How do You manage your home lab.

EdTheLad

I have built a lab which consists of 8 routers.I have the eth ports on all routers connected to a hub which is also connected to a wireless router so i can connect to my lab from anywhere in my house.
This setup would be ideal if i had 2 eth ports on every router which is not the case.Are there any other good alternative methods to manage the routers via serial or console ports? Maybe there is an external device which can be added to manage connections using serial or console ports??
Let me know if your using a better setup!

keenon

get a 2509 access router. it has a 8 low speed sync cables for connecting to console port on your routers.. if u have an old computer install RD or some other app that will allow u to connect to it and connect that PC to the 2509.. that how i do it at home.


PC - remote desktop
|com port|
-2509-
router a
router b
router c
....
....
....
....
....

QUIX0TIC

I agree. I have a 2511-RJ which allows me to connect to all my routers with one device. It helps especially when you want to have remote access to your home lab.

EdTheLad

Great this was what i was looking for, so i can buy either 2509,2510,2511,2512 and also an octal cable.Is there a special config i
need in order to manage the 8 console sessions through this router?

QUIX0TIC

Yes there is... when I get home I will edit this post and send to you.

netadmin

is there any online home lab available for free of cost?

wildfire

I have posted the config from my own terminal server below, I have it setup on a lan connection so when I telent to it, it runs a menu system to connect to other devices



!
version 12.0
service timestamps debug uptime
service timestamps log uptime
no service password-encryption
!
hostname Host
!
enable secret 5 ******
enable password password
!
!
!
!
!
ip subnet-zero
no ip domain-lookup
ip host c2 2002 10.0.0.1
ip host c4 2004 10.0.0.1
ip host c5 2005 10.0.0.1
ip host c6 2006 10.0.0.1
ip host c7 2007 10.0.0.1
ip host c8 2008 10.0.0.1
ip host c9 2009 10.0.0.1
ip host c10 2010 10.0.0.1
ip host c11 2011 10.0.0.1
ip host c12 2012 10.0.0.1
ip host c13 2013 10.0.0.1
ip host c14 2014 10.0.0.1
ip host c15 2015 10.0.0.1
ip host c16 2016 10.0.0.1
ip host c1 2001 10.0.0.1
ip host c3 2003 10.0.0.1
!
!
!
process-max-time 200
!
interface Loopback66
ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.255
no ip directed-broadcast
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 192.168.10.2 255.255.255.0
no ip directed-broadcast
no ip mroute-cache
no mop enabled
!
interface Serial0
no ip address
no ip directed-broadcast
no ip mroute-cache
shutdown
!
interface Serial1
no ip address
no ip directed-broadcast
no ip mroute-cache
shutdown
!
ip classless
no ip http server
!
!
menu cserver title Welcome to Cisco-Engineer.com Rack
If you have problems connecting to your device
clear the connection via cl+# (ie:cl1) and try again.

To exit back out to the menu press "CTRL+SHIFT+6"
then "X". You must then clear the connection and
begin a new console session to re-connect to
that device.

---

1 - Connect to 3620
2 - Connect to 4500
3 - Connect to 2501_1
4 - Connect to 2501_2
5 - Connect to 2504_1
6 - Connect to 2504_2
7 - Connect to 2520
8 - Connect to 2612

---

p2 - console ports 9-16 | show - show lines in use
Exit - logout | menuexit - exit menu
menu cserver prompt Please enter command or selection:
menu cserver command 1 tn c1
menu cserver command 2 tn c2
menu cserver command 3 tn c3
menu cserver command 4 tn c4
menu cserver command 5 tn c5
menu cserver command 6 tn c6
menu cserver command 7 tn c7
menu cserver command 8 tn c8
menu cserver command cl1 cl1
menu cserver command cl2 cl2
menu cserver command cl3 cl3
menu cserver command cl4 cl4
menu cserver command cl5 cl5
menu cserver command cl6 cl6
menu cserver command cl7 cl7
menu cserver command cl8 cl8
menu cserver command p2 menu cserver2
menu cserver command menuexit menu-exit
menu cserver command exit exit
menu cserver command show show line tty 1 16 | include \*
menu cserver options show pause
menu cserver clear-screen
menu cserver single-space
!
menu cserver2 title Welcome to Cisco-Engineer.com
If you have problems connecting to your device
clear the connection via cl+# (ie:cl1) and try again.

To exit back out to the menu press "CTRL+SHIFT+6"
then "X". You must then clear the connection and
begin a new console session to re-connect to
that device.

---

9 - Connect to 2950 Cat
10 - Conenct to 7007
11 - Connect to 1924_1
12 - Connect to 1924_2
13 - Connect to 1720
14 - Connect to 1601_1
15 - Connect to 1601_2
16 - Connect to 1603

---

p1 - console ports 1-8 | show - show lines in use
Exit - logout |
menu cserver2 command 9 tn c9
menu cserver2 command 10 tn c10
menu cserver2 command 11 tn c11
menu cserver2 command 12 tn c12
menu cserver2 command 13 tn c13
menu cserver2 command 14 tn c14
menu cserver2 command 15 tn c15
menu cserver2 command 16 tn c16
menu cserver2 command cl9 cl9
menu cserver2 command cl10 cl10
menu cserver2 command cl11 cl11
menu cserver2 command cl12 cl12
menu cserver2 command cl13 cl13
menu cserver2 command cl14 cl14
menu cserver2 command cl15 cl15
menu cserver2 command cl16 cl16
menu cserver2 command p1 menu-exit
menu cserver2 command exit exit
menu cserver2 command show show line tty 1 16 | include \*
menu cserver2 options show pause
menu cserver2 clear-screen
menu cserver2 single-space
snmp-server engineID local 00000009020000107BE82862
snmp-server community public RO
snmp-server community private view v1default RO
snmp-server host 192.168.10.1 private
banner motd
Welcome to the Cisco-Engineer.com Rack (C)2005
Please read the Terms and Conditions at www.Cisco-Engineer.com/terms.html
Disconnect if you are not authorised
DO NOT Earse Flash
Dont Erase Startup Configs only erase the running config
If you are going to set any passwords use cisco
If you have any problems Email Support@Cisco-Engineer.com
Ensure you have familiarised yourself with the Rack layout
Good Luck!

alias exec cl1 clear line 1
alias exec cl2 clear line 2
alias exec cl3 clear line 3
alias exec cl4 clear line 4
alias exec cl5 clear line 5
alias exec cl6 clear line 6
alias exec cl7 clear line 7
alias exec cl8 clear line 8
alias exec cl9 clear line 9
alias exec cl10 clear line 10
alias exec cl11 clear line 11
alias exec cl12 clear line 12
alias exec cl13 clear line 13
alias exec cl14 clear line 14
alias exec cl15 clear line 15
alias exec cl16 clear line 16
alias exec tn telnet
privilege exec level 0 clear line
privilege exec level 1 clear
!
line con 0
transport input none
line 1 16
no exec
exec-timeout 0 0
transport input all
telnet break-on-ip
telnet sync-on-break
telnet ip-on-break
flowcontrol hardware
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
exec-timeout 0 0
password ******
login
autocommand menu cserver
!
end