Another new CCNA trainee building a test lab

Hi everyone,

Been reading a lot on these forums lately but just now posting here for the first time. I love the wealth of information you all provide. Posted this on Reddit last night but would love to get some feedback here.

I am going to start studying for my CCNA and would like to build a test lab to last through that and give me a pretty decent start into my CCNP. I'm still only in the basics of networking and have never worked with any real Cisco gear. However, going through college I have built a couple of small home networks with multiple switches and routers, and refuse to run a router without DD-WRT at home (excited to test it on my new Linksys e4200!!)

That being said, I have a lot of time to study and do this the right way. I'm also going to be getting graduate credit as an 'independent study' so I'm planning on taking the CCNA this upcoming October or November.
The best collection I've come up with so far is

2x 2610XM
1x 3640
2x 2950
1x 3550
And one of these racks.

I've been told this is a great framework for the CCNP and definitely able to get me through the CCNA. Is that true? What else will I need to pick up? A couple serial cables, patch cables, crossover cables? Will I need another cheap box to attach to this setup or can I use my main desktop and can these be attached to my home network or should I isolate them?

I also have access to all the CBT Nuggets and TrainSignal videos. Any tips on books?

Apologies for being so long winded and asking so many questions but I want to do this right and it seems that there are so many different opinions out there, I want to double check what I've put together for a shopping list and make sure I have everything so I can start scoping out eBay to save as much cash as possible. Also, I have no desire to become a paper cert so I hope I get extra points for trying to build a test lab!

Thanks for any help or insight you all can provide!

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Comments

AD227529

Welcome to the forums. Your lab equipment looks goods, and is very similar to what I'm trying to put together myself. I already have my CCNA, but I'm just now building my lab. I passed the CCNA exam with borrowed Cisco equipment from my job and with Packet Tracer. You are on the right path with your studies, and looking back I wished I'd built my lab when I was studying for the CCNA.

For books, I recommend the Cisco Press books for ICND1 and ICND2. They are the official exam guides, but Odom can be a little dry and boring. Todd Lammle's book is very good. The CBT Nuggets and TrainSignal video series are both good.

As far as cables, you will need serial cross-over cables to simulate the WAN links from router to router. You can find those on eBay pretty reasonable. I use cat5 straight-through and crossover cables in my lab for connecting PC's to switches and switches to switches (trunk connections). I have two PC's just so I can practice pinging different VLANs, etc. I never hurts to have two just in case one craps out on you, but you can get by with one for CCNA studies. If you are buying used on eBay, make sure you know how much flash and DRAM you are getting. It sucks to try flashing a router just to find out you don't have enough flash and dram to hold the IOS image you want. Good luck in your CCNA studies.

mrchips2452

Thank you for the response, very informative.

Another question, with the 2950s I see 24 and 48 ports. Are there any differences other than total # of ports? I can't imagine I would need to pay extra to get a 48 port if a 24 would do just fine through the CCNP.

Zartanasaurus

That would be a fantastic lab. I had two 12-port 2950s and that was more than enough, although a 3rd switch is nice for practicing spanning tree. If I had to do it all over again, I might just have gone the GNS3 route + physical switches, but the geek in me wanted to have real lab equipment. I even chose the 1760 over the 1721 b/c the former was rack mountable. If having the physical equipment is important to you, go with what you got there. If not, save the money you'd spend on the routers and sink it into a couple 3550s and some multi-port NICs to use with GNS3.

I used CBT Nuggets along with the Wendell book. They went together really well. I read the entire book, then went into the Nuggets. Jeremy does a much better job explaining frame-relay. Otherwise I'd say the Odom book is excellent.

People have also recommended the Network Warrior book as post-CCNA, getting you ready for a real networking job material and I can vouch for that fact. There's also a link on these forums to the "CCNA Lab Manual" that was really good at taking you from the "I learned all this stuff" to "I can configure all this stuff".

Zartanasaurus

Oh, as far as cables.

You've got two categories of serial ports.

Group A: WIC-1T, NM-4A/S, NM8A/s, integrated serial on 250x routers.

Group B: WIC-2T

If you are staying with Group A devices, you'll go with the standard 60-pin DCE/DTE crossover cable.

Group B uses a smart serial cable. Connecting to smart serial ports together requires a smart serial crossover cable.

Going from Group A to Group B, requires a smart serial to 60-pin serial crossover cable.

My lab was a 2610 with an NM-8A/S frame relay router connecting to the other routers with WIC-2Ts, so I needed several of that 3rd cable.

If you've never rolled your own Cat5 cables, now is a good time to learn.

mrchips2452

Thank you for the responses and answering my questions Zartanasaurus. This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

seekrit

If at all possible drop the 3640 & 2600xm's and buy 3725's. Try and get 2950G or 2950T's, they support EA images which the basic 2950 does not.

Jollycork

their big, noisy, make the electric meter spin [ wheee....]

but they do, do MPLS with the right IOS. Something some 2600s don't..

the 3725s can be very pricey....

mrchips2452

Based on everyone's input so far I have picked up

1x C2950T48-SI
1x C2950T24
1x C355048-SMI

For ~$240 which...if I've read correctly is about the average total for these 3, maybe just a little high.

I'm still scoping out the routers, as I would really like to have the physical equipment and I don't mind spending a little bit if these will carry me through the CCNP next year. (seekrit I like the idea of a few 3725s but that actually is pushing my budget by the looks of them so far, sadly) Will this setup still be ok for CCNP specializations or just the base CCNP?

Also, trying to figure out what I will need for a workstation or server to hook up to this lab. I would imagine I need anything way too powerful?

Thank you again for all your help!

EDIT: WICs and NMs are only used for routers, correct? And it looks like I want 128d/32f for routers from everything I've read in the forums.

Also, Zartanasaurus I have made quite a few cables in the past.

To gauge my experience, I have done a lot of basic networking things. DD-WRT routers on Linksys 54g's, a couple of unmanaged switches...things like that. This is my first endeavor into the Cisco world and getting into the complexities of networking.

mrchips2452

Also wanted to note that I did take your 2950 advice into account Zartanasaurus...however the 48-port is going to end up being a case of being too trigger happy on eBay :-\ Won't be making that mistake with the routers!

Cheekoo

I am in the same boat .. by reading this thread I have decided for the following
1x 2950T-24
1x 3550-48-SMI

2x 2600XM
1x 3662
1x 2511 Acces Terminal

I just have one question : what difference there is between 2610XM and 2611XM.

Thank you

mikej412

Cheekoo wrote: »

what difference there is between 2610XM and 2611XM.

The 2610XM router has 1 built in Fast Ethernet Interface. The 2611XM has 2.

Cheekoo

mikej412 wrote: »

The 2610XM router has 1 built in Fast Ethernet Interface. The 2611XM has 2.

So should I go with 2610XM $75 or 2611XM $159 each

Cheekoo

Any one ?

geek4god

Cheekoo wrote: »

Any one ?

For the cost of the 2011xm you can buy two 2010xm. Also don’t get hung up on the 2011xm/2010xm the 2020xm/2021xm will work as well. Or even the 2051xm or 2691, or a 3725, 3745, 1760, 1721! The extra Ethernet port will give you more topology options. You have to know what you are trying to build before determining if you need that extra port.

The options can be overwhelming and there is a reason you will see the XM series and the 1760 mentioned a lot for the CCNA. They are cost effective and can run the required IOS for the exams, but there are a ton of other routers that will do the same thing and give you other options on down the road! Routers are just tools, there is no perfect setup, that is why there are a ton of posts like this! Also if someone says no don't buy this buy this instead. Ask them why! The reason why X is better than Y might not have anything to do with what you are trying to accomplish!

Let the exam and your budget drive this process with an eye towards what you want to do next!!

Here are a couple of topologies that use the second port on the router.. One is a CCNA lab and the other a CCIE lab. Both are probably way more than you need!!

http://www.freeccnaworkbook.com/downloads/topology.pdf

How To Build A CCIE Rack | INE

Cheekoo

geek4god wrote: »

For the cost of the 2011xm you can buy two 2010xm. Also don’t get hung up on the 2011xm/2010xm the 2020xm/2021xm will work as well. Or even the 2051xm or 2691, or a 3725, 3745, 1760, 1721! The extra Ethernet port will give you more topology options. You have to know what you are trying to build before determining if you need that extra port.

The options can be overwhelming and there is a reason you will see the XM series and the 1760 mentioned a lot for the CCNA. They are cost effective and can run the required IOS for the exams, but there are a ton of other routers that will do the same thing and give you other options on down the road! Routers are just tools, there is no perfect setup, that is why there are a ton of posts like this! Also if someone says no don't buy this buy this instead. Ask them why! The reason why X is better than Y might not have anything to do with what you are trying to accomplish!

Let the exam and your budget drive this process with an eye towards what you want to do next!!

Here are a couple of topologies that use the second port on the router.. One is a CCNA lab and the other a CCIE lab. Both are probably way more than you need!!

http://www.freeccnaworkbook.com/downloads/topology.pdf

How To Build A CCIE Rack | INE

Thank you for your detailed response, made me get a better understanding now.

Imadkhan

Hey guys, instead of starting a new thread i thought it would be better to ask here, i find that the 2950C is alot cheaper than the 2950T but i can't figure out why thats the case, does anyone have an idea?

mrchips2452

Imadkhan wrote: »

Hey guys, instead of starting a new thread i thought it would be better to ask here, i find that the 2950C is alot cheaper than the 2950T but i can't figure out why thats the case, does anyone have an idea?

It looks to me that the 2950C has 2 extra 100BASE-FX ports where as the extra ports on the 2950T support gigabit

Cheekoo

Finally I have ordered the following

ROUTERS
3 = 2610XM = $75 x 3 = $225
1 = 3662 Frame Relay = $100
1 = 2600 Router Terminal Server = $200

SWITCHES
1 = C2950T-24 = $75
1 = C3550-24-EMI = $200
Total $800/-
1 = DB9 Male to RJ45 Female Modular Adapter
will also order a rack once get more money.

What do you think of this setup ?

Imadkhan

I saw this deal on ebay for a CCNA starter kit, i was after suggestions if its worth getting and also will it come in handy post CCNP or will have to get a whole new setup

2 x WS-C2950T-24
2 x Cisco1720
3 x WIC-1T
1 x Cisco 2610 (Note: No Faceplates)
3 x CAB-HD60-MMX-03
2 x Ethernet cross over cables
2 x Ethernet cables
5 x AC Cables

the package is costing $420 +$35 postage

Cheekoo

Imadkhan wrote: »

I saw this deal on ebay for a CCNA starter kit, i was after suggestions if its worth getting and also will it come in handy post CCNP or will have to get a whole new setup

2 x WS-C2950T-24
2 x Cisco1720
3 x WIC-1T
1 x Cisco 2610 (Note: No Faceplates)
3 x CAB-HD60-MMX-03
2 x Ethernet cross over cables
2 x Ethernet cables
5 x AC Cables

the package is costing $420 +$35 postage

After much of a research I got the above list as the least required set up for upto CCNP level and for CCIE this will stay in use with some additions. The 2610XM means Exnteded memory which means they can be ready for quite latest IOS.

I bought my 3662 router from a local guy who had 10 routers and 6 switches in his lab. He works for a Verizon. He told me the minimum I need for CCNP. He said go for XM for routers and above 3550 for switches.

Also PLEASE stay away from the LAB PACKAGES as they are way high in price as to what they include in it. Amongst 1-2 great router, they add 1 crapy router and 2 good switches and include one that is NOT worht a dime.

I decided to buy individual items at a time.

Imadkhan

Thanks Cheekoo, i think i will select

2x 2610XM routers
2x 2950T switch

i already have 2x 2503 and 2x 2515, and later down the track i will get a 3550 switch

mrchips2452

Still trying to get ahold of two 26xx XMs, but did have a 3640 arrive the other day to use for frame relay. It came with these modules: NM-1E-2W, 2x NM-24DM, 1x NM-12DM. I'm curious what the NM-24 and 12DMs are used for? Does anyone have any suggestion on how I should setup the 3640 to make sure I have the proper NMs and WICs?

Thanks for everyone's help so far! These forums have already been an excellent resource and I haven't gotten to start studying yet.

alan2308

mrchips2452 wrote: »

It came with these modules: NM-1E-2W, 2x NM-24DM, 1x NM-12DM. I'm curious what the NM-24 and 12DMs are used for?

They are digital modem interfaces. Now if you ever need 36 simultaneous dial up connections, you're all set.

If you're looking to use the 3640 as a Frame Relay switch, the simplest way to go about it is to add an NM-4A/S or NM-8A/S module.