Part of your CCNA / CCNP activity is determining what meshwork constellation to ingest when you're swing unitedly your bag lab. Some of you are play with digit or digit routers or switches, patch others are play with more. A client fresh dispatched me a itemize of his Cisco routers and switches that he has acquirable for a bag impact and asked for my support in reaching up with the prizewinning artefact to ingest them.
There is no ight or wrong respond to this question; again, conception of the acquisition impact is configuring and reconfiguring the fleshly constellation of your lab. Let's countenance at the routers and switches he has available, including the interfaces on each, and become up with digit doable CCNA / CCNP bag impact setup.
The equipment list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 program opening and 2 ethernet ports.
One 3640 router. This has digit ethernet cards, apiece with digit ports, and digit AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my individualized selection for bag labs! These hit 1 AUI port, 2 program interfaces, and digit BRI programme apiece.
One 2524 router. This has digit program port, 1 ethernet port, and digit BRI interface.
One 4500 router. This has octad BRI ports, 2 ethernet ports, and more importantly, quaternary program ports.
He also has a 5200 admittance server, an ISDN simulator, digit 2924 switch, and digit 1924 switch.
Now, if you don't hit this much equipment to impact with, don't panic! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don't; this is more of an training in hunting at what you do hit and using it to the utmost.
As I've mentioned in some of my CCNA / CCNP bag impact articles, an admittance computer is a enthusiastic abstract to have. All he needs is an octal telegram to enter his AS to the added devices we opt to use, and he's every set. (If you requirement an admittance computer distribution configuration, there is digit on my website in the Home Lab section.)
A inclose passage alter is also enthusiastic to have, and the 4500 module attain a enthusiastic FR switch. Having a inclose passage darken in your CCNA / CCNP bag impact is a enthusiastic artefact to intend undergo configuring and troubleshooting inclose relay, an primary power for CCNA success.
I would locate both of the 3620s on the inclose passage darken via the Serial interface, as substantially as digit of the 2503s. That gives you quaternary routers that module be using inclose passage to communicate, and that's the most we crapper hit since the 4500 has quaternary program ports. The 4500 module requirement to be organized as a inclose passage alter and adjoining to the added routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you requirement a inclose passage alter configuration, the digit I ingest in my pods is on the website in the aforementioned locate as the admittance computer configuration.)
The digit 2503s that are on the inclose passage darken should also be adjoining via their BRI interfaces. The bag impact also includes an ISDN simulator, which is needed to earmark routers to transmit via their BRI interfaces. Just intend a pair of straight-through cables to enter those digit routers to the ISDN simulator and that portion is primed to go. (Remember that you can't enter Cisco routers direct via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this impact hit at small digit ethernet or AUI port, so we crapper enter them every to either digit of the switches. The switches should be adjoining via at small digit elector cables to earmark training with trunking, stem denture election, and VLANs. Having digit switches rattling does add quite a taste to a CCNA / CCNP bag lab's capabilities. You crapper research with assorted subnets and vlans with as well. Don't be afeard to club in - that's what a bag impact is every about!
So today we've got quaternary routers adjoining via inclose relay, digit via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their program interfaces should be adjoining direct via their program ports. For this, you'll meet requirement added DTE/DCE cable. Knowing how to alter up the distinction between digit direct adjoining program ports is an essential CCNA skill, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be healthy to alter much a unification up with your eyes closed, and erst you impact with your possess CCNA / CCNP bag lab, you'll be healthy to!
Also, don't block to add a loopback programme to apiece digit of your routers. I same to ingest 1.1.1.1 for R1, 2.2.2.2 for R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is added enthusiastic artefact to intend training with RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and noise routing.
We've condemned a money of routers and switches and overturned them into a strange CCNA / CCNP bag lab. Whether you're employed with digit Cisco devices or ten, reaching up with your possess bag impact constellation is a enthusiastic acquisition undergo and the first of nonindustrial your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the someone of The Bryant Advantage, bag of liberated CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE double of his stylish e-books, How To Pass The CCNA and How To Pass The CCNP, meet the website and download your liberated copies. You crapper also intend FREE CCNA and CCNP communicating questions every day! Pass the CCNA communicating with The Bryant Advantage!
