airman

Sie wrote:

Thank you for your detailed reply, my only thoughts are : the 19XX's arnt these only 10meg and not 10/100? This would be fine within a isolated network if i was to use them within my live network (which i may end up doing) this would throttle the bandwidth available.

Am i asking too much for 10/100 capacity at a low cost??

Sie,

Yes, the Cisco Catalyst 19XX series are 10Mbps switches. However, you stated that your internet speed is "4.5MB to 5MB." So comparing your internet speed with the Ethernet port of the Cisco 2514 router operating at 10Mbps and the Ethernet port of the Cisco Catalyst 19XX's switch ports operating at 10Mbps, technically the performance bottleneck would be your internet connection.

You were requesting suggestions on a "hobby network" and not "upgrading your existing live network." Those are two separate design problems. Since you already have the Netgear router with built-in 10/100 switch ports, you already have "10/100 capacity at a low cost" of no additional cost at this point. If you want to upgrade your existing live network to a more complex and higher performance network, then the next step would be to get equipment appropriate for a "CCNA study network." However, you have already stated that your technical constraint are:

"...a 'hobby' piece rather than for a cert..."
"...Something cheap so I can get an idea of the general things (nothing too indepth yet)..."

I hope this helps.

Sie

Ok, point taken

Darthn3ss

you can get a cisco 2924 switch on ebay for less than $70 usually, like i said in another thread (or was that here?) i got 3 of them for ~$120. I picked up a 2620 for $120 as well (which is 10/100) but if you're not wanting to spend that much you can probably get a 2610 for less than $100. a 2500 series router will work fine though.