Quick N' Dirty explaination of DRAM/Flash memory

I scanned the Cisco Read before you post post and didn't see anything pertaining to this...

My first question is pertaining to a home lab, and then secondly how does DRAM/flash memory affect routers outside in the real world.

I was basically looking to pick up a 2610 from Ciscokits and saw all the different combos 32/8, 64/16, 96/32, etc. and I'm kind of stumped as to what that exactly means. I know I don't need a huge setup for the CCNA but if someone could help me I'd appreciate it.

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Comments

nice343

memory determines the kind of IOS the router runs.

Newer IOS and voice routers require a lot of memory. If you have a router with a small memory, Chances is are it will not have the latest IOS and some advanced features

BigTone

well according to Ciscokits all of their routers have the 12.3.24 OS on them...from the cheaper 70 dollar version to the $200+ ones

nice343

BigTone wrote:

well according to Ciscokits all of their routers have the 12.3.24 OS on them...from the cheaper 70 dollar version to the $200+ ones

any router with an IOS version of 12.3 is good enough for a CCNA

dynamik

The flash stores the IOS image while the DRAM is the working memory, just like in a computer. You need your flash large enough to store the IOS you're going to work with. You can check the requirements for various IOS versions here: http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp

You might have a little more flexibility with the DRAM. Your lab routers aren't going to be worked as hard as routers in live environments, so you might be able to skimp a bit.