Post Your Lab (PICS)

Hey Everyone,
I couldn't find any other thread similar to this after searching for a while, so I wanted to get one going. It would be great if everyone could post pictures of their current home or work lab (Big or Small). Hopefully we can get the CCNP/CCIE folks to post in here as well.

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Comments

Patel128

The skeleteks are definitely nice, and built very well. I have one and I love it. I am sure you are excited to show it off.

Carl_S_901

Patel128 wrote: »

The skeleteks are definitely nice, and built very well. I have one and I love it. I am sure you are excited to show it off.

I wasn't sure if I was crazy about the cage nuts at first. After putting them all in it wasn't too bad and is not an issue.

spiderjericho

Ha, ha. I had the same problem. The first time I put it together it wasn't sturdy and it was because of how I put the nuts in. Put it together again and it's super sturdy.

Tritium

Hey everyone,I'm in the final stages of building my CCENT/CCNA rack. I've been slowly building it for the past 6 months.
All gear was acquired on ebay.

Components: Going from Top to bottom:

Skeletek C28U-HD-30 IT RACK

2U shelf=
Netgear WNR2000 v2 running DD-Wrt
Cisco Pix 501 (Not used)
Sonicwall TZ190 (Main firewall)

Cisco SG300-10 10 Port Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switch (Home Network, Inter VLAN routing)

Cisco 2509 Access Server

48 port Sprint Cat5e patch panel

Switches
2950C 24 port switch
2950 12 port switch
2950c 24 port switch
1912c 12 port switch

Routers
2620XM Router
2610 Router
2610 Router

2u shelf
Used to store study materials, tools, cable modem

Power
Technical Pro PS-B9 AC Switch (Used for Cisco gear)
American DJ PC-100a AC Switch (Used for Home Network)
APC UPS for battery backup of both ac switches

2u 18" deep shelf: Will be used for pc running ESXi.

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FloOz

Just got my lab yesterday from a friend of mine that no longer needs it. I bought it all for $180 from him. (Also came with cables and misc. items)

2x 2950s (1 looks to have a fiber module installed)
2x 2514s
1x PIX Firewall (Can't see myself using this anytime soon)

I am still reading through Odom's ICND1 book and hope to utilize this lab in my studies sometime soon.

Roguetadhg

It's nice to have friends interested in the same stuff! What PIX did you pickup?

FloOz

Honestly I dont even know. He kind of just threw it in with the package. Ill check it out when I get home from work

Legacy User

This is my cme lab for the time being.

1 2811 running cme with nm-cue card, vwic-1mft1, pvdm2-16, aim-vpn ssl2
1 1760 running cme but will be my pstn pvdm256 vwic-1mft1 4fxs
1 3560 poe 24 port
1 3524xl pwr I think thats the model number
4 7940g
67945g

Have to bring more cables home I ran out hence nothing connected to the 3524 xl

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Roguetadhg

So many phones! Beautiful desk!

Legacy User

Not a desk my dining room table. I have placemats under the router to avoid any scratching. Yea can't wait to get these damn phones out of my house. Just too much crap piling up.

MrBrian

I really enjoy seeing other people's setups on here, so I figured I'd add mine to the mix.

1. This is from August 2011 right after getting my CCNA.. I just got a bunch of equipment in that I ordered. And got a desk as well. It was all starting to come together..

2. The desk was all put together and everything was neat and tidy (WAS).. ha. It was August 2011 and I was just about to jump into my NP studies!

3. In May 2012 my chair just up and broke on me.. Note to self: don't use a cheap desk chair as a rocking chair!! I had it coming really..

4. Pic of my lab October 2012

5. My book collection! Got several others on my "wish" list.. Used books on amazon ftw!

Nice lab and book collection @MrBrian!

Roguetadhg

Amazing! Thought about using a console server yet? lol. I can imagine getting up and reconnecting gets tiring.

MrBrian

@ Flooz, thanks!

@ Roguetadhg, I do have an access server! It's a 2511.. Hard to see but its the second device up from the switches (it's got that octal cable on it). Yea I couldn't imagine having to move it around every time. Sometimes I hook up an ethernet cable from my laptop to its aui adapter, and then telnet into each device, that way I can have multiple telnet sessions open, and I don't have to "ctrl-shift-6-x" to jump around. It's easier to see console and debug logging as well.. as opposed to doing a command on one device and quickly jumping over to the other, and sometimes missing it.

Sirbloody

Hopefully I will be getting the rest of the switches I ordered this week along with my 12U rack so I can take some pictures finally.

Roguetadhg

I didn't see the octal cable. I was wondering. because I see a single blue cable connected to something else.

neocybe

@ Ciscoman2012 Where did you get your desk, I've been looking for something like that for a while.

Roguetadhg

It looks like the last desk I had. It came from Office Max. Im not sure if it's the same desk! Looks mighty close though.

MAC_Addy

Tritium wrote: »

Technical Pro PS-B9 AC Switch (Used for Cisco gear)

Very nice rack! I just ordered this exact power strip for my rack.

Tritium

Very nice rack! I just ordered this exact power strip for my rack.

Thanks! It's a good little unit. It def makes for easier cable management.

On a side note for all my fellow Cisco CLI enthusiasts, If anyone is looking for a layer 3 managed gig switch...def check out the Cisco SG300 switches. I've been having a blast setting up my 10 port. Firmware upgrade gives it Cisco TextView CLI. It isn't full Cisco IOS, but it's close enough. Great for home!

ayseaf

Hello

I am trying to build my real cisco lab , I am already bought

2 x cisco 3560 switch
1 x cisco 2950T switch
1 x cisco 2621xm
1 x cisco 2611xm
2 x cisco 1841
1 x digi 32cm as access server
2 x wic 1t
1 x NM-8A/S

please any one can help me let me know if i need something else , also do i replace 2950t with 3550 better .

Thanks for all

oli356

Nice Asyeaf, no need to replace a 2950 with a 3550 if you already have 2 L3 switches.

Patel128

Roguetadhg wrote: »

It looks like the last desk I had. It came from Office Max. Im not sure if it's the same desk! Looks mighty close though.

Im pretty sure when I used to work for Office Depot we had a few desks that were similar to that also.

StussyNz

HI Guys,

I just want to know; What is everyones views on using GNS3 to emulate cisco routers and then purchase physical switches to use in a lab enviroment and then hook them up via a testing machine (Just to save me some $$)

Cheers.

spiderjericho

You setup the learning environment that is within your means. If you can't afford to buy 6-10 routers or 4 3550 Catalyst Switches instead of 3560/3750, there's nothing wrong with that. For the 5% you're not able to do with GNS3 and switches, you can get rack rental time.

Is it nice to have a complete lab, sure, but GNS3 and the switches is going to be sufficient for CCNA to CCIE R&S. I know a guy on another forum that's all he used.

http://ciscofun.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/the-story/

StussyNz

What lab equipment (Routers and Switch) setup would be the cheapeast and best option to invest in to help pass with CCNA/CCNA:Security/CCNA:Voce studies?

spiderjericho

If you only plan on getting Associate level certs, just get packet tracer and play around in GNS3.

If you're going to be moving up to professional and expert level the lowest switches you should get is 3550s. If you have the money, get 3560s.

Don't buy any routers. If you have a pretty decent laptop or desktop, you can run GNS3 in Windows along with VirtualBox. GNS3 runs better in Linux.

Get a few USB to Ethernet NICs and connect them to some switches.

Roguetadhg

Well, for CCNA:Security there might be issues with using ASA on GNS3. I say this as it's getting a lot better than before. I would definitely say going virtualization is the best bet otherwise. Unfortantly, I don't entirely know how far you can go with virtualization/emulation within the realms of "CCNA:Security" or "CCNA:Voice".

Switches, you'll need to invest with cold hard cash. GNS3 doesn't emulate switches to the point you'd be able to manage them like a router.

StussyNz

Thanks for your input guys. What cheap models of switches will work? 2950? Would they be acceptable?

SteveO86

Updated Pic

From top to bottom:

SonicWall TZ210
4x 1841 - WICs
2x 2621xm 256Mb - WIC-2T
3x 2610xm 256Mb - NM-4A/S
2x 3750
2x 3550
2x 2960
1x 3745

Just need to get a few faulty modules squared away.

LAB New.jpg