Home Lab Advice

I am a sophomore in college majoring in network security. I am hoping to finish up my CCNA and then sit for the CCNA:Security exam. I have funds available to purchase a home lab for my studies but I would like to save as much money as possible since I'm a poor starving college student.

I'm getting the impression that I will need to buy the following:

Two Cisco 2620XM 128/32 12.4 Routers
One Cisco 2611XM dual Etherent 128/32 12.4 Router
Three Cisco 2950 Switches

I perfectly agree with buying (3) 2950 switches but I'm hesitant to spend so much money on the routers. Do I really need to have (3) SDM capable routers in my lab or could I just buy one router that has enough memory to run SDM? I've decided to go with all XM's because they run IOS 12.4. I plan to eventually work towards CCNP so I'd hate to buy equipment now that will be useless when I need a lab for CCNP. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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mikem2te

FluxCapacitor wrote: »

I am a sophomore in college majoring in network security. I am hoping to finish up my CCNA and then sit for the CCNA:Security exam. I have funds available to purchase a home lab for my studies but I would like to save as much money as possible since I'm a poor starving college student. I'm getting the impression that I will need to buy the following:

Two Cisco 2620XM 128/32 12.4 Routers
One Cisco 2611XM dual Etherent 128/32 12.4 Router
Three Cisco 2950 Switches

I perfectly agree with buying (3) 2950 switches but I'm hesitant to spend so much money on the routers. Do I really need to have (3) SDM capable routers in my lab or could I just buy one router that has enough memory to run SDM? I've decided to go with all XM's because they run IOS 12.4. I plan to eventually work towards CCNP so I'd hate to buy equipment now that will be useless when I need a lab for CCNP. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

The XM's are pretty nice, have you considered the 1700 series? Some of them are good for 12.4T also and can work out a cheaper option. The 1760 and 1721 models are gems, lookout for the ones with 32MB flash though as cisco originally shipped the early ones with 16MB. The 32MB models have a small "32F" symbol above the ethernet port.

I think 2 SDM routers are good for the CCNA:S - allows some messing around with VPNs.

blackninja

If you are looking to using the lab for completing your CCNA and then for your CCNA:S then to save some money you can just get:

3 Cisco 2620XM 128/32 12.4 Routers (don't really need a 26x1xm)

2 Cisco 2950 Switches (a 3rd one is a luxury)

Cisco 2521/22 (to use as a frame relay switch and to tie your lab together)

If you spend that little bit extra on routers with 128/32 memory it will cheaper in the future as memory sticks tend not to be cheap (well not in the UK anyway)

You only need 2 Cisco 2620XM 128/32 & 1 2950 to be enough for a CCNA:S lab

P.S> I have a few 17xx routers (2 x 1751, 1 x 1721 & 1 x 1720) and they are pretty good and best of all cheap

I bought a couple of them just for the WIC cards but now use them in the lab.

mikem2te

blackninja wrote: »

P.S> I have a few 17xx routers (2 x 1751, 1 x 1721 & 1 x 1720) and they are pretty good and best of all cheap
I bought a couple of them just for the WIC cards but now use them in the lab.

Same with me, I found a couple of 1700's on ebay with VWIC-MFT cards installed going for less than the going rate of the VWIC cards alone. A cheap VWIC with a free router:)

CiskHo

I used 2 2611XMs, 2 2950s, and a PC running XP for my CCNA:Sec lab. I don't recall needing anything more than that.

FluxCapacitor

Thank you all for your help.

Corndork2

The 2600XM series is really nice. I have a few of them and love them. However, if you're strapped for cash, FOR SURE pick up a 1721 with 32MB flash. I got mine for $20. It is the cheapest solution to get a router that will run 12.4 advanced security, and also works great for dirt cheap VPN practice at the CCNP level. Good luck man!