CCNA - What to do with gear

Author

What to do with gear

Quarantine

2004-04-21, 6:14 am

Hi guys, I've been thinking of going for the Cisco certs and have accumulated quite a number of Cisco gear. Now, my question is what would be THE most ideal setup using the stuff listed below. I geuss it'd be like asking "what would you do if you had the same?" I don't currently have any certs and am starting at the CCNA but would like this lab to last me up to the CCIE which I WILL get no matter what! Not sure about the last part, but hey I'm for it. I also need to get a clue on how many of what kinds of cables I'll need for the ideal setup, Most of the routers with NM bays(if equipped at all) have BRIs or serial in them and I've also got a box full of console cables and SC-SC, MT-RJ, SC-ST vice versa fiber but thats really it and I don't think none of the stuff on the list supports fiber...so, anyways all suggestions would be appreciated and thanks in advance! OH also, if there is anything you think should be in the list or I should have anyway, please shrewdly point it out fer me! I've got a PIX firewall and two 1760s fer voice headed this way so anything else, please point it out! Thanks again!

ROUTERS:
2501 x 18
2503 x 10
2505 x 4
2511 x 2
2514 x 3
2610 x 10
2621 x 2
3620 x 5
3640 x 3

SWITCHES:
1924 x 2
1900 x 3
2924 x 3
3524 x 4
3550 x 2
(EMI)

dmaftei

2004-04-21, 7:46 am

Does "2501 x 18" mean that you have 18 (eighteen) 2501 routers?! You have more than 50 (fifty) routers in total?!

Quarantine

2004-04-21, 9:05 am

I'm sorry, the list was kind of vague. Yes, the numbers by the model names are the number of untis for each, all applicable switches are loaded with the enhanced image suite.The total number of routers will soon reach the borderline of 60 units while the switches will be no more than 15 or so. I have barely any cables to hook any of them up and need help on what cables are needed at how many for the ideal setup using the mentioned gear.

dmaftei

2004-04-21, 9:16 am

And you're studying for CCNA, right? In that case I would think two routers and a switch, with a handful of ethernet cables and one serial cable (for back-to-back routers) is enough. Add a couple more routers and a couple more switches and you get a setup any aspiring CCIE would envy.

Heck, with 60 routers you can network a county (I think that's a "prefecture" in Japan).

Quarantine

2004-04-21, 9:41 am

Thanks for your posts, I'm assuming that more routers/switches means more complex and numerous topologies which translates to harder and closer-to-real-world situations so that I can be better prepared for the tougher exams by having experienced the situations only encountered in the above scenarios. I mean, would studying with 3 routers and a switch give me the same amount of networking knowledge and wisdom as would a 60 router 15 switch environment? Considering the configuration possibilities and scenarios, In terms of gaining experience and knowledge I've always been thinking: "more gear the better" since I don't have access to real-world environments and figures such as a workplace or "experts". Is this not true?

dmaftei

2004-04-21, 9:54 am

quote:
Originally posted by Quarantine
I'm assuming that more routers/switches means more complex and numerous topologies which translates to harder and closer-to-real-world situations

That is correct.

quote:
so that I can be better prepared for the tougher exams by having experienced the situations only encountered in the above scenarios.

Yeah, but you're preparing for CCNA, right? I think you should take it easy. When you learn how to drive, you start in your driveway, or an empty parking lot, not on the Tokyo-Osaka highway...

quote:
same amount of networking knowledge and wisdom as would a 60 router 15 switch environment?

60 routers is WAY too much. You can create extremely complex setups with less than 10 routers, such as multi-area OSPF, plus a BGP backbone, plus concurrent IGPs, etc. And with 5 switches or so you can create any kind of crazy VLAN setup you want.

Goldorak

2004-04-23, 4:55 pm

Man, where did you get all this gear from?

Anyway, are you looking for a lodger? 'cos i'd love to play with your gear. Yeah the more the better. I'll pay you a nice rent if you let me inside your lab just an hour a day.

nini79

2004-04-23, 11:55 pm

That's an enormous amount of gear. But I guess you could have near that with Boson Netsim.

Nevertheless, I'm really impressed with the number of routers you have; you're going to ace your 640-801 if you network everything up properly!

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