Few CCIE rack questions.

SteveO86

I'm following the INE CCIE rack page. I've almost got everything I need, but I'm just curious on the following:

1. Two of the four 1841's I have only have 128MB of memory, is it essential for the 1841's to have 256MB? (I know it's essential for the 2621xm's but those are older platforms)
2. Is it typically cheaper or better to go with the WIC-1T and use the 60Pin DCE/DTE cables compared to the WIC-2T and but the smart cables?

Architect192

SteveO86 wrote: »

I'm following the INE CCIE rack page. I've almost got everything I need, but I'm just curious on the following:

1. Two of the four 1841's I have only have 128MB of memory, is it essential for the 1841's to have 256MB? (I know it's essential for the 2621xm's but those are older platforms)
2. Is it typically cheaper or better to go with the WIC-1T and use the 60Pin DCE/DTE cables compared to the WIC-2T and but the smart cables?

check the requirements for the ios version listed...

i upgraded all of mine with memory bought from ebay for cheap and everything works A1. I actually replaced all the routers with 1841s (the ones that have only 2 WIC-1Ts). Benefit: they can run IOS 15.x

Forsaken_GA

Unless you want to spend a crapload of time editing pre-configs, go with the WIC-1T's

for example if you loaded just a WIC-2T in the 1841's, your interfaces would be named s0/0/0 and s0/0/1

INE's pre-configs depend on the serial interfaces for the 1841's being named s0/0/0 and s0/1/0

I recently replaced gear to bring it exactly in spec with INE's rack gear, and let me tell you, it is well worth the time saved and the hassle when you can just drop the config and go. On my previous gear, I got bit a couple times because I didn't scrub the pre-configs thorough enough and missed an interface name (usually making an interface passive) and it screwed with me until I realized what had happened

SteveO86

WIC-1T it is , 7 more to go.

Didn't think of that just get a memory stick off eBay.

Derrav

I will definitely take note cause I am in the process of getting some hardware from EBAY to set up my lab at home.

Thanks guys-

SteveO86

So far I've gotten all my stuff from certificationkits.com or contacts from work.

One day I'll actually buy something from eBay. (probably the 10 dollar memory stick for the 1841 )

echo465

You could always use WIC-2T's and just ignore the second interface on them (if you've already got the WIC's and cabling).

SteveO86

Nope, so far I only have two WIC-1T.

I was just wondering which be the more cost effective solution, and easiest solution in the long run.

So I will just continue with the WIC-1T's

Forsaken_GA

SteveO86 wrote: »

Nope, so far I only have two WIC-1T.

I was just wondering which be the more cost effective solution, and easiest solution in the long run.

So I will just continue with the WIC-1T's

Keep an eye on ebay. Usually, they'll run somewhere in area of 25 to 30 each, but occasionally someone will post a bundle that works out closer to 10 to 15 each, those deals are worth it, I picked up a bundle of 5 for 50 bucks on Buy It Now.

I have a couple of rules when purchasing on ebay -

#1 I only buy continental US. I don't buy from Canada, or Malaysia, and never ever from China (too many counterfeits coming out of there). It's not worth running the risk of something getting caught up in customs.

#2 I only buy from sellers who have a good feedback rating and sell that kind of equipment. I don't care if you have a 10,000 feedback rating and it's 99.7% positive if all you've been selling are purses and shoes. I want a dedicated technology seller, the product is more likely to be as represented. If the seller has a low feedback rating, I look at the entire description. In my experience, if someone is dismantling a lab and posts a show ver, it's generally going to be a safe purchase, and buyers won't have as much feedback as sellers.

#3 I establish a price point I'm willing to pay, and I don't go above it. That includes shipping. For example, when I was buying 3560's, my maximum price was $375. When I saw the listing, if the shipping was $20, I bid $355. It took me about a month, and I lost alot of auctions at the last minute, but I did get my equipment at the price I was willing to pay

#4 I never, ever buy PoE switches. This is purely anecdotal, but I've purchased 4. I've had to return 3 because of faulty POST results, and one died on me after 4 months. I have absolutely no doubt that there are plenty of people who buy PoE switches off ebay and have no problem with them, but they just don't seem to be a good fit for me, so I refuse to throw anymore money at them. I may revisit this policy if I ever decide to go for CCIE Voice, but until then, I refuse, no matter how good the deal is.

SteveO86

Thanks for the tips, you've brought up some very good points.

I'll take that into account when I buy those WICs, and the rest of my gear

SteveO86

Hey guys another question,

Will an NM-8A/S give me the same functionality of 2522? I got a 3745 I can use as my FR switch, I just need to get the module.

Forsaken_GA

SteveO86 wrote: »

Hey guys another question,

Will an NM-8A/S give me the same functionality of 2522? I got a 3745 I can use as my FR switch, I just need to get the module.

Yes. I use an old 2610 (non-XM) with an NM-8A/S as my BB1 router/FR Switch. You'll need to alter the configs to match the interface names, but if you stay with the same rack number for all your labs, then the BB routers are one time configs, make your alterations, drop them, and then forget they exist.

SteveO86

What's everyone's thoughts on the Backbone routers?

INE has 2500's listed but I contemplating going with 2610xm with 256, would that be overkill for the backbone routers?

Forsaken_GA

SteveO86 wrote: »

What's everyone's thoughts on the Backbone routers?

INE has 2500's listed but I contemplating going with 2610xm with 256, would that be overkill for the backbone routers?

No. As long as it has requisite number of interfaces, anything will do. Again, when you're setting them up, it will be necessary to edit the configs if you use something else, but unless you change rack numbers on a regular basis (I don't, I use the same rack number), then editing the BB configs is a once a time thing.

As I mentioned above, I don't use a 2500 for my BB1/FRS box. BB2/3 are 2500's, but that's only because I got them both for 50 bucks, including shipping. I'm actually contemplating replacing BB2 with one of my spare 3550's, since BB2 only requires an Ethernet connection.

What you're suggesting would be overkill, but if the price is right, go for it. As long as it supports the proper ipv4/6 routing protocols and has the right types of interfaces, anything could function as a BB router, the only thing they're used for is route injection

pitviper

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

#4 I never, ever buy PoE switches. This is purely anecdotal, but I've purchased 4. I've had to return 3 because of faulty POST results, and one died on me after 4 months. I have absolutely no doubt that there are plenty of people who buy PoE switches off ebay and have no problem with them, but they just don't seem to be a good fit for me, so I refuse to throw anymore money at them. I may revisit this policy if I ever decide to go for CCIE Voice, but until then, I refuse, no matter how good the deal is.

HA! It’s funny that you mentioned this – I buy a ton of gear on ebay, and the only DOA items that I have ever received have all been PoE switches (I went through 4 3550s back in the day before getting a couple of good ones). When it was time to upgrade to 3560 PoEs I tracked down someone who purchased them direct for lab use and paid a little more for them (wasn’t worth the hassle to me).

SteveO86

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

No. As long as it has requisite number of interfaces, anything will do. Again, when you're setting them up, it will be necessary to edit the configs if you use something else, but unless you change rack numbers on a regular basis (I don't, I use the same rack number), then editing the BB configs is a once a time thing.

As I mentioned above, I don't use a 2500 for my BB1/FRS box. BB2/3 are 2500's, but that's only because I got them both for 50 bucks, including shipping. I'm actually contemplating replacing BB2 with one of my spare 3550's, since BB2 only requires an Ethernet connection.

What you're suggesting would be overkill, but if the price is right, go for it. As long as it supports the proper ipv4/6 routing protocols and has the right types of interfaces, anything could function as a BB router, the only thing they're used for is route injection

OK I gotcha, just need to support the routing protocols.

BBR1 - Frame relay interfaces
BBR2 - 1 Ethernet interface
BBR3 -3 1 Serial, 1 Ethernet interface.

If a 2500 can handle it, I'll just grab some 2610's for cheap

Thanks for all the tips so far!

instant000

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Unless you want to spend a crapload of time editing pre-configs, go with the WIC-1T's

for example if you loaded just a WIC-2T in the 1841's, your interfaces would be named s0/0/0 and s0/0/1

INE's pre-configs depend on the serial interfaces for the 1841's being named s0/0/0 and s0/1/0

I recently replaced gear to bring it exactly in spec with INE's rack gear, and let me tell you, it is well worth the time saved and the hassle when you can just drop the config and go. On my previous gear, I got bit a couple times because I didn't scrub the pre-configs thorough enough and missed an interface name (usually making an interface passive) and it screwed with me until I realized what had happened

Wouldn't it be worthwhile to just write a script that does a find/replace throughout the config files and handle it that way?

According to what I can tell, based on ine's website, R1 is always the same router, R2 is always the same router, etc. If i write a find/replace script, it could go through and fix the configs for me to match the interfaces. I think all I'd need in that case would be a reference file, kinda built like this:

(This is just an example, I've no idea what interfaces people really have on their devices:

R1_Reference:
Serial0/0,Serial0/1/0
Serial0/1,Serial0/1/1
[output omitted]

What the script would do:

Choose the appropriate reference file according to the filename (R1_reference for r1.txt, r2_reference for r2.txt, etc.)

find Serial0/0 and replace it with Serial0/1/0 ...find Serial0/1, and replace it with Serial0/1/1 for example Whatever other interfaces, it'd rename those, also.

I don't think it'd be that complicated to do, and believe that someone else would have already done this, and should just have required that you fill in the "reference file" to match whatever interfaces you use, and thus fix-up the configlets, that way.

Just typing this here makes me think that someone has definitely already written this probably, maybe find it in a google search. Something like an "interface translater" for Cisco configs, or something.

If not, I'm not sure the time to do it myself is well invested, unless I was heading down this track myself ... but it doesn't seem terribly complicated, on the surface. I'd want to test it a few times before ever attempting to use it.

I just downloaded the config pack for IE workbook volume 1 to get a gander of what the configs looked like (All-Access Pass), and there are quite a few of them, so, yeah, scripting would be the way to go for this one ... either that, or buy different interfaces, whichever one is quicker, LOL.

instant000

LOL @ the power of google:

Script - Convert INE Initial Configs for your own rack - IEOC - INE's Online Community

SteveO86

Cool, thanks!