CCNP Lab equipment - BSCI

larkspur

I am working on BSCI. I have 3620 ( frame switch), 2620 and 2611 both spoke routers.

My questions is will this be enough equipment to use for the self study guide?

The book lists a gang of equipment and I don't know any place other than net acad that has those kind of resources.

So I figure I would use loopback and sub interfaces to add networks for routing labs.

make sense, any suggestions?

Grym

The books for BSCI I am using list 4 routers, 1 backbone and 3 for a pod, that way you can do areas and actually see how routes are handled and such.

Which should be enough given a high enough IOS version on all of them up until BGP, which I'm not to yet, but everything up to BGP has worked fine with 4 routers....

Paul#4

I'm studying for the BSCI right now and using only Dynamips.

I heard the Problem with Dynamips is some of the Multicasting doesn't work like it should and I'm not sure if you can simulate Multicast receivers using Dynamips on Windows.

Everything else works fine it seems for the BSCI.
Routing protocols are the meat of BSCI so you could use a program like Dynamips and learn over 85% of the BSCI with success.
Multicast would probably be the only thing giving people problems.


BCMSN is going to be the hardest exam for me because multilayer switching is not equipment I have access to at this time. I think I can pass the test, but I wish there was a way to get more hands on.


Good luck

dtlokee

For the BCSI there aren't any topics on frame-relay itself, so the only reason to build a frame-relay network is to practice your routing protocols (OSPF in particular) over frame-relay (or some type of NBMA topology). For this having 3 routers which can be frame DTE and one frame switch (a 2520 is fine for this). You can build a network with one router as the hub with PVC's to the other 2 (partial mesh) to simulate an NBMA network then experiment with OSPF and OSPF network types.

HTH

Paul Boz

Dynamips is all you really need for the BSCI. As already stated, routing protocols are the meat and potatoes of the BSCI, and that's what Dynamips is especially good at.

dtlokee

Dynamips is all you really need for the BSCI

Live equiment will beat Dynamips for certification preperation anyday, hands down. Don't get me wrong it can be a valuable tool in one's preperation but I can't wait for the day I interview somone for employment in my conpany and they've only ever used Dynamips and they plug an Ethernet cable into the WIC-1BU and can't figure out why it's not working. I see it all the time and I don't understand somone spending thousands of dollars on building a super PC to run Dynamips when you can get a couple 2514's and a 2520 for $100-200 anymore. The most value from dynamips is when you need to run somthing like a 7206vxr to study for CCIE SP where POS and other WAN technologies are required that cannot be done on lesser equipment (so much for my beloved 2500's)

As far as passing the BSCI? if you're really good at memorizing commands and details of rotuing protocols, you could pass it without ever touching a router, dynamips, or a computer for that matter.