CCNP Hardware

[enigmo]

I'm just in the process of finishing off a CCNA and will be starting the CCNP straight afterwards and am looking to set up a home lab, so to that end a couple of questions:
Considering a limited budget, what is the minimum I can get away with for a CCNP capable home lab? 2x routers, 2x switches, maybe an ASA I'm guessing?
Anyone know what's the cheapest routers and switches I can get that will use ios 15? Should I even be worrying about that?

 

[enigmo]

So all in all, I'm looking at £100 each for the switches, and maybe £25 a piece for 2600s? Is there also much difference I need to be mindful of when it comes to differences in routers? e.g. 2600 vs 2600XM vs 2611?

 

[enigmo]

Out of interest how are you studying OP? I am looking at a lot of CCNA material but I'm easily distracted Do you have any hardware or are you just revising theory?

I did a proper distance learning course through the Open University. 9 months part time, best part of a grand, but very much worth it. Similar to you, I find dedicating time to study difficult, and also like a lot of ppl have extensive home networking knowledge but limited corporate exposure. The OU course just gave me two things needed; a structured, timetabled pattern of learning, and a modular approach that covered everything needed for the CCNA plus a bit on top. There were four modules, four modular exams, five sets of coursework, and a final overall exam, then you do the CCNA exam separately, but if you get a distinction for the OU course you get 50% off the CCNA
A word of warning, though; module 1 covered the basics. Pretty much everything I already knew so it was easy. By the end of module 4, I had still not come across anything I found difficult per se, but the time demands were great, like 15-20hrs per week is what I was putting in. You could probably get away with less, but that's what I felt I needed. Finished that course late last year and now I'm working on doing the exam for Cisco to get my certification. Mainly going over my notes, cramming through the braindumps, getting advice from the networks guy at work, that sort of thing. I can't really afford the time or £££ to fail and retake, so am trying to get it right first time.

 

[enigmo]

I think Packet Tracer can do L3 Switching, it should be enough to cover the topic at least. Maybe look into using that along with GNS3/actual hardware.

I still have access to the Cisco academy site so can still get PacketTracer. That's what I'm playing with at the moment, just always had more of an affinity for actual hardware, and seeing as I don't intend on stopping with just the CCNA it seemed worthwhile to invest in something I could use to learn on for a few years at least.

 

[enigmo]

There is more to networking than knowing the course supplied material. Somebody who has never used a router or a switch in the flesh, trouble shooting cabling issues, file system issues, image corruption, amending boot loader settings is not only missing out, but is also a bit of a liability.

And that's exactly what I don't want to be Hopefully over the next few months I'll get more exposure at work, at least that's what's in the offing, but I'd like to get some extra-curricular experience with the hardware so I don't end up doing something stupid hardware-wise and scupper my chances.

 

[enigmo]

Thanks for the reply, very helpful You rate the OU then?

I do. It costs, and Dist is right; their prices have gone up recently. But if you absolutely have to make sure you haven't missed anything, and in the absence of a friendly network engineer would like a tutor on hand to help, a formal course is a very good option, and of them all the OU course is one of the best. The practical component was the only let-down, limited as it was to a few hours in a day school four times during the course, but I don't see how any other distance learning course would do much better.

 

[enigmo]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but keep an eye on eBay, Gumtree and even freecycle (I've picked up many L2 and L3 switches along with some routers for free) as people often sell 'CCNP' packs of hardware.

Worth considering these packs, or would it be better to just get what you can as cheap as you can, reflecting a real business environment in many ways?