How to populate a 1721 for CCNA

Saratoga ScottSaratoga Scott Member Posts: 14 ■□□□□□□□□□
in CCNA & CCENT
Just purchased one. empty WAN slots. What should I use?
I have a few 2500s, including one with 4 serial ports, a 2950T and a 1924.
I am lookin for a good starting point topo for CCNA studies.
Thanks in advance.
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  • tierstentiersten Member Posts: 4,505
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    Just purchased one. empty WAN slots. What should I use?
    WIC-1T or WIC-2T. WIC-1T will have 1x DB60 socket on it like your 2500s. The WIC-2T however will have 2xSmartSerial sockets. Functionally they're the same as far as serial interfaces go. What WIC you buy depends on your budget, whether you want 1 or 2 serial interfaces per WIC and what cables you have available. You can get cables that have a DB60 plug or SmartSerial plug at the ends along with DCE/DTE choices. You just pick what you need.

    I believe Monoprice.com is generally well recommended. I've never shopped there however as I picked up all my serial cables off eBay.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    I have a few 2500s, including one with 4 serial ports, a 2950T and a 1924.
    The 2500s can't run 12.4 IOS so be aware that some commands may be different.

    You should get at least 1 more cheap 2950. The EI version if you can and it isn't that expensive. SI will do still though.

    The 1924 is a boat anchor as far as current Cisco certifications go. Its usable as a general purpose switch but doesn't run IOS so is useless for learning.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    I have SDM, CNA and GNS3.
    You need to know how to configure a router from the CLI and using SDM so the 1721 will be good for that. Your 2500 routers can't run SDM.

    CNA isn't part of the CCNA blueprint.

    GNS3/Dynamips will run the IOS firmware for a 1700 router so you can make a larger virtual lab if you wish. Switch support inside GNS3/Dynamips is still not all there but there are workarounds (NM-16ESW in a 2600) but ideally you should just use a real switch for that.
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  • Saratoga ScottSaratoga Scott Member Posts: 14 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Thanks a bunch. More questions soon!
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  • Saratoga ScottSaratoga Scott Member Posts: 14 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I have just a few more questions.
    Is there any advantage to getting an ethernet Wic for the 1721 along with a WIC-2T?

    I was thinking about another 2950T, (I paid $100 USD for my first), might even consider a 3550. The 1924 does run IOS, an old version, but doesn't support dot1q trunking, so I am afraid you are correct about that switch.

    Can GNS3 be used to "extend" my topology? Can I designate NICs on the computer as ports on a virtual router in GNS3?

    If I find the budget for another router,what would you suggest? I am very confused by the 2600/2610/XM models. The 1721 seems fine to me. (I paid $35, but have only the FE port at the moment. (Also not sure about memory requireds for 12.4)

    Thanks again in advance.
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  • tierstentiersten Member Posts: 4,505
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    Is there any advantage to getting an ethernet Wic for the 1721 along with a WIC-2T?
    A second Ethernet can be handy. You'll need a WIC-1ENET if you do want one. It isn't Fast Ethernet though.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    I was thinking about another 2950T, (I paid $100 USD for my first), might even consider a 3550.
    $100 is kinda high for a 2950. You should be able to get them for less than that. It might not be the 2950T version which has a GigE uplink and EI though.

    Are you intending to go for the CCNP in the future? If not then you don't need a 3550.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    The 1924 does run IOS, an old version, but doesn't support dot1q trunking, so I am afraid you are correct about that switch.
    Its not IOS. The enterprise version just has a CLI that looks like IOS since it was designed by a company that Cisco ended up buying.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    Can GNS3 be used to "extend" my topology? Can I designate NICs on the computer as ports on a virtual router in GNS3?
    Yes.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    If I find the budget for another router,what would you suggest? I am very confused by the 2600/2610/XM models. The 1721 seems fine to me. (I paid $35, but have only the FE port at the moment.
    2600XM is an upgraded version of a 2600 that can take more flash + memory and has official 12.4 support along with built in FE. You can wedge a small feature set version of 12.4 onto a 2600 with maxed out memory but it'll randomly crash or do odd things.

    The 3rd digit is the performance which isn't particularly important for a lab. The 4th digit is the number of Ethernet interfaces - 1.

    I'd say look into a 2600XM like a 2611XM or 2610XM. If you want more functionality and can cope with a physically larger box then something like a 3640 or 3660 will work nicely but you don't have any built in interfaces. You have to buy a NM module first.

    In order of preference I'd say 3640/3660 if you have NMs and okay with size, 26*1XM, 26*0XM, 17** but not 1720, 26*1, 26*0 and then 2500. If you've got piles of cash then you'd get a 1841.
    Saratoga Scott wrote: »
    Also not sure about memory requireds for 12.4
    Cisco Feature Navigator will tell you what need. It will also show you what feature set you need to get for a specific feature and whether it is even available for that router or not.
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  • Forsaken_GAForsaken_GA Member Posts: 4,024
    tiersten wrote: »
    If you want more functionality and can cope with a physically larger box then something like a 3640 or 3660 will work nicely but you don't have any built in interfaces. You have to buy a NM module first.

    True for the 3640, not the 3660 though. The MB will have either one or two fast ethernet ports unless you're dumb enough to buy a chassis without one (in which case you need a bit more than an NM module to make it work!)

    Generally speaking though, you'll be better off with a 2611XM for the lab as the cost will be somewhat similar and the 2611XM will take up much less space. The main reason I'd take a 3640/3660 over a 26xxXM is because they'll do MPLS without having to drop back to older IOS images
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  • tierstentiersten Member Posts: 4,505
    Forsaken_GA wrote: »
    True for the 3640, not the 3660 though. The MB will have either one or two fast ethernet ports unless you're dumb enough to buy a chassis without one (in which case you need a bit more than an NM module to make it work!)
    Ahh okay. Good to know. Thought the 3660 was just an even bigger version of the 3640.

    Don't buy the 3620 tho. That thing was dropped from support way earlier.
    Forsaken_GA wrote: »
    Generally speaking though, you'll be better off with a 2611XM for the lab as the cost will be somewhat similar and the 2611XM will take up much less space. The main reason I'd take a 3640/3660 over a 26xxXM is because they'll do MPLS without having to drop back to older IOS images
    Yeah. That is true. You can use all the oddball NMs as well.
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  • Saratoga ScottSaratoga Scott Member Posts: 14 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I've read that 12.2 has some features that 12.3 does not for the 2500s.
    Am I better of with 12.2 on them?
    I'll have to upgrade DRAM to get 12.4 on my 1721, but which version is the "best" for CCNA studies and further.

    Thanks again for the info on routers.
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