| Author |
Learning Equipment
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| TortGuy 2004-03-12, 10:57 am |
| I'm working on my CCNA. I have RouterSim, but I don't have access to any physical routers or switches. Like most people, I'm not looking to spend a lot of money - maybe find whatever I need on e-Bay, but I'm not sure what I need.
All recommendations appreciated. It's almost the weekend! | |
| smrkdown 2004-03-12, 2:07 pm |
| As far as inexpensive equipment, you could get by with two 2501 routers and maybe a 1900 series switch (not necessary but helpful). What sucks is that the books I use teach the CLI commands for switch configuration (which I prefer) but Cisco Press's CCNA Router and Switch eSIM only allows you to use the menu interface which isn't helpful as far as exam prep.  | |
| Sexy Lexy 2004-03-12, 3:40 pm |
| I agree with smrkdown, get a couple of 2501s or 2503s routers, two serial cables (DCE-DTE) and a switch if you want to be flash!
Configure them both so that you can use them for some of the exercises in the books. The hands on experience is invaluable, you will realise this when you get started and after upgrading the memory and boot IOS ROM, installing a TFTP server for replacing IOS versions etc. and messing around you will realise value of learning by doing.
If it's of any interest, I also initially purchased a 2924XL switch and configured two VLANs so that you could make routing between two domains and two hosts a bit more realistic.
My CCNP lab is growing now, having spent roughly six months on and off learning some of the new material I'm just about to start revision in earnest for the exams.
Hope this helps.
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| TortGuy 2004-03-13, 2:49 pm |
| Thanks for the advice. I can't be too "flash" because money doesn't flow freely around here, but I do want the hand-on experience. | |
| Sexy Lexy 2004-03-13, 7:02 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by TortGuy
Thanks for the advice. I can't be too "flash" because money doesn't flow freely around here, but I do want the hand-on experience.
I know the feeling, a lot of hard work and effort (Not to mention overtime) has gone into my home lab, the hands on is invaluable.
Good luck my friend.
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| smrkdown 2004-03-13, 9:30 pm |
| Yup. Hands-on is great. Someone on the board mentioned a while ago that you could always just type the commands into a DOS prompt. You obviously will get nothing but errors but any type of repetition is helpful. I often do this when I'm at college and I have no access to my home lab. | |
| jarbob69 2004-03-16, 2:47 pm |
| If you have old PC's lying around, you could install Linux and use Zebra as a router, it uses a subset of the Cisco CLI
www.zebra.org I think | |
| Joe Dali 2004-03-17, 11:05 pm |
| Teehee, that was my advice about typing into a DOS prompt, it sounds lame, but ya know what? It works ...  ... it helpe dme memorize the access-list commands. If you can type it without thinking or asking Lammle, yer golden. | |
| smrkdown 2004-03-17, 11:25 pm |
| It's good advice. I thought about writting a crappy program that looks like a terminal window and just responds to all commands with inspirational words or phrases or little Cisco-related facts... | |
| Joe Dali 2004-03-17, 11:50 pm |
| Thats a great idea, and have it respond to your commands if typed in correctly or not etc ... great shareware idea. |
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