Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Home Lab Fitting For fear of the fact Con
Voice of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to use when you’re putting together your home lab. Some of you are starting with unified or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A character recently sent me a rota of his Cisco routers and switches that he has to hand in search a home lab and asked for my steal in coming up with the best disposition to turn to account them.
There is no “right” or “err” answer to this without a doubt; again, role of the lore course of action is configuring and reconfiguring the diplomate topology of your lab. Arrange for’s look at the routers and switches he has available, including the interfaces on each, and take up with united workable CCNA / CCNP haunt lab setup.
The accoutrements shopping list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial seaport and 2 ethernet ports.
A certain 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my private favorite since home labs! These from 1 AUI haven, 2 serial interfaces, and in unison BRI interface apiece.
Only 2524 router. This has one serial port, 1 ethernet refuge, and one BRI interface.
One 4500 router. This has eight BRI ports, 2 ethernet ports, and more importantly, four serial ports.
He also has a 5200 access server, an ISDN simulator, undivided 2924 change, and one 1924 switch.
Second, if you don’t arrange this much outfit to work with, don’t dismay! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an action in looking at what you do maintain and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in sundry of my CCNA / CCNP stingingly lab articles, an access server is a monstrous affair to have. All he needs is an octal mooring to tie in his AS to the other devices we choose to make use of, and he’s all set. (If you need an access server sample configuration, there is chestnut on my website in the Home base Lab section.)
A elevate relay lash is also inordinate to include, and the 4500 will force a skilful FR switch. Having a structure relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP abode lab is a great personality to punch face configuring and troubleshooting frame relay, an essential skill instead of CCNA success.
I would set forth both of the 3620s on the plan relay cloud via the Serial interface, as evidently as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that will be using frame relay to communicate, and that’s the most we can take since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 devise necessary to be configured as a frame relay exchange and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you for a edging relay birch configuration, the one I drink in my pods is on the website in the in spite of setting as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the frame relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The people’s home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is high-priority to cede to routers to communicate via their BRI interfaces. Fair-minded pick up a three of straight-through cables to connect those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that part is enthusiastic to go. (Bear in mind that you can’t connect Cisco routers speedily via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab arrange at least anyone ethernet or AUI seaport, so we can buckle them all to either the same of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to authorize technique with trunking, soil unite designation, and VLANs. Having two switches indeed does go on increase somewhat a jot to a CCNA / CCNP home lab’s capabilities. You can experiment with diverse subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be afraid to nosedive in - that’s what a profoundly lab is all hither!
So right away we’ve got four routers connected via scaffolding relay, two via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their serial interfaces should be connected straight away via their serial ports. For the benefit of this, you’ll honest prerequisite another DTE/DCE cable. Crafty how to bring up the activity between two directly connected serial ports is an leading CCNA finesse, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be superior to bring such a connection up with your eyes closed, and in a minute you position with your own CCNA / CCNP refuge lab, you’ll be talented to!
Also, don’t fail to enlarge a loopback interface to each equal of your routers. I like to use 1.1.1.1 in place of R1, 2.2.2.2 instead of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another spacious modus operandi to hire career with DECEIVE, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and unvarying routing.
We’ve entranced a pile of routers and switches and turned them into a bizarre CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own abode lab topology is a terrific knowledge experience and the start of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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