Cisco CCNA / CCNP Tutorial: Domestic Lab Flock Example in any event Chew over
Voice of your CCNA / CCNP edification is deciding what network topology to treatment when you’re putting together your composed lab. Some of you are starting with one or two routers or switches, while others are starting with more. A bloke recently sent me a list of his Cisco routers and switches that he has within reach in search a at ease lab and asked in search my staff in coming up with the best behaviour pattern to turn to account them.
There is no “proper” or “awry” conform to to this theme; again, part of the lore process is configuring and reconfiguring the fleshly topology of your lab. Arrange for’s look at the routers and switches he has within reach, including the interfaces on each, and meet up up with ditty credible CCNA / CCNP home lab setup.
The equipment 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 since home labs! These compel ought to 1 AUI port, 2 serial interfaces, and single BRI interface apiece.
A particular 2524 router. This has single serial port, 1 ethernet port, and the same BRI interface.
A woman 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 only 1924 switch.
Second, if you don’t arrange this much equipment to master-work with, don’t horror! Most CCNA / CCNP candidates don’t; this is more of an wield in looking at what you do have and using it to the utmost.
As I’ve mentioned in sundry of my CCNA / CCNP to the heart lab articles, an access server is a monstrous obsession to have. All he needs is an octal mooring to put together his AS to the other devices we decide to make use of, and he’s all set. (If you have need of an access server sampling configuration, there is harmonious on my website in the Bailiwick Lab section.)
A arrangement relay swap is also huge to from, and the 4500 require occasion a excellent FR switch. Having a structure relay cloud in your CCNA / CCNP home lab is a great way to get face configuring and troubleshooting build relay, an fundamental expertise benefit of CCNA success.
I would send both of the 3620s on the plan relay cloud via the Serial interface, as obviously as two of the 2503s. That gives you four routers that resolve be using frame relay to communicate, and that’s the most we can obtain since the 4500 has four serial ports. The 4500 will necessary to be configured as a enclose relay exchange and connected to the other routers via a DTE/DCE cable. (Again, if you for a chassis relay beat configuration, the rhyme I drink in my pods is on the website in the verbatim at the same time place as the access server configuration.)
The two 2503s that are on the schema relay cloud should also be connected via their BRI interfaces. The tellingly lab also includes an ISDN simulator, which is life-or-death to allow routers to reach via their BRI interfaces. Principled pick up a several of straight-through cables to affiliate those two routers to the ISDN simulator and that segment is acquiescent to go. (Remember that you can’t league Cisco routers without delay via their BRI interfaces.)
All of the routers in this lab secure at least unified 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 cede to usage with trunking, soil span referendum, and VLANs. Having two switches really does add somewhat a minute to a CCNA / CCNP conversant with lab’s capabilities. You can policy test with contrastive subnets and vlans with as well. Don’t be intimidated to dive in - that’s what a home lab is all almost!
So in the present climate we’ve got four routers connected via mount relay, two via ISDN, and the others via ethernet segments. Two of the routers that are not using their serial interfaces should be connected momentarily via their serial ports. For the benefit of this, you’ll upstanding need another DTE/DCE cable. Sly how to diminish up the activity between two directly connected serial ports is an important CCNA skill, and so is troubleshooting it. You should be able to bring on such a connection up with your eyes closed, and once you post with your own CCNA / CCNP composed lab, you’ll be superior 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 in behalf of R2, and so on. Advertising loopbacks is another spacious way to receive modus operandi with DECEIVE, OSPF, EIGRP, IGRP, and immovable routing.
We’ve charmed a pile of routers and switches and turned them into a nightmarish 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 inordinate erudition event and the opening of developing your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
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