My Home Lab CCNA Setup

MacDiesel

Would the following be a good setup for a home lab to study for CCNA?

(2) Cisco 2514 Routers
(2) Cisco Switches - One is a 2950 and the other is a 1924
(1) Console Cable
(2) Back to Back Serial Cables

Thanks in advance!!

mikej412

MacDiesel wrote: »

Would the following be a good setup for a home lab to study for CCNA?

(2) Cisco 2514 Routers
(2) Cisco Switches - One is a 2950 and the other is a 1924
(1) Console Cable
(2) Back to Back Serial Cables

Thanks in advance!!

Check out the CCNA FAQ

There have also been quite a few recent lab threads in the last month or two (like usual).

The 1924 was only good as a boat anchor, door stop, coffee cup coaster, or something to plug 3 routers into to do OSPF DR/BDR Elections (but any hub or switch would let you do that) when I took the CCNA.... so I don't think anything has changed recently to change that.

The 2950 is what you want. Two of them actually, since you can't do much of the CCNA switching topics with just one switch. One switch will get you started with basic switch configuration and VLANs.

I like the 2924-XL-EN as a 3rd switch -- it's old, obsolete, and cheap -- but supports ISL (Cisco Proprietary) which may come up sometime in your Cisco future.

The 2514 are nice cheap routers. The 2501 routers are cheaper -- but some people seem to like having 2 Ethernet LAN ports on the 2514, rather than the single LAN port on the 2501. The last IOS versions were either a 12.2 Enterprise Plus or a 12.3 IP Plus. They'll do the basic routing you need for the CCENT and CCNA (if they have one of the last IP Plus/Enterprise Plus IOS versions).

4 routers lets you setup one as a frame-relay switch (2520, 2522, or NM-4A/S or NM-8A/S in a 2600, 3620, 3640, or 2600XM) and use the other 3 in a hub and spoke configuration. 2 2501 (or 2514) routers can also be configured back-to-back to create a Compound Frame Relay Switch -- I posted the link yesterday in this http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/40455-never-go-shopping-when-your-hungry.html thread.

If you look at the CCNA FAQ (and the Exam Blueprint(s)) you should notice some of the other requirements that affect you choice of routers -- You need at least one router that has 802.1q support (for router on a stick), SDM Support, and something that supports SSH.

If you're thinking ahead to the CCNP -- then at least one of the 4 CCNA routers should support MPLS (and you'd add a 2nd MPLS router to give you 5 routers for the CCNP).

Here's a router/lab thread from December that could help....
http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/38753-questions-about-different-routers-home-lab.html