Revamped CCVP Lab Setup

pitviper

hypnotoad wrote: »

I love the lab and the NIN backgrounds on the phones.

I recently added 2 more 7965s... and now BR1 has it's own set of NIN wallpaper

GuyManDude

Almost got my lab gear together and now I just ran into something I hadn't thought of. How can a 2811 run both T1 and E1 cards simultaneously if you can only specify one isdn frame-switch type in global?

I assume you just pick a type and use it for all the controllers?

TIA

pitviper

GuyManDude wrote: »

Almost got my lab gear together and now I just ran into something I hadn't thought of. How can a 2811 run both T1 and E1 cards simultaneously if you can only specify one isdn frame-switch type in global?

I assume you just pick a type and use it for all the controllers?

TIA

You also have the option of setting ISDN switch-type on the individual D channels – which I believe will override the global setting (if set). If using a VWIC2-2MFT-T1/E1 which supports T1 and E1 both ports have to be the same – but you are fine across multiple VWICs.

RT2851(config)#interface Serial0/0/1:23
RT2851(config-if)#isdn switch-type ?
primary-4ess Lucent 4ESS switch type for the U.S.
primary-5ess Lucent 5ESS switch type for the U.S.
primary-dms100 Northern Telecom DMS-100 switch type for the U.S.
primary-net5 NET5 switch type for UK, Europe, Asia and Australia
primary-ni National ISDN Switch type for the U.S.
primary-ni2c The Cisco NAS-SC switchtype based on NI2C.
primary-ntt NTT switch type for Japan
primary-qsig QSIG switch type
primary-ts014 TS014 switch type for Australia (obsolete)

RayGMC

I'm not sure if you ever noticed but you mislabeled the Frame Relay device in your Visio. It's a 3640, correct? Great job on your diagram and rack.

pitviper

Thanks! Yeah, it was a typo - All fixed in subsequent revisions!

Legacy User

I know its an older thread but man thats some nice cabling!

pitviper

dmarcisco wrote: »

I know its an older thread but man thats some nice cabling!

Just noticed this – thanks! Yeah, it’s kind of a pet peeve of mine.

Here's what my typical branch office setups look like:

shodown

Here's a quick and DIRTY of my lab


Where have I been - YouTube

pitviper

Nice! those cables would make me insane though!!

shodown

pitviper wrote: »

Nice! those cables would make me insane though!!

I have to change configuration pretty often, even the gear comes and goes. If I had a static setup I would make it neater

pitviper

shodown wrote: »

I have to change configuration pretty often, even the gear comes and goes. If I had a static setup I would make it neater

Yeah, I hear ya. My work lab is completely dynamic. For that I use 1U cable management units with hinged covers - that way I can just slap the wires in there an not see them.

shodown

What type of job are you doing now. Are you at a partner or a large corp?

pitviper

Midsized Business/Small Enterprise. Roughly 80 locations in 4 states. We do everything in-house (Which now includes Cisco's Digital Signage offering).

Legacy User

yea those new pictures are drool worthy. You do great install work!

Legacy User

@shodown you mentioned stuff comes and goes. I seen your lab on youtube. Does your lab consist of equip not used at work and you swap it out once they need it? what are the specs of the server your running in the lab?

shodown

My server is a older dell server with 12 Gig and 1 TB HD. As far as come and go when I'm working on a project for one of my clients sometimes they send things directly to my home or I take it home when Im' on site. Some of it is mine and some of it is customers. the 2921 is a customer device that I'm working on some faxing projects and I usually build out new sites with it as all the Voicegateways are using that device as a standard so I can make it any site in the topology as the voice cards are always going to be in the same slot.

MAC_Addy

pitviper wrote: »

Yeah, I hear ya. My work lab is completely dynamic. For that I use 1U cable management units with hinged covers - that way I can just slap the wires in there an not see them.

The cable management that you have running down each side of your rack, where'd you get those from?

Legacy User

Pretty cool stuff. What model server do you have? I have a dell sc1425 and for me to get it at 12gb has to be single channel memory all throughout do you run into the same issue? I can only max out at 8gb with dual channel memory which is a fraction of the price of the single channel.The 2900 and 3900 series routers are some sleek looking routers. Always treat when i get to play with them.

pitviper

MAC_Addy wrote: »

The cable management that you have running down each side of your rack, where'd you get those from?

Cable Management Rings (for Skeletek Racks):

Dantrak Net *- New and Used Networking Equipment and Peripherals. Skeletek Racks and Accessories.

They sell a smaller size too (top 1/2 of my rack) but I don't see them listed now.

shodown

dmarcisco wrote: »

Pretty cool stuff. What model server do you have? I have a dell sc1425 and for me to get it at 12gb has to be single channel memory all throughout do you run into the same issue? I can only max out at 8gb with dual channel memory which is a fraction of the price of the single channel.The 2900 and 3900 series routers are some sleek looking routers. Always treat when i get to play with them.

Sorry I just saw this. I have a Dell something I forgot now. I'll update later on on the memory setup. This was a older server not being used and I picked it up and started to use it. Its pretty busted up, but works. The 2900/3900 are a pain in the a55 for me. I hate dealing with the licensing issues that I run into. Now I usually order the licencing for my customers as a lot of times I show up and the router they want is already purchased and they haven't paid for the features they need. With that said some of the 15.2 features for voice are crazy. I will be doing a lot with those with a few video projects I have coming up.

pitviper

shodown wrote: »

The 2900/3900 are a pain in the a55 for me. I hate dealing with the licensing issues that I run into. Now I usually order the licencing for my customers as a lot of times I show up and the router they want is already purchased and they haven't paid for the features they need. With that said some of the 15.2 features for voice are crazy. I will be doing a lot with those with a few video projects I have coming up.

Yeah, the licensing is awful now. I just got burned on a basic setup with a half a dozen 2911 routers whose sole purpose in life was to terminate data T-1s. Went to add a redundant cable link and all of the sudden in IOS 15, the “IP SLA” commands are not available - had to add an entire tech package license for 1 command.

Also spent hours on the phone with TAC when a legitimately licensed 2951 showed “EvalRightToUse” with a countdown expiration date for CME and SRST features. After several conflicting stories, it was determined that this was expected behavior. So you basically put the equipment onsite and hold your breath that in 8 weeks it continues to function…Not very cool!

shodown

pitviper wrote: »

Yeah, the licensing is awful now. I just got burned on a basic setup with a half a dozen 2911 routers whose sole purpose in life was to terminate data T-1s. Went to add a redundant cable link and all of the sudden in IOS 15, the “IP SLA” commands are not available - had to add an entire tech package license for 1 command.

Also spent hours on the phone with TAC when a legitimately licensed 2951 showed “EvalRightToUse” with a countdown expiration date for CME and SRST features. After several conflicting stories, it was determined that this was expected behavior. So you basically put the equipment onsite and hold your breath that in 8 weeks it continues to function…Not very cool!

Yep I had that happen with a few devices I put overseas with 150 SRST seats. They told me it was expected. I just wish they would go back to the old model, but they were getting ripped off. People would just buy a router, then find the IOS they really wanted online. The cost between IP base and Adv Ent is pretty huge.

pitviper

Man, I’m jonesn’ to have by lab set back up. Basement was destroyed courtesy of Sandy and my sh!t is literally thrown in piles in the house while I work on re-finishing the basement. I picked up a couple of Cisco UCS C200m2 servers which have lived on the dining room table for over a month LOL All of the rest of my gear is on the floor in the guest room. I’m hoping to get a full server rack from work so that I can move everything back downstairs (and move it around as I work down there) X(

shodown

Man good luck. My server just took a crap as well. I have been running all my VM's off my MBP. No money in the buget for a UCS at this time.

pitviper

shodown wrote: »

Man good luck. My server just took a crap as well. I have been running all my VM's off my MBP. No money in the buget for a UCS at this time.

Thanks man. Yeah, I lost 3 computers in the flood – one of which was my secondary lab server. Shortly after Cisco refreshed their rack mount server line leaving the C200m2 and C210m2 EOS’d. I was able to snag a couple of C200m2s for $580 each, brand new (Specs: 1x Xeon E5649 6-core, 8GB RAM). At the time the CPU alone on Newegg was $200 MORE than the server. I ended up combining the CPU, RAM, and PSUs from 2 of them into 1 unit. Added a cheap SAS controller, some additional RAM, and some HDDs (Thanks to the holiday sales!) and ended up with a new primary ESI box.

So now my ESX setup looks like this:

Cisco C200 M2 dual 6-core Xeon E5649s, 32GB RAM, 6x GBe NICs, 1x 32GB SSD (OS), 2x 500GB 10k WD V.Raptors
Cisco C200 M1 dual 4-core Xeon E5520s, 24GB RAM, 6x GBe NICs, 1x 32GB SSD (OS), 2x 300GB 10k WD V.Raptors

pitviper

So I finally freed up a bit of spare time to start getting the lab back in order. I replaced the Skeletek rack (which served me well for a long time!) with a full sized APC NetShelter – I decided to go this route because A) I wanted to get the equipment as high off of the floor as possible (now that I know in extreme conditions we could get some water again) and I needed a 4 post rack to secure the 2 Cisco C200 servers. I moved the lab rack into the back of the cellar and will extend a 12 port patch panel between the rack and my lab bench. I do so much remote work these days that it didn’t make sense to have the rack right next to me anymore. And for the record, a full sized 7’+ enclosure was certainly not meant to go down a set of residential basement stairs LOL It physically got stuck and needed mid-transport disassembly.

shodown

Your lab is sweet. Nice and everything in once place. Hopefully I can have mine back up by the end of the month.

pitviper

Thanks bud - yeah, I'm keeping it simple and to the point. Not pictured are a couple of 2911 VSEC routers that I picked up on eBay few months ago. I have no clue where the rack mounts ended up LOL. They're bound to turn up as I get things back in order. Don't think that I could go all 2900s unless Cisco releases an everything IOS license for educational purposes (not likely).

Why did you have to tear your lab down?

shodown

its not 100 percent tore down, but my server is not working right now. I have to get that back up soon to move foward. I'm taking the IE written in a few week and there are some things I'm a little weak on. I need the 29xx for consulting, but the licences are too high. I'm hoping within a year or 2 I can snag some off ebay cheap with the UC licence already on. most people are only deploying 15.1 so we are cool for right now, but once 15.2 takes off, I will need at least 2 boxes with the UC licence and 15.2


The other thing is that I've been doing a lot of Video so I may have to spend a hunk of change on soem basic video gear, but I really want to move into UCCE/CVP. A guy called me once about a consulting gig paying over 100 a hour for a UCCE/CVP engineer.

tokhss

PIT/// someone just sent your picture to Cisco's FB page and called it theirs.. was that you???