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Is this equipment enough for CCENT/CCNA?

eddie_M

Hi everybody,

I know this question is asked more then couple of times before, but I really don't have a clue if I'm in a good direction with this. At this moment i'm learning for my CCENT exam (and CCNA eventually). I got some equipment for cheap (even for free). I would like anybody's advice on if this is enough as prep, or do you think i really really need some other devices?

I have:

1x 851W
2x 2503
1x 2501

and a bunch of switches:

1x 1912
2x 1924 (with an enterprise ios version I believe)
2x 2916 (with fibre-optic WIC's)

So, is this enough to cover all topics related to the CCNA exam? And how would you hook this up this setup so it make sense and can practice some routing?

Thanks!

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Comments

jafar2048

Hello,

I didn't have any equipement while I was preparing CCNA 640-802. I used GNS3/dynamips (emulator) and Packet Tracer (simulator) and It was enough. I think you that don't really need to buy a LAB, GNS3/Dynamips (which is free and you can download it) is more than enough.

Well, anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Good luck for your exam

Regards,

gorebrush

25xx series routers are the staple diet of any CCNA lab, it seems.

You will find the 851W to be an excellent piece of kit, I have an 857W myself, which I now use to serve my internet

I'd say overall that's not bad. The 19xx switches are a bit pants nowadays, but depending on the rest of the materials you are using you should be covered.

I know you definitely won't be doing router on a stick with that equipment, and you will be expected to know it, however, RonaS isn't exactly difficult.

tiersten

Don't bother with the 19xx switches. They don't even run IOS. You get an IOSish CLI if you have the enterprise version of the firmware but it still isn't IOS.

The 2916XL isn't ideal but at least it runs IOS. Some of the commands have changed however so if you do use it then you must be aware of that.

tiersten

jafar2048 wrote:

GNS3/dynamips (emulator)

Cisco don't allow you to download and use IOS with dynamips/GNS3.

jafar2048 wrote:

Packet Tracer (simulator)

You can only get Packet Tracer if you've been to the Cisco Networking Academy.

jafar2048 wrote:

GNS3/Dynamips (which is free and you can download it) is more than enough.

Dynamips has a very basic implementation of a switch. You need more than that.