A few home lab questions

I'm going to graduate in May, with a degree in network administration and I want to build a home lab to study for the CCNA.

Before coming to this forum I came across this video by CBT Nuggets, he recommends 2 routers and 2 switches. I also read the sticky at the top of this forum and saw that it recommends 3 of each. I'm just wondering what the justification is for having 3 of each as opposed to just 2 like the video recommends.

MicroNugget: Building a CCNA Home Lab - YouTube

I've done work on the equipment in the classroom, so I know how big these things are, and I'm not sure where I'd put them. Do most of you guys use racks, or just stack them up on a desk or something? Are racks expensive, and are they worth it?

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Comments

Jon_Cisco

I don't think there is a good one size fits all answer. Most important is probably budget and your time. If you have a lot of time to use it and a fair enough budget to buy 3 and 3 then you will have more flexibility to follow suggested labs and create your own scenarios.

I think 2 and 2 will get you through the basics but you will need more if you want to progress in your study. Don't feel like you have to buy it all at once. You can start small and if you find yourself using it then add on.

As to Racks. I have a small cheap rack.
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I though it would be to much by I am already outgrowing it and wish I went with the 20 unit Skeletal rack.

Good Luck

MrBrian

I'd assume most people have them in some sort of rack if they have a decent amount of devices. I have a Skeletek rack, they're a bit pricy but extremely sturdy and it rolls on wheels. I'd recommend it if you want a nice solid rack

Admiral Akmir

Thanks for the replies guys, I also have another question.

The sticky says that IOS 12.4 is a must on routers, does that apply to switches as well?

MacGuffin

First a disclaimer, I am not CCNA certified, I'm studying just like you are. I'm giving advice on what I have experienced and what I heard elsewhere, and my advice is worth no more than what you paid for it.

Admiral Akmir wrote: »

Before coming to this forum I came across this video by CBT Nuggets, he recommends 2 routers and 2 switches. I also read the sticky at the top of this forum and saw that it recommends 3 of each. I'm just wondering what the justification is for having 3 of each as opposed to just 2 like the video recommends.

The building of a lab is all based on a personal view on cost/benefit. The CBT guy recommends 2 routers and 2 switches because he feels that is where someone with limited funds gets the best cost/benefit. Others recommend more because they see significant benefit from that cost.

What you get with more than two routers is the ability to create a lab with more than one route. This allows playing with features of the router that is not possible with a two router lab. The same goes for switches, having three switches allows for testing things like LAN loops. Sorry for not naming the specific protocols, it's late and half my brain is shutdown.

I got lucky and didn't have to stew over this too much. I got over a dozen Cisco routers and switches real cheap because the local New Horizons was clearing out their Cisco gear at the same time I was taking my Cisco training there. It was mostly 2500 series stuff but with a couple 2600 series routers, and a 2600XM, in the mix I think I had the routing covered. I ended up buying a couple 2950 switches and a 3550 switch in addition because the switches that I got were so old that the OS seemed to be speaking another language. In hindsight I probably didn't need the 3550 that bad but I have it now so I'll use it.

There's quite a few CCNA exercises out there that call for having four routers. If you can afford buying four routers for your lab then go for it. The additional routers don't need to be fancy, 2500 series routers should do. They don't need to run IOS 12.4 either, 12.2 should do.

A few of the four router labs call for two routers with three interfaces, each one connected to a different router. The other two routers only need two interfaces, each interface connected to the two routers that have three interfaces. The two routers that have two interfaces aren't as critical in the lab, they don't need to be fancy, they may not even need to be Cisco. The goal is to configure the routers with three interfaces to do certain things, like properly handle a route going down, sharing routing data, or load share on those interfaces. Sorry if my description isn't making sense, I'm tired and should not even be posting.

Admiral Akmir wrote: »

The sticky says that IOS 12.4 is a must on routers, does that apply to switches as well?

That is a good question. Again, I'm still learning this too. It seems to me that the IOS versions between routers and switches don't quite compare, having an older switch isn't quite the handicap that having an older router would have. I'd appreciate opinions from someone more experienced than I.

theodoxa

You can get by with 2+2, but 3+3 is better - particularly when labbing Frame Relay (1 Router acting as a Frame Switch + 2 Customer Routers, 4 Routers will allow multiple PVCs), OSPF Elections (Full Elections), and Spanning Tree Protocol.

Admiral Akmir

So do you guys have access servers? Seems like it would be really convenient, but on the kit site they seem kind of expensive. Is it possible to build one? By that I mean buy a cheap router and enough modules to support the devices I have. Also what's usually running on an access server? Is it IOS or something else? We don't use them in school so I'm not sure how they work exactly, besides that they are a central hub for accessing devices.

theodoxa

I have a Digi CM32 (Digi CM32 | eBay) which cost $75 at the time. You can build an access server, but honestly it will probably cost more in the end (Router + NM-16A or NM-32A + Octal Cables) than just buying a Digi.

MacGuffin

Admiral Akmir wrote: »

So do you guys have access servers?

Yes I do. I have two Cisco 2509 routers. They generally work well for me but I'm investigating other options because serial ports on PCs are getting hard to find.

Admiral Akmir wrote: »

Seems like it would be really convenient, but on the kit site they seem kind of expensive. Is it possible to build one? By that I mean buy a cheap router and enough modules to support the devices I have.

The "aux" port on Cisco routers (at least the models I have) can be connected to the "console" port on another Cisco device with a rollover cable to allow configuration of the second device. If you have a small lab then doing that might allow you to avoid the expense of a dedicated access server.

One thing I found out in economics is that prices are set by competition. The reason those access servers cost what they do is because the alternatives cost about the same price. Part of that cost is the convenience. You might find something cheaper but it won't be as convenient.

I have an access server but I still need a serial port on the PC to connect to it. I'd like to retire the computer that is connected to it now but I'd have to find a replacement. I mention this because in looking for options I found that USB to serial adapters are relatively cheap. If you have just two or three devices you need to connect to then getting a USB to serial adapter for each is likely to be cheaper than the access server. At some point buying a serial adapter for each device will exceed the cost of the access server.

Admiral Akmir wrote: »

Also what's usually running on an access server? Is it IOS or something else? We don't use them in school so I'm not sure how they work exactly, besides that they are a central hub for accessing devices.

The Cisco access servers run IOS. Access servers from other manufacturers will obviously run something else. How they work is pretty simple and basically as you describe. A typical process for using an access server is to use telnet, SSH, or a web browser to connect to the access server which will pass your keystrokes out its serial port and the response to your screen. How you select the serial port you are connected to can vary, a typical means is that each serial line gets a TCP port on the access server. By giving the telnet client the IP address of the access server, and the port number assigned to the serial port, you are connected to the appropriate device. I have not used the web based access servers but my understanding is that they use a Java client that runs in your browser and the selection of the serial device is by clicking on the links on the web page.

Jon_Cisco

I did purchase an access server because I am planning to continue with Cisco certs after my CCNA.
For me it was well worth the cost but I was not opposed to buying a good lab as I plan to pursue networking for my career.

I choose the cisco 2511rj model because it offered 16 ports an I could build my own cables. This was a much more expensive option but I am happy with it so far.