Computer and Technology

CCNA and CCNP candidate who wants to be fully prepared for laboratory testing at home for practice. Cisco routers and switches, with a cheaper and more plentiful than ever, there really is no excuse to have one!

With so many different models, there is some understandable confusion in the future and the router CCNP CCNAs buy and avoid. You can take any number of Cisco routers, and build a home lab, part of the learning process, to take what you have and equipment available to assemble your lab a comment! For those of you prepare to start your home lab or adding this product is a Cisco router that I use in my pod. Do you really need to get all these devices, but it gives you some good ideas on how to begin.

The most versatile router that you can get your CCNA / CCNP home lab is a 2520 These routers are four serial ports, Ethernet and ISDN BRI interface in practice. This mix of interfaces, you can actually use as a Frame Relay switch, using the Ethernet ports and routing of the IRB. (There is no problem with using a router in the lab, and the change of frame relay and practice of one, the configuration of router frame relay switch sample visit the site!)

My pod has five routers and two switches and routers are three out of five in 2520, because of its versatility. Recent studies have shown that these routers are sold on eBay for $ 99 - $ 125, excellent value for the practice there.

I also use 2501 in my home lab. These have fewer interfaces, but the combination of two serial and one Ethernet interface, you can get lots of practice.

A combination that works very well is three 2520, one of my dedicated frame relay circuit, R1, R2, and others. Add R3, 2501, and can be connected to the frame cloud R1, R2 and R3, a direct link to set R1 and R3, an Ethernet segment, which consists of three routers and ISDN lines between R1 and R2, if you have a simulator ISDN. This combination offers a formidable test practical and you can always sell when you're done!

2501s are very affordable, and many of the standard $ 50 on eBay. And "everything possible to get three 2520s and one in 2501 of less than $ 500 in total, and you can get most of these funds if you decide to sell when you're ready.

With four routers to work with, no doubt tired of using the console cable around. An access server (actually a Cisco router, not the white blood cells tend to believe that when we hear "server") will help that. An access server allows you to create a connection with each other routers via an octal cable, so you can not move the console cable around continually. For an example of how to configure access to the server, you can visit my website and see just "Free Training" section.

Prices vary a little access to the server, "you should not panic if you look on eBay and see them pay thousands of dollars. You do not need expensive servers use the CCNA / CCNP home lab. 2511 Router is ideal for access to your server.

The question I have often CCNA / CCNP candidates is "What should I buy a router can use when I'm ready to learn the CCNP?" CCIE lab changes regularly and often dramatically, when it comes to computers. When I was a CCIE lab study, I found the time to make a rack rental providers online, was really the best way to proceed. Feel free to put your CCNA / CCNP home lab together, wondering what is acceptable for the CCIE lab about a year from now. None of us knows what this list of equipment for your CCNA and CCNP first - by building your own Cisco home lab!