Greetings fellow networkers!

jnojr

I've been in the industry for around 15 years, and held a CCNA until it expired in 2005 or so. I've been doing far more systems enginering / administration / virtualization / etc. than networking. But I've always enjoyed networking and am looking to get my CCNA back. The material sure has changed! I quickly got over the idea that a quick brush-up would suffice for the combined exam, and have resigned myself to taking the exams seperately.

I'm kind of stuck with self-study... there are several NetAcad courses scattered around San Diego, but I don't want to take a year to do this. I have a limited training budget from my employer and there isn't much chance of my customer springing for a class, so that's out. UCSD Extension had an excellent set of CCNA and CCNP classes back in the day, but no more.

I'm wondering what would be the minimum hardware needed for the CCENT and CCNA certs. I say minimum, as I just don't have any professional need right now to go for a CCNP. I was halfway there ten years ago, and dropped it after I moved away from the ISPs and got more into the systems side. I'm thinking I may spend the minimum necessary to prepare for the CCNA and then sell off that lab to someone else. Later on, if I decide to proceed or when I need to recertify, just do it again instead of pulling possibly-valueless equipment out of a dark corner of the garage.

It appears that three 2950s is plenty for CCNA-level switching. How about routing? Would three maxed-out 2501s do it? Would anything really be gained by going to modular routers? It appears that the CCNA focuses more on the simpler routing protocols and doesn't get into dealing a whole lot with the Layer 1/2 stuff.

I've also seen a certain amount of antipathy towards the "certification kits", but there's a certain amount of value for me in getting everything from one reputable vendor and having that single point of contact if a piece goes bad. But if anyone has any particular vendors where you can piece together a load and know you're getting the right memory, IOS, cables, etc. that would be much appreciated.

NetworkVeteran

jnojr wrote: »

I'm wondering what would be the minimum hardware needed for the CCENT and CCNA certs.

Zero hardware is necessary. You can completely master all exam objectives and more without it. Packet Tracer (simulator, free for Net Academy students) and Boson Netsim (simulator, $179) are simulators capable of helping you prepare for your ICND1 and ICND2 exams. There's also GNS3, a free emulator that runs a real IOS that is an effective study tool all the way through CCIE.

If you're going the hardware route, I'd go with 3-4 switches and 3-4 routers that run a modern IOS. If you don't have at least three devices, you'll find yourself handicapped in many ways.

You could also go the hybrid route, only buying the switches!

spd3432

Welcome. If you don't have a netacad account, it might be worthwhile to take just one class at a local school just to get access to that section of the Cisco site. MiraCosta in Oceanside offers them as non-credit and they don't charge for non-credit courses. Personally, I'd stay away from the 2500's (and 2600 non-xm routers). If you're interested in a low-cost solution that will run most everything you'd need, I'd go with the 1721's. They are usually fairly cheap, will run the 12.4 IOS, and are very quiet. There are a few things though
1) they come in a 16mb and a 32mb flash version (get the 32, there's a sticker near the console port that says 32F on that model);
2) make sure you get the power supply, its an external brick so they sometimes get sold separately.
3) they use the same WICs as the 2600 series routers so lots of WAN connection options available (but no network modules)
4) only a single fast-ethernet port and the WIC-1ENET is usually expensive.

Good luck.

MAC_Addy

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

There's also GNS3, a free emulator that runs a real IOS that is an effective study tool all the way through CCIE.

NetworkVeteran, are you using GNS3?

NetworkVeteran

MAC_Addy wrote: »

NetworkVeteran, are you using GNS3?

Primarily. The CCNP TSHOOT, CCIP MPLS-VPN, and CCIE preparation would be more costly without it. I also have access to Boson Netsim and some real devices at my workplace.

Roguetadhg

Woa. Woa. Slow down there Mr NetworkVetern! What are you using for your MPLS/VPN? My router doesn't support vpn


Or so CCP tells me so. *mumbles*

by the way, welcome OP. Nice pitbull?

NetworkVeteran

3725s. Feature-rich and they support FE, Serial, and EtherSwitch modules. There may be other good choices, but these have worked well, and I can run at least 18 of them.

MAC_Addy

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

Primarily. The CCNP TSHOOT, CCIP MPLS-VPN, and CCIE preparation would be more costly without it. I also have access to Boson Netsim and some real devices at my workplace.

Nice! What PC specs would you recommend running a 5 - 10 router setup, if you don't mind me asking?

Roguetadhg

You don't need a powerful computer too much. Idle-PC helps so so much.

networker050184

MAC_Addy wrote: »

Nice! What PC specs would you recommend running a 5 - 10 router setup, if you don't mind me asking?

You can run a setup that small on any modern computer. I was running 10 router setups on my old 1.5ghz/1gig ram computer running Vista! Just make sure you get your idlepc values correct.

MAC_Addy

networker050184 wrote: »

You can run a setup that small on any modern computer. I was running 10 router setups on my old 1.5ghz/1gig ram computer running Vista! Just make sure you get your idlepc values correct.

Geez!

Well, in that case I might as well set it up when I get home.

jnojr

I'm aware of GNS and Packet Tracer. But so long as Cisco chooses to not allow anyone to download PT or IOS images... While poking around here, I've seen moderators come down on people for even looking like they're asking about or wanting to share test questions or even the number or format of questions, I just don't want to discuss things that might draw the ire of The Powers That be

Assuming that, for whatever reason, a given individual can't or doesn't want to download anything questionable, and just wants to buy used hardware... what would be the minimum that would support the CCNA objectives? Would 2501s work, or is there a specific reason why some higher level of hardware would be becessary?

jnojr

spd3432 wrote: »

Welcome. If you don't have a netacad account, it might be worthwhile to take just one class at a local school just to get access to that section of the Cisco site. MiraCosta in Oceanside offers them as non-credit and they don't charge for non-credit courses.

Oceanside is terrible inconvenient for me And, of course, the enrollment is already over for all of the CCs, and one would have to wait until January or February to try to get in. If Grossmont or Cuyamaca don't charge, then I might just see about signing up for a weekend class and use it as a lab... but I have more time available at home than I do after work, fighting traffic, etc.

Personally, I'd stay away from the 2500's (and 2600 non-xm routers).

Is that because they will not work? I'm aware that they're pretty much useless if you want to use them for anything beyond the plain-Jane CCNA, like security, voice, CCNP, etc. But will they work for the concepts in the CCNA material?

Thnaks...

Roguetadhg

The unscrupulous type people find IOS on google. I have no scruples. Google is your friend.

The way I see it - it's educational purposes. Im not about to go out and sell it, or reverse engineer... after all, I'm basicly touting the Cisco brand by getting training. Win/Win.

Theres a different between Pratice Tests and the More Nefarious "Brain ****". The latter is considered cheating, and cheating is bad - per Networker - I think he said it that way. But there's also the fact that you gain to lose more, those sites are just about as clean as Paris Hilton at a dance club... *cough*.

Practice tests are questions that are of their own making. They help guage where you are weakest and can help you polish up on terms you're not certain about, or lacking some knowledge - for me that was VTP. I think that's why I still remember it. I seered it into my skull!

Higher levels of hardware tend to be able to do more. Such as VPN, MPLS (!@#$er... :P ), IPv6,... There's a lot of features that span across Cisco products and I don't even really know the subtle nuaicnes myself. Im a paper tiger with Nil experience (I'll deny I said this later). Better processor for faster OSPF, yadda yadda. It's like going out and buying a Win95 machine, today. Then asking the question: "Will it run Crysis?".

spd3432

Is that because they will not work? I'm aware that they're pretty much useless if you want to use them for anything beyond the plain-Jane CCNA, like security, voice, CCNP, etc. But will they work for the concepts in the CCNA material?

The 2500s seem to be overpriced due to some models being snatched up for use as access servers. The hardware you see is the hardware you get -- they are NOT modular routers (they don't use WICs). I believe they only have ethernet interfaces via a transceiver (10mbps). I don't think you can do sub-interfaces on the highest level IOS that will go onto the 2500s so you won't be able to do Router-On-A-Stick (ROAS) which will prevent you from doing any labs requiring vlan's and inter-vlan routing.

The non-xm variety of 2600s also only have an ethernet (10mbps) connection although I've heard that at least some of the IOS's are capable of doing ROAS but it generally requires you to upgrade the memory to support those IOSs.

The 2600xm models have a fast-ethernet connection and do ROAS just fine but they cost a lot more than the other 2600s. As far as the cost goes, on ebay the cost of the 2600xm's is about three times the cost of the 1721s.

Also - take a look at San Diego craigslist. There's someone in Santee that's reposted the same ad for "Cisco" gear again today. Not sure what all is there, but it appears there are 5 routers in the top picture that don't match up to the bottom picture.