CCNA lab hardware recommendations

Hi All, I recently stumbled across this site while preparing for the CCNA Intro, which I recently passed. I am now working on the ICND and thought I'd get some recommendations for some hardware to create a home lab. I have seen some older Cisco switches (1900) and routers on eBay and thought I'd get your advice it they would suffice for my lab. Also, anyone have any experiences purchasing HW from eBay?

BTW: Excellent site with great information.

TIA

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Comments

Webmaster

Hi and welcome on board.

You won't be able to do everything with a 1900, but that's mostly the case unless you go for the newer, more expensive equipment. It'll be good practice though, just make sure it's an enterprise version. i.e 1912-EN or 1924-EN.

eBay often has some good offers listed for CCNA home labs.

johnnynodough

Get some 2501 routers, they will be most important, and just one switch, look for a 1912 En like webmaster said. Unless you can get some 2900 series, then I would get 2. THe test fouceses on the 2950, and while you can do a few thing on a 1900 that would apply to the exam, there isnt to much really, many command are different, like configuring VLAN, totally different, 7 year gap in the OS build, latest version is 9 on the 1900 ENs.

silver_225

Great, thank you for the advice!

goasakawa

johnnynodough wrote:

Get some 2501 routers, they will be most important, and just one switch, look for a 1912 En like webmaster said. Unless you can get some 2900 series, then I would get 2. THe test fouceses on the 2950, and while you can do a few thing on a 1900 that would apply to the exam, there isnt to much really, many command are different, like configuring VLAN, totally different, 7 year gap in the OS build, latest version is 9 on the 1900 ENs.

My question to anyone is can I get these things cheap? (well, cheap as far as cisco is concerned)?

Also, I wanna take my ccna eary and am wondering if the Boston Sim software that came with all my books are gonna be suffice? I want real world sim software to prepare me for real work Cisco'ing and stuff.

I have no experience and want to get my hands wet with good software, hardware and luck. All suggestions are helpfullllllll...thanks

darkuser

ebay ?

http://search.ebay.com/ccna-router-kit_W0QQsofocusZbsQQsbrftogZ1QQcatrefZC6QQfromZR10QQsacatZ-1QQcatrefZC6QQsargnZ-1QQsaslcZ2QQsadisZ200QQfposZQ5AIPQ2FPostalQQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1

goasakawa

darkuser wrote:

ebay ?

I have no idea if these models are up to date or 'the latest thing'. Or should i not concern myself with that?