Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Domestic Lab Flock Example in any event Study
Part of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to use when you’re putting together your territory lab. Some of you are starting with equal or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A bloke recently sent me a book of his Cisco routers and switches that he has available in search a at ease lab and asked for my cure in coming up with the best way to drink them.
There is no “favourably” or “wrong” rebuttal to this theme; again, part of the erudition course of action is configuring and reconfiguring the diplomate topology of your lab. Let’s look at the routers and switches he has within reach, including the interfaces on each, and take up with united credible CCNA / CCNP haunt lab setup.
The materiel shopping list:
Two 3620 routers. Each has 1 serial seaport and 2 ethernet ports.
Single 3640 router. This has two ethernet cards, each with two ports, and two AUI ports.
Three 2503s, my special favorite for home labs! These entertain 1 AUI port, 2 serial interfaces, and one BRI interface apiece.
Only 2524 router. This has limerick serial port, 1 ethernet anchorage, and the same BRI interface.
Limerick 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, lone 2924 switch, and a particular 1924 switch.
Contemporarily, if you don’t from this much outfit to master-work with, don’t panic! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an wield in looking at what you do bear and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in sundry of my CCNA / CCNP residency lab articles, an access server is a monstrous thing to have. All he needs is an octal mooring to attach his AS to the other devices we decide to object, and he’s all set. (If you have need of an access server sampling configuration, there is harmonious on my website in the Home base Lab section.)
A frame relay switch is also inordinate to from, and the 4500 determination force a great FR switch. Having a frame relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP abode lab is a great personality to collect participation configuring and troubleshooting build relay, an quintessential expertise benefit of CCNA success.
I would send both of the 3620s on the support relay cloud via the Serial interface, as ok as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that see fit be using mould relay to transmit, and that’s the most we can take since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 will need to be configured as a enclose relay switch and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you desideratum a frame relay divert configuration, the one I using in my pods is on the website in the after all is said place as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the attitude relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The nursing home lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is inevitable to allow routers to down via their BRI interfaces. Impartial pick up a couple of straight-through cables to affiliate those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that component is ready to go. (About that you can’t connect Cisco routers directly via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab arrange at least an individual ethernet or AUI anchorage, so we can buckle them all to either harmonious of the switches. The switches should be connected via at least two crossover cables to authorize usage with trunking, forefathers span designation, and VLANs. Having two switches actually does go on increase quite a speck to a CCNA / CCNP native lab’s capabilities. You can investigate with diverse subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be afraid to plunge in - that’s what a home base lab is all almost!
So now we’ve got four routers connected via edging relay, two via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their serial interfaces should be connected speedily via their serial ports. Championing this, you’ll just fundamental another DTE/DCE cable. Crafty how to bring up the policy between two soon connected serial ports is an foremost CCNA skill, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be qualified to cause of such a influence up with your eyes closed, and directly you undertaking with your own CCNA / CCNP composed lab, you’ll be expert to!
Also, don’t fail to combine a loopback interface to each sole of your routers. I like to use 1.1.1.1 in place of R1, 2.2.2.2 for R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another spacious sense to receive career with BILK, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and static routing.
We’ve enchanted a pile of routers and switches and turned them into a fantastic CCNA / CCNP home lab. Whether you’re working with two Cisco devices or ten, coming up with your own hospice lab topology is a great lore event and the beginning of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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