| David 2003-09-27, 10:25 am |
| I've recently bought 2 servers and 1 additional desktop box (for total
of 2) to set up a home lab, but I've discovered learning from this
scenario is like learning to drive in an empty parking lot. <g>
My goal is to setup a network diverse enough to allow me to get through
Network+ and the MCSE curriculum, and eventually onto CCNA. So, taking
the Cisco routers needed for CCNA study out of the equation for the
moment, I'd like to know what possible configurations could be used that
would be both practical and reasonably affordable?
Obviously, the answers to this question are endless, but there must be a
practical minimum to equipment/setup needed. Put another way, if you
were to open your own learning center or school for this, what equipment
would you buy and what kind of base configuration would you use?
My thinking so far (to minimize moving around, rewiring or unecessarily
reconfiguring software) is to include the following:
2 servers for DHCP, DNS, WINS, etc. both running
Win2K, and one maybe multi-booting with NT4
1 server multi-booting Netware and Red Hat Server
4 desktop boxes each multi-booting different
flavours of Windows and Linux on multiple subnets
1 monitor and KVM switch for the desktop boxes
1 Netware server box for added fun
2 Linksys routers
plenty 'o CAT5 cable
Also, I think at least one server would have to be permanently set up in
a DMZ, and one more of the desktop boxes should have a modem for dialing
into that exposed server (for even more fun). Have I accommodated every
possibility here?
Comments, questions and complaints all welcomed.
|