Questions about building a home lab

I have a couple of questions (that will show I'm new at this!)

I started my equipment by getting 2 2514 routers (w/12.3 IOS) and 2 1601 routers. I found that the "crypto" commands aren't available on these models so I can't experiment with VPNs on them.

For the questions:
1) On your equipment list, will you be able to do VPNs?
2) Is there a good comparison table posted somewhere that shows major functionality by product line? This table would show, for example, if the 800 models do VPN commands and what models perform IPS.

3) You talk about the need for RAM and Flash. For a lab, what are the benefits to having more and what is the minimum. (Frankly, I don't even know how much mine have yet!)

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mikej412

redboot wrote:

I have a couple of questions (that will show I'm new at this!)

I started my equipment by getting 2 2514 routers (w/12.3 IOS) and 2 1601 routers. I found that the "crypto" commands aren't available on these models so I can't experiment with VPNs on them.

For the questions:
1) On your equipment list, will you be able to do VPNs?
2) Is there a good comparison table posted somewhere that shows major functionality by product line? This table would show, for example, if the 800 models do VPN commands and what models perform IPS.

3) You talk about the need for RAM and Flash. For a lab, what are the benefits to having more and what is the minimum. (Frankly, I don't even know how much mine have yet!)

Any equipment running the proper IOS will do what you want.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/620/5.shtml
If you page down you will see the alphabetical list of IOS feature descriptors.

The IOS naming convention is platform-features-type

A crypto IOS for a 2500 would be named something like c2500-is56i-l.120-24.bin or c2500-jk8os-l.122-1b.bin

For the 1600 -- c1600-k8osy-mz.123-1a.bin or c1600-k8osy-l.123-1a.bin. The first one is compressed and 6.6megs, the 2nd on is the same feature set, but an uncompressed image and is 15.5megs. Only difference, the 2nd one boots faster.

The more memory/flash you have the larger/newer image (which usually means larger feature set) you can run in memory and store on the flash.

There is the IOS comparison page(s) on the Cisco Site, I don't have the URL handy.

And there are probably better links for the feature set, but this was the first one I found.... but you might have a better idea now what to look for.

redboot

Thanks for the info, mikej412. Your short post helped me quickly understand what I've been searching for in books and web sites.

I don't suppose it's easy to locate these crypto versions...

navfett

Great article. I am new to this forum and so far i like what i see. I still do frequent other ccie forums, ( dont want to mention their names in here since i am not doing any plugs for anyone ) but i notice people usually frown upon the cost of getting a ccie #. I am not saying do spend the money if your are passionate about it, but do so with a grain of salt.

Ok nuff typing. Glad i found this forum, hope to get to know the others on here as time goes by.

~~ navfett.

Webmaster

Welcome on board navfett!

mikej412

Since we're talking cheap here.... probably should add in the Dynamips/Dynagen info that's been posted elsewhere in the various Cisco Forums....

Update:
There is now a Class-on-Demand from InternetworkExpert!

mikej412 wrote:

Brian McGahan has a "Class-on-Demand walk through on Using Dynamips for CCIE Lab Preparation" on the InternetworkExpert website. The COD and Dynamips writeup is at this link.
http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/dynamips.htm

The 7200emu forums over at hacki.at (linked all the way at the bottom of the IE page) is where I usually go now to check out Dynamips/Dynagen stuff. Brian had posted this in the new HOWTOs section. There are also new lab sections there -- CCNA and CCNP, since Dynamips isn't just for for CCIE Candidates anymore.

mikej412 wrote:
It's easier to start with Dynagen -- which includes the Dynamips version that works with it in the download. Dynagen has a dependency on Winpcap 4.0 -- the download link for that is on the first URL. Dynagen works on Linux and XP.... it had a problem with 2000 before (not sure about now, or 2003).

Dynagen - The Dynamips Configuration Generator

Dynamips / Dynagen Tutorial

You can check out the latest Dynamips here.... and if it has something you absolutely can't live without, you can run it without Dynagen.

Dynamips Home Page

Support and bugs are here:
Cisco 7200 Simulator Blog

From the tutorial quoting the FAQ:
Dynamips runs real Cisco 3620, 3640, or 7200 IOS images. From the Dynamips FAQ:

Can you provide a Cisco IOS image for a 7200 to me?

No, I am not allowed to distribute any IOS image. You will have to find one by yourself, this should not be a problem if you are a Cisco customer.
Once you've gotten it working -- check out the Dynamips - Lab share thread.

TheShadow posted this internetwork expert labs and Dynamips thread -- but I'll just quote it here. The Internetworkexpert page has additional links, including one to a Dynamips forum with most of the lab workbook configs posted.

TheShadow wrote:

If you havent looked at groupstudy lately this was posted today along with a couple of topology setups for R&S and service provider

I've been getting lots of offline requests lately to post the
Internetwork Expert topologies in Dynamips/Dynagen form, so I've created
a white paper about it:

http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/iosonpc.htm

For those of you unfamiliar with the software package you can
use it to boot real IOS images for the 7206, 3620, 3640, and 3660 on
your desktop PC to create a CCIE lab environment.

Thanks,

Brian McGahan, CCIE #8593 (R&S/SP)
bmcgahan@internetworkexpert.com

From the Dynamip tip thread in the CCNP Forum:

romain wrote:

Just found on the web and hope it could help you !

http://www.virtualpod.org/video/

If you want to try the tool : Click Here

A bootable Linux CD with Dynagen/Dynamips..... still early beta but "live Linux CDs" aren't new. And editing an ISO image isn't a big deal if you don't want to wait for a fully "labbed" version to come out -- you can add your own net files (modified for Linux) and IOS image files now.

UPDATE: changed the 7200emu link to the new URL

mikej412

navfett wrote:

i notice people usually frown upon the cost of getting a ccie #.

Welcome! Old easy Version 1 Security Lab? Or the new hard Version 2 Security Lab? I've got one shot at the easy one scheduled in December.

If you're ready to publicly declare your CCIE Intent -- we've got a Who is Pursuing the CCIE in 2007? thread

The CCIE is great -- my lumpy old mattress is preventing me from getting a good nights sleep (ignoring the late hours at the rack that is also part of the problem) -- upgrade it and call it a CCIE expense.

The car is getting old... what if it doesn't start in the morning when I need to get to the airport to go to my lab exam (ignoring the neighbor who is catsitting for me, another neighbor next door, and a friend down the street who all would drive me to the airport) -- get a new one and call it a CCIE expense.

navfett

mikej412. It was the old one that took. I was adding items to my lab in accordance with what my budge allowed. But along the way i took a new job and got married so had time/money took precedence elsewhere.

I dont think i will be able to take the Sec lab since i only have a few months before my time expires for the lab so i will start on the R/S lab instead once i pass the written that is. My lab is still in the building process, i have several routers but only 1 switch, mostly 2600s & 2 2500s on hand. I am going to use the online labs for switching since my budget wont permit me to buy any at this time.

~~ navfett.

Ed Rooney

I have a 2950-24, a 2900xl and a 7204vxr. I'm about to retire a 2621 from a branch, so that should help as well.

Now I need a brain.