3640 or 2600xm?

Hey, I would like some input on my plans for a home lab. Ok, I'm only doing my icnd2 in a few weeks, so I guess I'm some kind of a newbie, but I want to expand my inventory with stuff to get by ccnp and possibly ccvp in the future. I'm not dirty rich or anything so budget is very much an issue.

Currently I've got two 2950G's, three 1721's, a 2522 FR, a 2511 AS and a 1812 (someone gave it to me very cheap). In addition to that I picked up three 7960's phones almost for free last week.

What I really want to know is the differences between all the 2600 xm models and what they have that others don't. Can someone dig up a cisco.com link or something? I never find what I'm looking for over there.

Or should I just get a bunch of 3640's?

Thanks alot!

PS: I've tried to search for answers, but I didn't get much wiser.

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Comments

hypnotoad

The 26x1XM models have 2 fast ethernet ports. These are nice.

On the other hand, the 2600XM's dont do MPLS, so they will inhibit CCNP (just one part of ISCW) and CCIP study.

Yet the 3640's are much louder than the 2600xm's, but more expandable in terms of cards.

2600XM's and 3640's will run a decent CME labs.

ColbyG

I prefer 3640s as you can make them do whatever you need.

surfthegecko

I would say that if you had to choose from the 2600/xm range that the
2621XM is a good choice.

For a start it is one of the 26x1XM series routers so has 2 f/a ports, but its also middle of the table so normally not too much.

I just purchased a 2621XM router off ebay.co.uk for £90 (+£15 pnp).

Maybe my previous post about the 2600XM series is of help? It has a few good links to comparison tables that some of the locals hooked me up with:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/41483-cisco-router-my-next-ms-exam.html

Only thing to keep in mind is hypnotoads post where it mentions they might not be the best for CCNP practice..... I was only looking towards CCNA/CCNA Voice/CCVP when I purchased this.

joey74055

ColbyNA wrote: »

I prefer 3640s as you can make them do whatever you need.

Ditto. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the 3640. It has 4 network module slots and I believe can support up to 12.4.

kryolla

3640s take up too much rack space so I wouldnt get a lot of them. I have 1 for my CCIE lab

mikej412

For Voice (running CME) I prefer the 1760-V or 2650XM (or any other 2600XM). The 3640s top out at CME 3.x

MY CCIE R&S & SP Lab is 3640 routers with 3620 routers for backbone & frame relay (and linking my home Cisco Lab to my home network).

My Voice Lab is four 1760-V routers, one 2650XM (with AIM-CUE), two 2650 routers and one 3640 (and 8 fully pimped out MC3810 routers). The 1760 & 2650 routers have AIM-VPN modules, so they also hang out in the Security Lab.

The 2600XM routers probably have a cost (and size advantage) over the 3640s now -- so if the 2600XMs support what you want to do they are the current "best buy."

For some reason people don't look at the 2650XM or 2651XM routers as much as the other models -- so if you do you may score a deal if you hunt those out (same for the 2650 and 2651 routers).

kryolla

Mike how many CCIE tracks are you studying for. You have a R&S & SP rack, a voice rack, and a security rack. I thought I was crazy by studying for R&S & SP but more concentration on R&S.

mgeorge

hypnotoad wrote: »

The 26x1XM models have 2 fast ethernet ports. These are nice.

On the other hand, the 2600XM's dont do MPLS, so they will inhibit CCNP (just one part of ISCW) and CCIP study.

Yet the 3640's are much louder than the 2600xm's, but more expandable in terms of cards.

2600XM's and 3640's will run a decent CME labs.

The 2650XM & 2651XM series can do MPLS running 12.3 Adv Enterprise Services.

NetworkFu

joey74055 wrote: »

Ditto. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the 3640. It has 4 network module slots and I believe can support up to 12.4.

3640's are great for CCNP. 3640's will run IOS 12.4 with 128/32, but not 12.4T which is the recommended IOS for the CCIE R/S. The 'T' represents new features not originally included with the 12.4 release.