Wanted FREE advice for Cisco 2500 Series routers for CCNA

zooman

I want to buy a Cisco router for my 'newbie' CCNA/ WAN Lab. I've been looking on Ebay and there seem to be a few 2500 Series 2501 routers ranging from $50-100 + shipping.

Do I really need 16mb Flash /16mb DRAM for my application or is 8mb/16mb acceptable etc.. How significant is the Cisco IOS version. Does it matter for a CCNA student? I found on with IOS ver 11.2.18 at a good price.

I am assuming that this is similar to buying a Pentium Pro Server and asking if I should max out the clk2 EDO RAM and add SP 6.0.


Zooman ''

Webmaster

8/16 will do just fine for CCNA, and although 12.x is preferable, you can do far out most of tasks with an 11.x.

You will need at least 2 routers.

There are many posts about home labs involving 2500 series in this forum, please try a search. Or check out this one:
www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3349

keenon

there is a ebay seller i purchased 2 2501 with ver 12 ios for about 100 total.. however you will need to locate some dce to dte cables. you should also get a 1924 switch also. i'm in need of a switch but i'm thinking on buying one of the higher models to go into the ccnp track. they also have some great training dvd as well i like those with a book that way your can learn from dvd and pick up the book and have it make sense quicker (what book? todd's sybex of course)

zooman

Thanks.

I have to admit WAN seems like a 'strange land' to me. I am sure most of my current questions will be answered once I get the router and many more will unfold.

Several people left me with the impression that I wouldn't actually need a router and that I could get by with simulators. I don't see how I could ever prepare for the exam w/o at least one Cisco router.

I am going to buy a 2501 from a guy here in Dallas , who I met on Ebay. He is gonna include cables and transcievers and a bunch of cat5. (ya like I need more cat5 , lol) I'll pick it at noon today.

Zooman

Webmaster

zooman wrote:

Several people left me with the impression that I wouldn't actually need a router and that I could get by with simulators. I don't see how I could ever prepare for the exam w/o at least one Cisco router.

As you can read in the My Router Lab topic (link in my previous reply) and in several other posts regarding home labs, a simulator is good and better than nothing, but it certainly doesn't beat the real thing (cabling is an important and good example of what you won't gain experience with when using a sim).

However, as I mentioned in my previous reply, you will really need at least two cisco routers to build a CCNA lab. (a simulator is still better than only one router). You cannot build a WAN or actually use routing protocols with only one router (most of the CCNA exam is about these topics). You won't be able to even use the Serial interface with only one router (it won't get up because there is no link with a serial interface on another router).

Check out www.techexams.net/techlabs/ccna/lab_hardware.shtml for an overview of the most common (and minimal) CCNA lab setup including cables and connectors.

Good luck and have fun!

tunerX

Along with the 2501, You should get a 4500 or 4700 router with 4 serial ports and 2 ethernet ports. This way you can do frame-relay.

viper75

I say (2) 2501 routers and (2) switches will be fine. I think a routersim will be fine too if you can't dish out the $$$ for the equipment.

But I do agree with the WebMaster...a routersim will not give you the chance to cable the equipment.

tunerX

The router simulator does not give all of the available commands for debugging and show. They have coded just enough commands to let you learn key topics but not get intimately familiar with them.

zooman

Is the Cisco IOS upgradeable? I am asume it is.


Zooman

keenon

any ios is upgradable if the router has enough flash onboard or you may have to purchase additional. i'm selling off 2 routers on ebay also

zooman

I tried to download an updated IOS from Cisco.com. I don't think I can do that with a guest account. Any sugestions?

forbesl

zooman wrote:

I tried to download an updated IOS from Cisco.com. I don't think I can do that with a guest account. Any sugestions?

You must have a CCO account to download IOS images from Cisco.

There is however, a program called "IOSHunter" that will aid in your search for an IOS.
http://www.vitaltech-group.com/IOSHunter.htm
This program does NOT look for images created after 2002.

rossonieri#1

if you want to setup frame relay - you must have at least 3 routers : 2 for clients and 1 for frs/frame relay switch... but if you want to study routing function only its ok to have 2. best if you have 1 switch also - you know - to learn that vlan thing.

tunerX

You can do frame-relay with 2 routers as long as one of them has 3 serial ports.

Webmaster

You can set up frame-relay on two routers with a single serial back-to-back connection. It won't be typical example of a frame relay network, and you would never set it up like that in a real-life scenario, but for practicing some of the commands it can be useful. I think I wrote down the config for two 2501 routers, but that was about 6 years ago so I have to do some digging first. It may very well be on the cisco site as well.

forbesl

Here's a link to Cisco's "Comprehensive Guide to Configuring and Troubleshooting Frame Relay":
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk713/tk237/technologies_tech_note09186a008014f8a7.shtml
This will help you immensely.

tunerX

Webmaster wrote:

You can set up frame-relay on two routers with a single serial back-to-back connection. It won't be typical example of a frame relay network, and you would never set it up like that in a real-life scenario, but for practicing some of the commands it can be useful. I think I wrote down the config for two 2501 routers, but that was about 6 years ago so I have to do some digging first. It may very well be on the cisco site as well.

You can set up back to back frame-relay but you don't get the full benefits for debugging the LMI.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/125/frbacktoback.html

Webmaster

Like I said, it won't be typical example of a frame relay network, and you would never set it up like that in a real-life scenario, but for practicing some of the commands it can be useful.

keenon

also you will or you should get a 2600 router b/c the 2500 don't support ISL.

zooman

Thanks forbesl for the link. to IOS hunter.

I just upgraded the IOS on my 2501. I had no idea how idea how difficult it would be to find a tranciever in the Dallas area... but I did it.

I picked up a 2515 at a swap meet for $40. I did a little research and reset the password. I ordered a DTE/DCE V.35 serial cable and hope to connect over the weekend. While I admit I am having fun, the learning curve is time consuming.

Zooman

viper75

zooman wrote:

Thanks forbesl for the link. to IOS hunter.

I just upgraded the IOS on my 2501. I had no idea how idea how difficult it would be to find a tranciever in the Dallas area... but I did it.

I picked up a 2515 at a swap meet for $40. I did a little research and reset the password. I ordered a DTE/DCE V.35 serial cable and hope to connect over the weekend. While I admit I am having fun, the learning curve is time consuming.

Zooman