CBT Nuggets question 1801 router

Hi,

This might be a stupid question, but I'm totally new to this

Jeremy on the cbt nuggets series is using a cisco switch (the model escapes me, it has 24 ports, I know that)

I've borrowed an 1801 Router, and so far, along with the videos, it's going fine (same commands work, same ios messages match the video etc)

Is an 1801 router fine to work with these videos?

Could someone please explain to me the difference between using the term switch or router?

Many thanks (I get the feeling I might be asking more stupid questions in future)

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chmorin

mitchumworks wrote: »

Hi,

This might be a stupid question, but I'm totally new to this

Jeremy on the cbt nuggets series is using a cisco switch (the model escapes me, it has 24 ports, I know that)

I've borrowed an 1801 Router, and so far, along with the videos, it's going fine (same commands work, same ios messages match the video etc)

Is an 1801 router fine to work with these videos?

Could someone please explain to me the difference between using the term switch or router?

Many thanks (I get the feeling I might be asking more stupid questions in future)

The term switch and router get very hard to define as you get up to the professional level of things.

At your point, a switch should be considered a layer 2 devices that performs most of its tasks using an ARP table and its high-speed backplane to forwarding out matching ports.

A router should be considered a layer 3 devices that performs packet routing and generally lacks speed when compared to a layer 2 switch, but trades it for the ability to handle more complex forwarding and route decision making such as RIP, OSPF, and EIGRP.

A router can handle routing protocols, where as a layer two switch can not.
A switch can handle VLAN, STP, and VTP configurations, where as a router can not.

Long story short, since this question really would take forever to answer in detail, you will eventually need a switch to practice what the CCNA wants you to know about switching. In fact, you will need 2 or 3, and a few routers as well working together.

mitchumworks

Thanks very much for the reply. I'll keep that in mind for future revisions

I can get access to more 1801's, but I'll look into costs of purchasing some adequate switches

(Your reply will make more sense to me when I get to those sessions. I obvious understand the layer 2 and 3 bit at the moment. Some of this, added to stumbling on alone, is way above my head sometimes. If it wasn't so interesting, I think I might have given up

)

bermovick

CBTNuggets is VERY helpful at that stage, as I was pretty close to that point when I started. Watch the whole set of videos through, then either watch them a second time, or hit your choice of book (lammle/odom), and reference back to the CBTNuggets when something seems too complex from the book and you need a 'simpler' view to wrap your head around before getting more indepth.

WillTech105

I believe he uses a 2950 Switch in the videos. I personally bought a 3550 off ebay. You can get them for about 200-300$ ball park.

I also bought a the 2600 series routers. Was able to pretty much duplicate everything that was done in the videos. You'll also want some crossover cables to play with STP/VTP and serial crosover to play with Frame Relay.

mitchumworks

WillTech105 wrote: »

I believe he uses a 2950 Switch in the videos. I personally bought a 3550 off ebay. You can get them for about 200-300$ ball park.

I bought a 2950 switch. I saw in the videos, he's using a 3550

The 2950 won't let me securely password the switch for ssh

That's the least of my worries at the moment, as I must have spent about 8 hours at the weekend trying to work out, how I'm supposed to get port 23 to open so I can telnet to it

Everything I've tried refuses. Most searches on google are about how to close it

bermovick

What IOS version are you running on the switch? That's the likely culprit.

You can download newer 2950 images off cisco's website if needed.

c2950-i6k2l2q4-mz.121-22.EA13.bin

aldous

if you can afford the bit extra to get a 3550 it will be worth it as it will be useful all the way up to CCIE level. the SMI model is an L2 switch with some L3 with the EMI being full L3.

SMI can be upgraded to EMI in software if you have a CCO account/access

earweed

I've got 2 2950 switches. I don't have the CBT nuggets videos, I'm just using the books right now. Make sure you have the most upto date IOS that your switch will handle and you should be ok. Most people have told me that that 2-2950EI's and 2 2600xm's should do the trick for the CCNA.

ehnde

I have a 2950 and couldn't follow the CBT nuggets SSH video either. You need crypto in your IOS. If you can get an up to date IOS the 2950s are great. They go for $70 + shipping on ebay. Hard to beat that!

mitchumworks

I'll be diving into about 4-6 hours this weekend

Gonna ask a stupid question again

Is there a simple way of getting the newest IOS onto the 2950 switch?

How do you download/configure something that doesn't have a mem card slot or usb?

Am I being really thick asking this?

tiersten

mitchumworks wrote: »

Is there a simple way of getting the newest IOS onto the 2950 switch?

Register for a guest account at cisco.com. You don't need a maintenance contract to download IOS files for the fixed configuration switches like the 2950. You want the latest 2950 IOS with crypto. The web GUI is optional and fairly useless.

mitchumworks wrote: »

How do you download/configure something that doesn't have a mem card slot or usb?

FTP, HTTP or TFTP server to host the files if the device allows you to load in the firmware via the network. Traditionally people use TFTP just because that is generally what everything supports.

If it doesn't allow you to load in the firmware via the network then you're looking at doing it over the serial console connection using XMODEM.

mitchumworks

Wow, thanks very much

I've plenty to be getting on with there

mitchumworks

Some humourous updates here. The guy on these forums who bought a 3550 ethernet switch, only to find when he got it, that was optic fiber ports

That guy now has competition from me, cos that's exactly what I did

I'll have to re sell that on ebay

Luckilly, that level of frustration made me even more determind to try and get the crypto ios on the 2950. Various "permissions denied", and "error loading" this that and the other. I finally got it on last night

I'd like to think I've wasted about 30 hours of my life over the last few weeks, but I know at least, that I've done the time, and it's all experience

I also know after I've sold the 3550 fiber ethernet switch, that I can just get another 2950 and put the crypto stuff on

If anyones still reading. To complete a full lab to do CCNA, I'll have 3 1801 routers, and 2 2950 switches. Do I need a higher layered switch to complete that?

I feel ready to actually get on with this after stalling for so long

mitchumworks

Oh I got the ios on using XModem by the way. (took about 5 goes. Got there in the end though

)

alan2308

mitchumworks wrote: »

If anyones still reading. To complete a full lab to do CCNA, I'll have 3 1801 routers, and 2 2950 switches. Do I need a higher layered switch to complete that?

No, you don't need anything beyond a 2950 for the CCNA. You'll see some benefit from having a third switch (it can be another 2950 or even a 2900XL), but a third is not crucial.

Keep an eye out for a good deal on a 3550 if you're still looking for another switch though. I found mine for $45 shipped because the guy thought there was some issue with the power supply.