Home Lab question

Supermiguel

i bought from a friend 2 2501, 2 2503, 2 1912 switch for about $100 i looking forward to get the my CCNA certification what should i buy to make this a CCNA valid lab .... thanks
Edit: Also is a 2500 series frame-switch a normal 2500series router? acting as a frame-swittch?

Netwurk

Supermiguel wrote:

i bought from a friend 2 2501, 2 2503, 2 1912 switch for about $100 i looking forward to get the my CCNA certification what should i buy to make this a CCNA valid lab .... thanks
Edit: Also is a 2500 series frame-switch a normal 2500series router? acting as a frame-swittch?

For starters, you'll want to upgrade your switches. The 1912's will get you up and running, but they're useless for practicing switch commands (they don't use IOS). Getting at least one 2950 is a good idea.

You can make any of those routers a frame relay switch, but you will only have two ports (the serials) to work with. You can still do basic frame labs though.

Supermiguel

so i may want to buy a 2950 just the regular 24 port one?? i see alot of 2950 on ebay... also to make a frame relay out of all my router i need to get one with 4 serial ports right??? which CHEAP router has 4 serial ports to make it a fram relay...???? thanks

mikej412

Internetwork Expert has a Building a Compound Frame Relay Switch article under their CCIE Lab Preparation Resources. It shows how to use two 2500s (a 2501 and 2520) to build a 6 port frame relay "cloud."

While the article uses the AUX ports to connect the router, you can also use a tunnel interface over the Ethernet ports.

If you use 2 2501 routers then you can build a 4 port frame relay cloud. Over Ethernet you can add more tunnels and more routers to build a larger frame relay cloud.

elegua

Hi Guys,

Why buy 2500/3600 serie routers and 2924/2950 switches???, why buy 261X or 262X routers?, if i were you i'll do this (i did this):

Buy 4- 2650 138D/32F, 12.4 IOS - $80.00 each.
Buy 1- 1710 64D/16F, support SDM, 12.4 IOS - less than $25 locally (GTA).
Buy 2- 2950G EI, good for CCNA/CCNP - $50 more than a regular 2950 switch.
Buy 1- 2610 64D/16F and one NM-4A/S or NM-8A/S for Frame-Relay - $100 or less (why pay $200 or more for a 2520 or 2522).
Buy 1- 2509 Access-server --> $100-150 or less if you wait for your shot, if you have short budget you don't need it, this is a extra feature, you won't be test it on this.

For $500-800 you can have a very good CCNA/CCNP lab, the only thing is missing here is 2 3550 L3 switches and you can add them later, i just got 2 for $899.

If you buy 2500 you have to use full memory and in top of that buy transceivers, if you buy 3600 you have to buy NM cards, if you buy 261X you are limited to used 12.3 IOS, it you buy 262X the same unless you upgrade Boot ROM and upgrade memory to 32MB Flash, at the end is better and buy 4-5 2650 routers, come with 138D/32F (see the diference), come with FE port (see the diference), uses 12.4 IOS (see the diference), cost $15-20 more that a 261X router and $100-120 less than a 262X, i saw a 2621 router that was sold on ebay for more than $250 why?, because has 2 FE ports?? i'll buy 3 2650 and have 3 FE ports (see the diference) with that money, why buy a 2600XM serie router or 830/850/870 to practice SDM??, you can buy a 1710 router for $15-30 and run SDM.

This is my point of view, maybe i'm wrong but think about it and you'll see that you can have a CCNA/CCNP cisco lab for few hundreds more than you are spending right now in a only CCNA lab.

Hope this help.

Turgon

ddzierzek wrote:

The more I read these "Home Lab" threads, the more I feel like I may have just wasted 100 dollars.

I was following what I thought was a good "Build a CCNA" home lab guides and I bought 2 2501's and a 1900 switch all together for about $100 including shipping.

Now I am thinking I may have just wasted my money. I haven't even got to the portion of my CCENT material where I would start using these but... is what I bought even going to be of any use?

If I am going to have to purchase more up-to-date routers and switches, can what I already have still be of any use?

Thanks,
Dale

I got a lot of CCIE prep done on 2501's so don't sweat it! Dynamips can save you money on gear but I do think time spent with hardware is time well spent. Not least the upgrading and cabling!