Question about sites that offer free access to Cisco routers for practice

I got a class coming up this summer dealing with Cisco VoIP that assumes that you have basic knowledge using Cisco routing equipment. Does anybody have any favorite websites that provides free access to Cisco equipment for practice? Yes I should have taken a basic class but I didn't get the opportunity to do so.

I admit that I don't have much experience with using Cisco equipment, the only class that I have taken that when into much depth with using Cisco routers and such was my IPv6 class in which I felt a bit lost for half of the semester as it too assumed you had basic Cisco router knowledge and such. I did get some familiarity of Cisco equipment out of the class but my knowledge is a bit rusty now.

A link to a good guide on basic routing configurations would also be helpful.

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

Devilsbane

I've always found packet tracer was a good labbing enviornment, but I never did get very advanced either. If nothing else it can get you some exposure to the ios.

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/course_catalog/PacketTracer.html

mikej412

There's Community Lab - Packet Life

You can check out some of the CCNA Lab workbooks...

CCNA - Lab workbook

and these

alan2308 wrote: »

CCNA Lab Manual - Not the same lab manual listed above. Some of the material is a bit dated (dial-up, ISDN, 1900 switches, etc) but there are still many useful labs for someone studying for the CCNA. I will admit though, some of the choices makde are a bit curious to say the least. For example, designated router elections are listed as a "supplemental lab" that you should go find your own docs and figure out, but there is a full multi-area OSPF lab. Written by Matthew Basham.

Cisco Complete Guide Series - This author has written a complete CCNA study guide and posted it for free download. He is also working on a CCNP Route study guide, and a chapter from that is also available for download. I have yet to read it through, so I can't say what it's worth. Written by Yap Chin Hoong.

Free CCNA Workbook - This one is a work in progress, nearing completion. These labs are all written to be done on GNS3 or dynagen and will therefore be a miracle for those who cannot afford a sufficient home lab. Written by Matthew George, who can be reached on the workbook's site, as well as it's Facebook Fan Page. I've also seen him on this forum. There is also a YouTube Channel for videos related to the workbook.

GNS3 Labs - Another valuable site for labs written for GNS3. This site contains labs for CCNA and CCNP level study.

GNS3 Vault - Yet another collection of labs and other resources for GNS3. Check out the combined lab for ICND2 which manages to get RIP, OSPF and EIGRP all included in a 3 router triangle topology and gets harrier from there.

One more link for the GNS3 crowd. This Blog Post describes how to connect your simulated routers in GNS3 to with your real routers and switches. Now you can have actual switching in your labs.

And before you buy any router to use as a frame relay switch, take a look at this alternative that could end up saving you some money.

That should get you started and keep you busy until your class.

Forsaken_GA

If I thought I could get away with it without bringing down the legal wrath of Cisco, I'd be deploying VM's running IOS over Unix for cheap and making some cash off of it.

exampasser

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

If I thought I could get away with it without bringing down the legal wrath of Cisco, I'd be deploying VM's running IOS over Unix for cheap and making some cash off of it.

How does one go about doing that for personal labbing?

exampasser

I contacted my instructor and he allowed me to access a set of routers and switches, now I'm having a good time learning various configurations and learning how routing protocols reroute traffic when a link goes down, fun stuff.