CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE ideal home lab gadgets

allenw — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 19:41:06 +0800

CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE ideal home lab gadgets

You might not believe this, the reason I open a little store mainly for CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE candidates, even I claim myself not the smart ones on Cisco.
The main audiences I targeted are those people who have intention to setup the home lab training for/after their study the course.
(Please pay some respect to those authors who spends months to compile the outcome, to try to save some lost souls in the IT Network world…)

Why I doing this when tons and tons of people suggesting simulator is cheap and device less?
Simple, I am an idiot. And yet I had seen too many even more idiots’ network engineers/workers passed the CCENT / CCNA / CCNP yet who does not even know how to work with the console cable to troubleshoot the physical routers/switches... , the outputs of theorist over relying on the great simulators... .
We know this symptom become more common these days, with those candidates uses the simulator to do pass their studies.
There is nothing wrong with using simulators, but all IT managers with decent experience will try to avoid fresh network graduates from Cisco course.
For those who without knowing much of the low level stuffs like how to register/reload /connect/IOS upgrade the physic hardware, I nicely rejected many of them myself.

But we also have to acknowledge that, not many companies/people willing afford the risk of operation interruption, by allowing their network staff(s) to test the network solutions/missions/designs using the current network devices.
It is even much lesser companies willing to invest expensive Cisco equipment(s) to build test ground / POC before the deployment.
And believe me, the cisco network commands that we learn will fade away in years if without any hands-on practices (like me).

Therefore here I am, a little shop owner who intend to do a bit of efforts to assist those who intend to setup an affordable lab of your own, with lesser wrong turns. By giving some personal opinions on second hand equipment’s, for those who keen to invest in their network courier path.

Long story short.
In Nov 2015, Allen Wong (yes, that’s me) does some requirement studies, on the hardware(s) requires for the CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE course.
Here are the things bothers most of the people, there is no perfect combination. It is the course syllabus that changing, causing the hardware requirement changing as well. (Yeah, that is also why you came to read my post.)
The biggest problem is that those vendors outside are trying to sell off the older models stock they have. And worst, all of them will state that they have the correct spec, and I am no different, just that I more consider the beginners. (And again, that is also what I hope you came to read my post for.)

Prior to the suggestions, I had to set up some rules for my expectations for my selection, those factors are:
• Skipped Voice, Security, Wireless and etc.
o I only focus on the general main stream here, the backbone of the fundamental routing and switching networking.
o I no expert in Voice, Security and WLAN like ASA, modules, WICs, memory, IP phones and etc., so please do not ask me for the advice of those era. Many Gurus out there are more resource suggests those stuffs; I only try to provide the basics of the skeleton.
• Plan to recycle the units
o Unit can be reusable onto the next level the courses (CCENT -> CCNA -> CCNP -> CCIE), to save some time and money over unnecessary equipment blindly take in.
o Also better resell value, after finished the Cisco course.
• Feature and interfaces compatible with the text books and course guidelines
o Yet different enough to allow us to deal with the different approaches on commands, for difference cases.
• Models that newly “end-of-support” not long
o So we can save few more bucks, yet getting best out of it for enterprise level of equipment with little we pay for. Fair deal?
• The IOS available.
o On the time I wrote this in Nov 2015, CCENT and CCNA course does not acquire IOS version 15 yet (CCNP soon to start), version 12.4 is more than sufficient.
o Or course, is slightly more expensive for those equipment can support IOS 15.
o However I will try to indicate the IOS version compatibility on some of the equipment I mention here.

Recommend main items for CCENT/CCNA:
• Recommend 3 units of routers, 1 unit of L2/L3 switches, and 2 units of L3 switches.
o If you have the budgets, get all 4 units of L3 switches (don’t ask me why, do your own research).
• Minimum at least 2 units of routers, 2 units of L2/L3 switches, if you low in budget.
• 2 PC or Laptops (or 2 VMs if you familiar on the setup.)

Recommend main items for CCNP:
• Many of the forums will suggest going for simulators for CCNP, which I believe because they did not invest early in CCNA, leads them to no reason to start spending on CCNP.
• Recommend 4 units of routers, 2 unit of L2/L3 switches, and 2 units of L3 switches.
o Just add 1 extra device for each router and switch from CCNA
o Get 4 units of L3 switches instead if your budget allow.
• Minimum at least 3 units of routers, 1 unit of L2 switches, and 2 units of L3 switches, if you low in budget.
• Upgrade the IOS at least 2 routers and 2 switches to IOS 15.x.
o This is where you might need to get newer model.
o This is also why we recommend physical hardware; these things cannot be learn in simulator.
• 2 PC or Laptops (or 2 VMs if you familiar on the setup.)

Recommend main items for CCIE ?
• One must know what you are not capable of, CCIE are beyond my league for the moment.
• Currently I do not have much for CCIE course myself, but I believe whatever hardware been used in CCNA/CCNP will be applies and utilize as well.
• I try to come out the requirements soon (no promises).

So what are the actual choices we have here?
Here are the list I had collected so far that sure support for CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE :

• 1720
• 1750
• 1760
• 1841
• 2611XM
• 2621XM
• 2651XM
• 2801
• 2811
• 2821
• 2950
• 2960
• 3550
• 3560
• 3750

Accessories (items not include with the hardware):
• Serial Cable (depends, expect around 3-4 cables for CCNP)
• Cross-over Cable (depends, expect around 6-10 cables for CCNP)
• Straight-through Cable (depends, expect around 6-10 cables for CCNP)
• Cisco Console Cable (do remind to get USB to Serial cable to connect to PC/laptop as well)
• Octa Cable (useful if you intend to setup your Access Server)
• Small Network Rack (use to organize properly to save some space from your desk).

That’s all I have now!
So I decided to open this little store selling some second hand Cisco routers and switches.

Here are the links to my little online stores:

11Street - Allen's

Lelong - Innomart

Due to my limited financial substance, I can only keep limited stocks; many models I can/will get upon request.
Please contact me if you keen to support my little store.

For friends who keen to pursue in Cisco home lab setup, you may contact me via email:
Allen@allen.net.my

Wish you all the best on the sail of knowledge on Networking!

Best regards,
Allen Wong.

Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by allenw

CCENT / CCNA / CCNP / CCIE ideal home lab gadgets