Lab questions (first post)

dentry

Hey all! first post here. I just Finished A+, and am half way through Network + read. I figure I should be done with Network + in about a month and a half at most.

I plan on self teaching CCNA. I am currently unemployed collecting
unemployment and studying my butt off. I have money for a lab but was
wondering about simulators. Are simulators enough to pass CCNA? I do plan on going after CCNP.

With that said, I have a couple of classmates that are also interested in the same path that I am venturing off into. The 4 of us all have the same experience (not much) and are wondering the same questions I am asking.

BTW we are all part of a Michigan retraining class for the recently unemployed. WE do have a instructor but his knowledge of networking is pretty bleak at best.

I plan on going CCNP, could I put off a lab until I get there? Id hate to buy equipment and have it be obselete by the time I get ready for CCNP.

Any knowledge is appreciated this is the first forum I have dealt with in a while, and I hope to be hearing from you pro's thanks a bunch.

phantasm

For the CCNA a simulator such as GNS3 will be fine. GNS3 will also work fine for the CCNP with the exception of the switching portion. There is also Packet Tracer but that is available to Cisco Network Academy students only.

A hard ware lab is a good investment, how ever it get's expensive fast. For example, I've spent over $3k on my lab over the past 3 years. It does what I need and then some, but it has cost me some money. best of luck!

Edit to add: With GNS3 you'll need an actual IOS image which is available from Cisco. Yea.

miller811

Buy a couple of switches, 2950's off of ebay, be selective and purchase at a low price, 50-75 each with shipping. also check craigs list. With minimal invested in the right hardware, it will not be a waste, since if purchased at the right price, it can always be sold in future for the same price. Routing can be completed with GNS3, but nothing beats working on real hardware and getting yourself familiar with reloading IOS, password recovery, etc. You cannot accomplish real world stuff like that with Packet Tracer or GNS3.

good luck and welcome to TE

dentry

Thx miller, so would you say roughly $300 could get me some decent equipment? Would those routers translate into CCNP? THx again

BroadcastStorm

Miller is right, except I suggest a 2950 and a 3550, if you're planning to do CCNP after, I would use GNS3 for all routing, you can connect GNS3 routers to your actual devices, you'll need to research that...

SephStorm

Are those IOS images free from Cisco? What does he have to do to get them?

phoeneous

SephStorm wrote: »

Are those IOS images free from Cisco? What does he have to do to get them?

They are if you have a suffice login, like a CCO account.

And to the OP, you can get two 2950's and two 2610xm's for under $250. Then just save up for a 3550 which is around $150 on a good day.

dentry

Thx for all the current info. I appreciate all your points of view. thank you

Netwurk

You need a pretty fast PC rig to run GNS3 efficiently. If you already have one, great. If not, you have the choice between upgrading your PC or buying real equipment. Buying real equipment might actually be cheaper than a PC upgrade, so give it some thought.

SephStorm

phoeneous wrote: »

They are if you have a suffice login, like a CCO account.

This thread apparently answers how to get one, doesnt seem like the kind of thing just anyone can get easily.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/49677-cisco-cco-account.html

dentry

Netwurk wrote: »

You need a pretty fast PC rig to run GNS3 efficiently. If you already have one, great. If not, you have the choice between upgrading your PC or buying real equipment. Buying real equipment might actually be cheaper than a PC upgrade, so give it some thought.

I have a amd 2.4 ghz quad core. 8 bd ddr 3. 1tb hdd. Ati 4650 1gb ram video card. and a wimpy 300w psu. Is that enough?

I would like to put off buying and lab equipment until after CCNA. IM a good test taker, and feel confident that the simulator will be enough.

I will also be getting lab experience in my Networking + class. The reason I want to put off the lab is because I would like to buy a lab when I start CCNP, and want everything to be as current as possible. Im not sure when I will start CCNP it could be a year or two after CCNA.

alan2308

dentry wrote: »

I have a amd 2.4 ghz quad core. 8 bd ddr 3. 1tb hdd. Ati 4650 1gb ram video card. and a wimpy 300w psu. Is that enough?

I would like to put off buying and lab equipment until after CCNA. IM a good test taker, and feel confident that the simulator will be enough.

I will also be getting lab experience in my Networking + class. The reason I want to put off the lab is because I would like to buy a lab when I start CCNP, and want everything to be as current as possible. Im not sure when I will start CCNP it could be a year or two after CCNA.

I run GNS3 just fine on much less of a computer than that.

wbosher

dentry wrote: »

I will also be getting lab experience in my Networking + class. The reason I want to put off the lab is because I would like to buy a lab when I start CCNP, and want everything to be as current as possible. Im not sure when I will start CCNP it could be a year or two after CCNA.

You just can't beat the real thing! Someone may need to correct me here, but if you get a 2950 switch and a 2600XM series router, that will be a great start for CCNA and can also be used for CCNP. These are pretty cheap on ebay.

Armor149

Take a look at Wendell Odom's site Certskills.com, he has some suggestions on building a home lab on the cheap under the Lab Gear tab.