Just won a 2950 switch on ebay - what labs do i do with it first????

BadBoy House

In preparation for it arriving later this week I though I'd see what labs you'd recommend I do first with my 2950?

I've flicked through the CCENT book but this seems to be more password setup which I can already do.

Are there any cool labs you could recommend that I'd still learn something suitable for ICND1/ICND2 ?

networker050184

If you only have one switch not much you can do with it really. Once you get a couple more switches you can start to work on some STP labs. You can set up router on a stick if you have a router also.

mikej412

For ICND1, you can

Implement a small switched network

• Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect switches to other network devices and hosts
• Perform, save and verify initial switch configuration tasks including remote access management
• Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities (including: ping, traceroute,telnet,SSH,arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands
• Implement and verify basic security for a switch (port security, deactivate ports)
• Identify, prescribe, and resolve common switched network media issues, configuration issues, autonegotiation, and switch hardware failures

For ICND2 you can

Configure, verify and troubleshoot a switch with VLANs and interswitch communications

• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VLANs
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot trunking on Cisco switches
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot interVLAN routing
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VTP
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RSTP operation
• Interpret the output of various show and debug commands to verify the operational status of a Cisco switched network
• Implement basic switch security (including: port security, unassigned ports, trunk access, etc.)

But you might need more than one switch for the really fun stuff.

When in doubt, check out the exam blueprints
https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/docs/DOC-4986
https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/docs/DOC-4977
or
https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/community/certifications/ccna/ccna_exam?view=overview

Highspade

Do you have a router?


Without a router you could lab initial switch configuration:

Configure the Enable password
Configure the Enable secret (what is the difference)
User account creation
vty and console line setup
Access lists to control telnet access to the switch
Vlan creation and port assignment
SwitchPort security
Create Login and MoTd banners

I'm sure there is more, but that should get you thinking.

BadBoy House

yeah i've got 3 routers. i'm sure there'll be plenty of labs i can do with one router to begin with. i'll get another when i realise i can't do a specific lab with the one i've got.

mikej412

Even though these two tasks are "routed network" tasks in the ICND1 exam blueprint

• Manage IOS configuration files (including: save, edit, upgrade, restore)
• Manage Cisco IOS

you should also do them on a switch.

That should include backing up the switch IOS image and then erasing the image from the switch flash and restoring using XMODEM. Doing it once in a lab/learning environment is usually enough to insure that you will never accidentally erase a switch IOS image file for the rest of your Cisco career.

tiersten

mikej412 wrote: »

That should include backing up the switch IOS image and then erasing the image from the switch flash and restoring using XMODEM. Doing it once in a lab/learning environment is usually enough to insure that you will never accidentally erase a switch IOS image file for the rest of your Cisco career.

The first time is also usually when you've forgotten to change the baud rate from 9600

Slowhand

Now is a perfect time to practice your VLAN skills. Hook your cable/dsl router up to a port that's in the same VLAN as your own computer, place your roommates/family on a seperate VLAN, then let the blackmail begin. They might not spring for a 1800 or 2800-series, but they might just be susceptible enough to lay down $150 for a 2600XM-series router. Of course, I have never personally committed acts of evil to this scale. No, really. . .

BadBoy House

LOL. Great idea!