My router lab

pandimus

Will this work for a CCNA lab? About above? CCNP bla bla.. I tried to search for 2507 but couldnt find anything..

thanks

2 Cisco 2507 Routers w/ 16D/16F

12.2 ENTERPRISE/FW PLUS IPSEC 56

16 Ethernet Hub Ports

2 synchronous serial ports

1 Cisco Catalyst 1912 Switch

9.00.06 Enterprise IOS

12 switched 10BaseT ports

1 switched AUI port

2 switched 100BaseTX ports

Webmaster

Nice That will do just fine for CCNA.

Don't forget the V.35 DTE cable and V.35 DCE cable:
www.techexams.net/technotes/ccna/lab_hardware.shtml

I've seen and worked with most of the 2500 series, but never seen a 2507. The 16 ports should provide some good practice
Is there any reason you want the 2507s? I can imagine they are a bit more expensive than a 2501.

For CCNP you will probably want to add a third router, and a second switch.

There's not much available anymore for the 2500 (2507 reached end-of-sale) series, perhaps the following links are of some use, but there really isn't much to know about the 2507 apart from the things you listed.

www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps233/ps239/index.html

www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps233/products_maintenance_guide_book09186a00800dc6d3.html

pandimus

No reason i particularly want those.. I actually found them cheaper than 2501's. Thats the reason...

Now just a question.. I can afford to buy those, but do you feel that having those is particularly better than a simulator? I was able to get the boson simulator. But i am not sure if it is in my best interest to pick up the router lab itself..

Thanks for the info

pandimus

oh yeah comes with this

3 AC Power Cords.

2 Ethernet Crossover Cables

1 3ft DCE/DTE Serial Crossover Cable

1 Console Cable

pandimus

From the same guy, if i want 2501's it will cost me 69 bucks more

I noticed on the chart you gave me the 2507 doesnt indicate it has ethernet. Will this be a factor?

pandimus

Sorry for so many posts. This is my sorry attempt to get my post's over 400.. J/K


I scrolled down a bit and i think i see how those 2507's work. I would just plug in via the rj45 console plug correct? I should be able to just go in through my exsisting router i suppose.

JOblessELement

Very interesting. What's a set up like this gonna cost you?

pandimus

399 and he has 5 of them

2lazybutsmart

How 'bout a 2600 router? would that be fine, cuz I'm hearing 25xx series are being discontinued.

Webmaster

pandimus wrote:

No reason i particularly want those.. I actually found them cheaper than 2501's. Thats the reason...

Now just a question.. I can afford to buy those, but do you feel that having those is particularly better than a simulator? I was able to get the boson simulator. But i am not sure if it is in my best interest to pick up the router lab itself..

Thanks for the info

Yes I do. Although www.routersim.com and www.boson.com provide excellent sims with a large number of supported commands, it just doesn't come close to an actual homelab. Apart from studies, I found it to be essential if you actually get a job configuring Cisco routers (unless your employer lets you take routers home to 'play' with' )

But for CCNA alone (i.e. as an extra cert on top MCSE) a simulator would do just fine.

I noticed on the chart you gave me the 2507 doesnt indicate it has ethernet. Will this be a factor?

Like I said, I never worked with a router with integrated hub. I does have Ethernet, I wouldn't have an idea how to configure it though, because I assume you cannot set IP addresses on the individual hub ports.

I scrolled down a bit and i think i see how those 2507's work. I would just plug in via the rj45 console plug correct? I should be able to just go in through my exsisting router i suppose.

You would plug the console (/management) cable into the RJ 45 console port, the other end shold be DB-9 and connect to a serial port on your PC. This will allow you to configure the router without connecting thru telnet (because it doesn't have an IP yet.) (Did you check our Hardware Lab I linked to above?)

399 and he has 5 of them

That is a fair price, not very cheap though. I've seen sets with two 2501 and a Cat 1912/24 for $250 on eBay.

How 'bout a 2600 router? would that be fine, cuz I'm hearing 25xx series are being discontinued.

The current CCNA exam does focus on 2600 routers, and "With the exception of the Cisco 2509 and 2511 models, all other Cisco 2500 models have reached end-of-sale or end-of-life status and cannot be ordered and may no longer be supported." Unfortunately the 2600s are much more expensive, it would be 'fine' indeed, but a 2500 will do for practice.

2lazybutsmart

Well Johan, looks like I'm one lucky feller becuase I happen to have a friend who works as a Senior Engineer in a telecom company and he said I can have one 2600 router to practice with. (Well at least it's not word of mouth, because it's now on top of the my bookshelf )

pandimus

What about ram, will that make a difference for a routing lab? I found 2501's with 6mRam 8mFlash. They have ios 11. but i'm sure this can be upgraded right?

75 bucks.


Not to good at reading this but this is the version screen

System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM SPECIFIC RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)



Copyright (c) 1986-1997 by cisco Systems

2500 processor with 6144 Kbytes of main memory



%SYS-4-CONFIG_NEWER: Configurations from version 11.2 may not be correctly under

stood.

%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0.1, changed state to down



%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0.2, changed state to down



F3: 5270536+64224+261740 at 0x3000060



Restricted Rights Legend



Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is

subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph

(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted

Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph

(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer

Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.



cisco Systems, Inc.

170 West Tasman Drive

San Jose, California 95134-1706







Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software

IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C2500-D-L), Version 11.2(9), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Copyright (c) 1986-1997 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Mon 22-Sep-97 21:41 by ckralik

Image text-base: 0x0302B1C4, data-base: 0x00001000



cisco 2500 (68030) processor (revision L) with 6144K/2048K bytes of memory.

Processor board ID 01563485, with hardware revision 00000000

Bridging software.

X.25 software, Version 2.0, NET2, BFE and GOSIP compliant.

Cisco-ET Extended Temperature platform.

1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)

2 Serial network interface(s)

32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

8192K bytes of processor board System flash (Read ONLY

Webmaster

Although I managed to get 12.0(9) on a 2500 with only 4 MB RAM and Flash, it depends mostly on the exact version of 12.x and the edition of the IOS (IP Plus IPSEC and Enterprise Plus require 8 MB RAM.) 6 MB is the bare minimum in most cases, but will do. The RAM in the 2500s can be easily expanded though, you might even have some DRAM sitting in an old PC that might work.

They have ios 11. but i'm sure this can be upgraded right?

Right (use command copy tftp flash), i.e. if you but two routers, you can buy one with 12.x and one with an older IOS and just 'copy' the one to the other (via a TFTP server). Or perhaps you know someone who is willing to provide you with an 'educational' image of the 12.x IOS....

pandimus

Thanks now that i know for sure that i can upgrade the ram and the ios, i can safely bid on something.

Or perhaps you know someone who is willing to provide you with an 'educational' image of the 12.x IOS....

The Gentleman at my local prometric center gets sick of me talking with him cause he is the only person i know who is into certs and what not. But i am sure i can find an Educational copy somewhere.

Do you recommend a combination. like a 2501, and a 2503. Since the 2503 has a bri port too? I will like to upgrade to a CCnp afterwards, i will upgrade to the appropriate amount of equipment then.

Webmaster

pandimus wrote:

Do you recommend a combination. like a 2501, and a 2503. Since the 2503 has a bri port too? I will like to upgrade to a CCnp afterwards, i will upgrade to the appropriate amount of equipment then.

Unless you have access to an ISDN line to which you can hook up the router, no. Although I would prefer a 2514 over a 2501 because the 2514 has an extra Ethernet interface (hence an extra network in the routing process.) but you won't see those being offered very often.

Nevertheless, for the CCNA exam and the CCNP BRCAN (remote access) exam it can be very useful to be able to practice with a real ISDN connections. If you have routers with an ISDN connection, you can buy a box that simulates a ISDN provider's network, but it used to be quite expensive.

For CCNP you will need at least 1 extra router, although most of the commands and configs can be practiced with 2 as well. This is particularly important for the BSCI (routing) exam, to practice with OSPF, EIGRP and BGP areas, domain, autonomous systems, route redistribution, etc. etc.

A second switch is particularly useful for the BCMSN (switching) exam. Strictly taken, you would need 2 switches for the CCNA exam objective "Configure inter-VLAN routing" (routing information between VLANs on two switches via a router, a common real-world scenario) but even with such an extensive lab there will be configs/commands you'll just have to get from a book.

pandimus

Ok we will see what we can find.. Ive got a little time before i finish up my MCSE, and attact the sec+ again..

pandimus

Ok, sofar i have picked up

1 2514 router 128.50
1 1924c-en switch 100.00
1 consol cable 7.50
1 db-60 crossover. 6.00

not including shipping.. Thinking i will need one more router.. probably 2501.

Webmaster

Thinking i will need one more router.. probably 2501.

and don't forget the Ethernet transceivers.

pandimus

i think one comes with my 2514.

I will probably need two more..

pandimus

Just another question..

Cause i can still get a 2507 for fairly cheap..


Do you think i could do the same things with a 2507 that i can with a 2501?

I notice that the difference is the 2501 has 1 ethernet plug, but the 2507 has a 16 port hub.. same thing x16???

I know youve said youve never worked with one of these, but your guess is better than mine.

Webmaster

I notice that the difference is the 2501 has 1 ethernet plug, but the 2507 has a 16 port hub.. same thing x16???

That would be fun, but it is a router with integrated hub, not a router with 16 separate Ethernet interfaces as in separate networks. I did a quick search at cisco.com, check out this page and this page.

Also, I checked the model in Cisco's ConfigMaker (download it if you don't have it yet), and I'm sure the answer to this:

Do you think i could do the same things with a 2507 that i can with a 2501?

is: definitely, and more. Cisco ConfigMaker shows that there is an Ethernet interface to be configured (although not physically present, it is split up in 16 connectors.) You'll configure 1 IP address for the entire hub by configuring the Ethernet 0 interface as you would on a 2501, but the cisco docs showed that their is also a 'hub configuration mode' (prompt will be something like Router(config-hub)#, which allows you to configure port specific settings. Pretty device actually.

[Edit]Yes it is hub configuration mode: check out this page[/edit]

pandimus

you definitly rock

Sartan

Your ios isn't upgradeable unfortunately..
the next release is 12.0(1)t and requires more ram than what you have.

*edit* i read your ram as your nvram!

You can upgrade

No further, though.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/iosw/iore/iomjre12/prodlit/819_pp.htm

pandimus

shucks... At least i have the 2514 to play around with... We will see, haven bought one yet....

Webmaster

[edit] never mind [/edit]

Your most welcome Pandimus

Webmaster

Sartan wrote:

No further, though.

The show version command on one of my Cisco 2501 routers wrote:

IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C2500-I-L), Version 12.0(9), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-2000 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 24-Jan-00 21:19 by bettyl
Image text-base: 0x0302F300, data-base: 0x00001000

ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c), SOFTWARE
BOOTFLASH: 3000 Bootstrap Software (IGS-BOOT-R), Version 11.0(10c), RELEASE SOF)

Router1 uptime is 5 minutes
System restarted by power-on
System image file is "flash:c2500-i-l.120-9"

cisco 2500 (68030) processor (revision N) with 2048K/2048K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 17540109, with hardware revision 00000000
Bridging software.
X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
2 Serial network interface(s)
32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
8192K bytes of processor board System flash (Read ONLY)

Configuration register is 0x2102

it is slowwww though

pandimus

ok, just picked up a 2507.

120 bux shipped.. more than a 2501, but still better.

Webmaster

Well, that should get you thru CCNA quite nicely

So how much did you spend spend in total on the entire lab, about $350?

pandimus

lemme calculate and get back with ya..

But probably less than what those 2 2507 lab woulda cost me.. 399. Plus i got a variety.. :0

pandimus

407.. including shipping.. so a little less than the 379 plus 40 bux shipping..

Webmaster

Not bad at all.

btw. because you picked the 2507 you don't need an Ethernet transceiver for that one...

Here's the link for the ConfigMaker is mentioned earlier:
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/netmgtsw/ps754/index.html
Although it is not part of the CCNA exam, it is a great way to get started and try out some different setups.