Upgrading lab equipment?

I finished my CCNA and i'm thinking about just jumping right into the CCNP. Been snoopin' around ebay for some cheap gear. Here's what I have right now

1x 1721 12.4T IOS
1x 2610 12.3 IOS
1x 2503 11.2 IOS
3x 2950

I've been looking for a cheap 3550 to add to this for some layer 3 switching. I'm not really too sure what the new CCNP exam route requires in terms of lab equipment but I think the 1721 I have should have everything I need right? I'll probably want to upgrade the 2503 to something else as well, it's really not that great of a router, I was just using it for a frame relay switch. Ideas?

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Comments

ColbyG

I don't think the 1721 will have everything you need, but it might. Get some 3640s and/or 2600XMs.

burbankmarc

I second the 3640's. But to be honest you can do all your routing through GNS3. I used GNS3 exclusively for my BSCI studies. And for my BCMSN I'm using:

2 x 3550
3 x 2950

That's a pretty cheap setup and I can do essentially everything the BCMSN calls for. Coincidentally, I setup my lab exactly like the TSHOOT topology, so it works for that exam as well.

Nuul

burbankmarc wrote: »

But to be honest you can do all your routing through GNS3.

Marc speaks the truth. You can do switching with it as well by placing a 16 port switch module in the 3700s but I don't recommend it.

Bl8ckr0uter

ColbyG wrote: »

I don't think the 1721 will have everything you need, but it might. Get some 3640s and/or 2600XMs.

I'm using 1721s as well (with 12.4 Advance Enterprise). What routing features wouldn't it have? From what I can tell (despite my limited number of them) I can get buy with 3 routers and a frame relay backbone.