Cheap Practice

Coolhandluke

Hi,

I just started my SWITCH studies and can't afford to shell out for some 3550's at the minute. Does anyone have any cheap alternatives to practice with (sim suggestions etc)

I know I will need to get a lab up eventually but my financial commitments are elsewhere atm.

Any advice appreciated !

vinbuck

It isn't Cisco but the CLI is similar and the concepts are the same...fire it up if you have GNS3

Linux Switching Appliance
GNS3 • How to run Linux MLS switch in GNS3 : HOWTOs

tndfr

Coolhandluke wrote: »

Hi,

I just started my SWITCH studies and can't afford to shell out for some 3550's at the minute. Does anyone have any cheap alternatives to practice with (sim suggestions etc)

I know I will need to get a lab up eventually but my financial commitments are elsewhere atm.

Any advice appreciated !

just bear in mind that even with 3550s you cannot do much apart from MLS, just get 2950s and a 2 1721 or 2620, that way you can practice the following:
VLAN & Intervlan routing
TRUNK
Etherchannel
portsecurity and VACLs
STP
VRRP HSRP and GLBP
IP SLA (RTR), SYSLOG and SNMP

i firmly believe you can get away with it just learning commands and output of CEF, save your money for something much beefier than 3550s, you gonna need them when you get to TSHOOT.

shodown

Packet Tracer

alan2308

packetlife community lab

Packet Life

chmorin

tndfr wrote: »

just bear in mind that even with 3550s you cannot do much apart from MLS, just get 2950s and a 2 1721 or 2620, that way you can practice the following:
VLAN & Intervlan routing
TRUNK
Etherchannel
portsecurity and VACLs
STP
VRRP HSRP and GLBP
IP SLA (RTR), SYSLOG and SNMP

i firmly believe you can get away with it just learning commands and output of CEF, save your money for something much beefier than 3550s, you gonna need them when you get to TSHOOT.

I think you may have been miss-informed on a few things. Or I am.

VLAN & Intervlan routing

How can you practice SVI based intervlan routing without a L3 switch? 3550 fits that.

3550s you cannot do much apart from MLS

A good few chapters of the SWITCH book focus on L3 switching concepts and applications in environments between them.

VRRP HSRP and GLBP

I have never tried to configure HSRP or the like in a L2 device, but I am pretty sure that is only available from a multilayer switch, like a 3550. That is what has been implied on every bit of documentation I have read(IE: the switch book). I have only configured it on L3 switches in lieu of this.

I'm sorry, but the 3550's are a fantastic investment. Packet tracer and GNS3 using FE-NM's will get you through 80% of the SWITCH subject matter. But to get it all, you would be in a perfect world with two 3550's, and two 2950's. So I suggest looking into GNS3 router emulation and putting switch network modules in there, and Packet Tracer for other stuff too.

I'm all for being corrected.

Coolhandluke

Thanks for all the suggestions, seems like some GNS3 may be the way to go for now.

I think what tndfr was getting at was that VRRP HSRP and GLBP can all be used on the router side of things (hence the 1721 or 2620). I already have a 1751 which is great for that, SLA, SNMP etc could do with another though.

Not sure where VACLs/Private VLANs fit into it all yet though (L3 switch only ?).

Thanks again

Back to the books

tndfr

Coolhandluke wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions, seems like some GNS3 may be the way to go for now.

I think what tndfr was getting at was that VRRP HSRP and GLBP can all be used on the router side of things (hence the 1721 or 2620). I already have a 1751 which is great for that, SLA, SNMP etc could do with another though.

Not sure where VACLs/Private VLANs fit into it all yet though (L3 switch only ?).

Thanks again

Back to the books

VRRP and GLBP and HSRP can be practised with a 1721 and 2620 (GNS3 even), VACL are not supported in a 2950, Private Vlan are not supported in 3550/2950.

chmorin

tndfr wrote: »

VRRP and GLBP and HSRP can be practised with a 1721 and 2620 (GNS3 even), VACL are not supported in a 2950, Private Vlan are not supported in 3550/2950.

Ah okay, gotcha.

Coolhandluke

Just a quick update for anyone interested ....

I just got myself a 2950 and put the latest IOS on.
Private VLANs are supported.

yay

jason_lunde

Coolhandluke wrote: »

Private VLANs are supported.

qua? since when? protected ports maybe.

millworx

Coolhandluke wrote: »

Just a quick update for anyone interested ....

I just got myself a 2950 and put the latest IOS on.
Private VLANs are supported.

yay

That latest IOS is 12.0.5 and it does not support private VLANs per-se. It is just edge support, so the private VLANs cannot extend to other switches. But if that is all you need you could even go with a 2924 to play around with it.

The cheapest you can get away with and still get true PVLAN functionality is with a 3560.