Lab equip. help is welcome here

In the quest to build a CCNA Lab that will cover things for future Cisco Certs as well the quest has started purchasing the following items...

- Cisco 2924XL catalyst switch
- Cisco 2501 router
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma]- Cisco 2500 2507 Wired Router 16 x Ethernet[/FONT]
- Cisco 1604 router
- Cisco Firewall 501
- US Robotics 56k External modems
- Tons of Cat5 cable
- 5 Console cables 1 meter
- 1 Console cable extra long

Things that might be useful:

- XXXX series wireless router need a cheap solution with wireless N to be current if possible?

- XXXX Router capable of Gigabyte Ethernet that is cheap?

- Your input and help! Other suggested equipment or cabling?

My working knowledge has been home networking for the most part never messed much with Cisco Equipment other then the Linksys type web interface based routers. Was actually an IT for a major golf resort for about a year. Expectations are high and have a fair amount of motivation. Beyond COMPTIA A+ Was able to write 1 C# program within a weeks time knowing nothing about programming. Farly simplistic program but was happy with the end result. Have also dabbled in repair of all different types of electronics and have been fairly successful with that causing me to purchase a decent hotair station. Have also made a solar panel from scratch. Very much interested in DIY and infromational networking that has content. Unsatisfactory social networking with dramatic content is a sheer waste of life and time there is nothing really attractive to me about social networking forums reign King in my book. Which is why www.mopowah.com was formed as a tool to try and gather informational networkers like myself to share information on any topic worth sharing information about.

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Comments

alxx

If you want to go on past CCNA you may want some more recent equipment
as what you listed was rather old.

The problem is getting equipment that is old enough to be reasonably cheap but that still can run recent versions of IOS(or the versions cisco recommend for ccna)

at least
2950 for switches and at least one 3350 switch(L3) especially if you are aiming at ccnp (more L3 switches)

for routers look at 1721 , 1751 , 1760 and 1761
or
2600xm
or 3640 or 3660

or if you have a higher budget 1801, 1841's etc

You'll need a few wic's - wic1t , wic2t and serial cables to go with them.

Another approach if you have a decent pc is run gsn3 for the routers and just buy a few switches.

Yet another is to only buy a couple of routers and switches then get the rest after passing ccna and you are sure you are going to stick with it.

When buying equipment avoid the premade/prepackged labs as they overcharge for usually older equipment.

Few links for you to have a read through

I'd suggest reading through the whole of Wendel's 2011 ccna lab blogs
Cisco Cert Zone: CCNA Lab Series 2011: Overview

CCNA Build Lists
CCNP Build Lists
Cisco Cert Zone: CCNA Lab Series Part 6: The Best Router for CCNA, 2011
Cisco Cert Zone: CCNA Lab Part 7: Choosing the Right Switch Models
Cisco Cert Zone: Index Page: CCNP Lab Series, 2010

infringer

First off appreciate the reply.

So all of this old equipment is basically useless cause it don't support IOS 12.4? Was thinking the 2924xl was reasonable. The problem with referring to web pages with these things or old forum postings from like 2009 it seems is that a lot has changed since then.

so 1700 - 1800 routers needed and 2950 preferably 3500 series switches needed. It seems suggested lab equipment is so different from post to post crazy stuff.

As far as wireless access what should be used?

Is any of the equipment useful that was listed?

infringer

I believe my computer is perfectly capable of emulation of a lab but I prefer to have physical hands on...

Just to be sure:
Graphics is an ATI/AMD 5770 HD Graphics card by ASUS 850MHZ core clock 1GB of DDR 5

1 OS hard drive is an SATA III Crucial Real SSD
2 Storage drives 2 TB each totaling 4TB's of space

Rosewill Thor computer case with tons of room and oversized fans for cooling...

AMD 1100T 6 core processor Liquid Cooled Overclocked to 4.0 GHZ

16GB of DDR3 1333 Maximum amount allowed by motherboard.

Onboard Marvell Gigabyte NIC.

While I wish not to take this route I just slapped out a couple hundred bucks for useless equipment so that might just be the push to do some emulation if I have to.

SdotLow

That's some old equipment you purchased. I believe you need 12.3 ios to have the features CCNA would like you to have. 12.4 is of course better.

None of that will be of use past your CCNA, if it's even useful for that. Can you return the equipment?

infringer

No unfortunately I did my homework reading older posts only a couple of years older as I went back and started reading them. I started looking at the dates of the suggestions some were from 2006 others were earlier to 2009 now that I know that I was screwed basically I'll have to start saving cash all over again in hopes to accomplish my goal.

Let this be a lesson any time you search for anything related to certifications make sure you include the date. Should have known better but at the time I was all in and my head was not too clear. I seen something that might have been useful and went for it.

Jumping the gun I suppose but anyone willing to aid me for the cause would be appreciated 100% in the mean time I will have to see if I can start off trying to bid on some of the cheaper equipment and hope it don't get bid up to the impossible for me.

Not to mention I still have to purchase some course ware ... I purchased course ware from someone that I believe is outdated as well cause the website that had offered it Training Software | Elearning | Learning | Massage Therapy School at Training-Solutions.com is no longer online. So there went even more money out the window.

I do have the keys legally for the CBT course it came from http://www.amra-training.com/

So far it has been an absolute nightmare for me in my quest to even begin CCNA training I have spent hundreds on useless stuff. There should be some educational guide to even starting off with CCNA training and the best ways to do it.

I guess I just want hardware and I want a training course so I could get started already I have spent a month or so just getting equipment and getting the CBT course that I have and really it was a lot of work and money for nothing.

Mrock4

Don't beat yourself up too bad..just ebay off the stuff (someone will most likely buy it), and start aquiring stuff that will carry you onto your CCNA and further, hopefully.

The 2501 and 2924XL aren't totally useless. You can use both of them to work on the fundamentals (which is key for the CCNA).

Here's what I would do if I were you:

Buy 2-3 2610's, 2-3 2950 switches. If you shop smart, you might be looking at $200'ish for all this without shipping. If you have extra money, I'd pick up a 3550.

If you went with only 2x 2610's, and 2x 2950's, you could still use your 2501 and 2924XL- you'd just need to be aware of the differences while you're using them.

infringer

Does all your equipment have to maintain the same version of IOS or will the older equipment still be useful for other network configurations?

By the way the videos in my CBT that I purchased are from 12/2/2010 they are all .swf shockwave flash videos that is the date on the file which if they have been changed or modified it could be an incorrect date on the file and potentially could be older...

Anyone know how long its been since http://www.training-solutions.com has been online?

UPDATE the URL is

www.trainings-solutions.com

appearnetly this has been just a redirect to ebay for the last 5 years of some guy selling CBT lessons on ebay for the last 5 years so they may be up to date according to the file date.

Thanks to The Wayback Machine internet archive.

alxx

Could compare the ones you to have to the few free ones CBT nuggets make available
or watch a few via their 60 minute free trial

Its nice (and easier) to have everything at the same IOS but not necessary.

The 2500's can be used for frame relay.
All the equipment you have is usable for ccna, it just won't cover it 100%.
Maybe get one or two more recent switches. Keep the routers (maybe not the 1600)
and use gns3 for one or two newer model routers.

Or get a couple of cheap 1721's - just make sure they have a reasonable amount of ram and flash and they come with the power supply and if possible have a wic (wic1t ,wic2t) with them. Can get 1721's with p&h for around $20.

Get them with at least 32MB ram and 16MB flash - better to have 64MB ram and 32MB flash as some of the newer IOS images are over 16MB (stored in flash)

Make sure to get a copy of packet tracer so you are familiar with it as well.

Sorry can't help on the wireless.

Should be able to get most of your money back via ebay if you take your time selling the routers.
I brought a 2514 for 0.99 + 10 p&h, just selling it (latest bid is $16 + 10 p&h)
(ebay Australia). On its second relist.

If you look at 2600's make sure to only get the 2600xm's
The non xm's don't have enough ram for the latest ios images.

few more links
http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/cisco_certification_links

infringer

I know there is an importance behind all of this but after evaluating my options I am not so sure I want to conquer this as a certification right now its a time when I really do not have the money nor the equipment to do so.

I am thinking of getting another certification instead one more that will last for lifetime under my belt ... Linux + I think knowing linux well is more important to be right now then knowing cisco router commands. It seems as time goes on cisco is moving more and more of there newer equipment to web based rather then CLI based. How important IOS will be in the future is yet to be determined at the speed of technology.

I do know however there is a consistant while not BOOMING per say as it was 2yrs ago in linux based OS's.

I will likely save these certifications for tackling later as they will cost me some money at the rate the time is moving I need to start saving cash for things like christmas and winter heating bills it just makes more since to me I have like 6 laptops and 2 PC's so I could go linux wild if I want. And for the CCENT or CCNA by the way which I dont get which one is better then the other or if one leads to the progression of the other I remember something about ICND1 and 2 and yaddah but I guess maybe I did beat my self up to the point of not following through.

I thank you all for your help you are some tremendously good folks here at this forum and I will surely still be around reading what I can to gain some more certs and possibly helping where I can as well. I do have a forum of my own to moderate and provide content to as well and a full time job a very demanding family that needs me to spend 2 full days with them it is a lot to juggle with 10hour days at my job. So my process will be slow but for my own benefit I will try to see just how much study is needed for linux + certified the benefit is I have already worked on linux machines a little bit back when mandrivia was mandrake and such in the earlier days. /me feels a little fond memory or two start to set in.

Thanks Thanks Thanks to all! You have been much help!

UPDATE: Wouldn't you know it I now have another expense my dang computer chair just broke the arm cracked this was the most pricey computer chair the dept store had available and would you know it it only lasted 6months very poor ...

Luck of the IRISH I suppose lol!

If anyone wants to purchase these routers let me know LOL!

alxx

Hang in there , its not that bad and you should be able to recover from it and get your money back(from the equipment cost)

I'd do CCNA, Linux+, maybe security as well depends what you are aiming for.

You've got enough equipment for ccent and nearly ccna.

Knowing linux is useful especially if you learn c programming at the same time
(so can write kernel modules , drivers , applications etc).

Things take time, hang in there and you can make it.

I work mostly on embedded systems (microcontrollers, fpgas and sensor systems) currently embedded linux (angstrom distro) mostly with omap3 boards from gumstix.com overo + tobi. Also studying a double degree part time (Applied Physics and Computer Systems Engineering - been ten years part time so far, finish end of next year).ex Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Avionics