Cost to run equipment.

silworth · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:07

My Cisco lab equipment is reaching a pretty decent stage now, where I've got enough kit to comfortably set up a "mock" enterprise environment. I was looking at getting myself a small (up to around 10-12u) rack (or building one) so that I can set it all up permanently (with space to expand it), but was wondering if I even want to bother due to the costs involved to run it 24/7?

Anyone got any idea how much power (or how much it costs) to run say 2 2600 series routers (2651XM and 2611), 2 3500 series switches (3548-XL and 3524-PWR), a couple of access points, and an 871?

The power draw has got to be pretty immense thinking about it.

DJMK4 · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:37

Why dont you buy one of those plugs that shows you the power output? then based on your electricity plan on how much you pay per unit, you should be able to get a pretty accurate idea of how much it will cost? that will be the best way of doing it. As its kind of hard to give you an exact idea on how much power is being used by all the equipment.

Those plug monitors are pretty cheap too, I used to use one to find out how much power my server was using and based on that, I could calculate the cost of running it over an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year etc.

Gaz1988 · 14 Feb 2011 at 19:43

I would buy the rack and switch the kit on when needed. If its just a lab for practice then no point in running all 24/7!

dave-lew99 · 14 Feb 2011 at 20:53

I think the general response is 'too much'

Like above, get a plug in power meter and see what it draws, extrapolate into kwh and cost per unit you pay.

jimjamuk · 15 Feb 2011 at 10:53

are you looking for a small rack - I have a selectek 16U (I think) rack in my loft which I used to keep my ccie security kit racked on. Let me know if you are and I'll see if I can find some details

Cleverchap · 22 Feb 2011 at 08:50

Definately recommend the skeletek rack, I got a 16U one off ebay from Dantrak (who make it) for my CCIE R&S studying, though I should have got a 20U (Access Server, 4 switches, 8 routers, 3 Backbone routers, but also have 3 firewalls sitting gathering dust :~()

The 871 router will draw little power, its the PWR switch you have (PoE) which is going to suck more. Don't have it on unless you absolutely need it to conserve power. Get some cheap 2950's if its just layer 2 switching that you will be doing, or a 24 port 3550 (to replace the 48 port XL, or the 24 PWR) for layer 3.

Either way, the PWR switch is what's going to cost you the most to run in the long term.

Hope this helps

Cheers,
Chris P

blueacid · 22 Feb 2011 at 08:56

This calculation might be a bit old, but for "back of cigarette packet maths", it works out at around £1 per watt per solid year.

.. so with a rack full of routers and a couple of servers, let's assume it all draws 300 watts on average (it might well be idle a lot of the time), that's £300 right there. Probably more like £320 now with higher prices.

silworth · 22 Feb 2011 at 10:52

Cleverchap said:
Definately recommend the skeletek rack, I got a 16U one off ebay from Dantrak (who make it) for my CCIE R&S studying, though I should have got a 20U (Access Server, 4 switches, 8 routers, 3 Backbone routers, but also have 3 firewalls sitting gathering dust :~()

The 871 router will draw little power, its the PWR switch you have (PoE) which is going to suck more. Don't have it on unless you absolutely need it to conserve power. Get some cheap 2950's if its just layer 2 switching that you will be doing, or a 24 port 3550 (to replace the 48 port XL, or the 24 PWR) for layer 3.

Either way, the PWR switch is what's going to cost you the most to run in the long term.

Hope this helps

Cheers,
Chris P

I'll need both unfortunately. The PWR runs the phones for the CCME config on my 2651XM, and I'll need to get in some L3 switching, as currently I have none.

Cleverchap · 22 Feb 2011 at 18:32

What phones you running? 79XX? You can get power supplies really cheaply off fleabay mate. Unless you are planning on having 24 powered phones ;-)

Also, you are limited with the 35xxXL's compared to the 3550's (and ideal world, 3560's would be nice, but too chingy) - http://bit.ly/i7T85J (goes to cisco's site, url shortened for convenience) - You planning on doing the voice exam?

Swap at least the 3548 for a 3550 if you can (you only need a 12 port to by honest, but 24 is nicer) - im sure you can find one with an ipservice image on (advanced l3 routing etc)

Incidentally, you can get a PoE module (through an NM-16ESW on a 2600XM ...). Good luck with the studies though, the new cisco voice stuff is going the way of the VM as we are looking to migrate to 8.x

Waffling now, so sorry for that. (and dantrak's allow you to expand even further by bolting on another 8u bracket on top if you so choose, so you can get a 12u and take it from there)

Cheers,
Chris P

kirkster · 4 Apr 2011 at 20:16

silworth said:
My Cisco lab equipment is reaching a pretty decent stage now, where I've got enough kit to comfortably set up a "mock" enterprise environment. I was looking at getting myself a small (up to around 10-12u) rack (or building one) so that I can set it all up permanently (with space to expand it), but was wondering if I even want to bother due to the costs involved to run it 24/7?

Anyone got any idea how much power (or how much it costs) to run say 2 2600 series routers (2651XM and 2611), 2 3500 series switches (3548-XL and 3524-PWR), a couple of access points, and an 871?

The power draw has got to be pretty immense thinking about it.

Hardly anything.

A 2621XM with a WIC-2T in it draws about 10 - 12 W.

I have a lab of 9 x 2621XMs, 2 x 3550 Switches, a 2511 Console Router, a 2691 to act as a FR switch and an ASA 5510. Whole lot draws about 380W. So three hours run time for 20p or so. Peanuts....

If you want to see for yourself ****** electronics flogs the Plug power meters for abut £15.

Steve

kirkster · 4 Apr 2011 at 20:21

Cleverchap said:
What phones you running? 79XX? You can get power supplies really cheaply off fleabay mate. Unless you are planning on having 24 powered phones

Also, you are limited with the 35xxXL's compared to the 3550's (and ideal world, 3560's would be nice, but too chingy) - http://bit.ly/i7T85J (goes to cisco's site, url shortened for convenience) - You planning on doing the voice exam?

Swap at least the 3548 for a 3550 if you can (you only need a 12 port to by honest, but 24 is nicer) - im sure you can find one with an ipservice image on (advanced l3 routing etc)

Incidentally, you can get a PoE module (through an NM-16ESW on a 2600XM ...). Good luck with the studies though, the new cisco voice stuff is going the way of the VM as we are looking to migrate to 8.x

Waffling now, so sorry for that. (and dantrak's allow you to expand even further by bolting on another 8u bracket on top if you so choose, so you can get a 12u and take it from there)

Cheers,
Chris P

Good luck with your CCIE studies - I did mine 10 years ago, It ain't easy but well worth the effort. And a fair exam IMO.
Steve - 11330

ThorpedoUK · 5 Apr 2011 at 00:02

Agreed, it doesn't cost much at all, I'm running a reasonable lab 24/7 (nowhere near the power of kirkster - nice lab!) but I'm slowly getting there!:

1x2611XM with NM-2V, VIC2-FXS // FXO
1x3725
1x2950T
1x3550
1x3524-PWR
1x7906G
1x877W
1xASA5505
1xAironet BR1310G with the RP-TNC connectors (outside)

and after all the hating against ex corporate servers I failed miserably and bought one myself:

HP DL140 G3 2x Dual Core 3GHz Intel VT-X Xeons & Xenserver 5.6 FP1 although this spends most of its time OFF but with the ILO I can VPN in and switch it on remotely which is why I bought it, pretty handy and allows me to leave my old virtualisation system (desktop PC) off. I can just use the HP when I want to do lab stuff and then turn it back off wherever I am, saves power in the long run I think.

This doesn't cost very much at all!

kirkster · 5 Apr 2011 at 19:59

Also guys, you can do worse than emulate a lab full of kit on a PC using dynamips. I have got a full MPLS based setup with 10 routers running on a PC with 4Gig of RAM. Runs emulated 3725 routers and works like a dream. And all on your normal PC on windows (works on linux and OSX as well). 3725 has all the features you want for general CCIE/CCNP study if you load it with a 12.4 image. You can even load etherswitch modules to emulate a switching lab and set up spanning tree, trunks, etherchannels etc.