Recommend me a Cisco Router for Telnet and labs

Ricochet J · 22 Jan 2006 at 19:14

As title really. I need something at home I can configure. I learn better if I do practicals. I don't need nothing expensive. Something around the range of £20. I'm not asking for a website, but a model router that is expected to be around that price.
Unless theirs a website online that emulates a router? I tried the Cisco E Labs but I find it doesnt have that bonafied feeling as a proper router does.

Thanks a lot

benjo plz. · 22 Jan 2006 at 19:20

You want a cisco for £20?! you're joking tbh.

Ricochet J · 22 Jan 2006 at 19:42

I mean second hand really. I don't care if it looks rubbish. I just need a model that'll be around that price.

benjo plz. · 22 Jan 2006 at 19:45

Well would be worth putting a thread in wanted of mm as plenty of people on the boards will have a cisco or two that they may be willing to part with, but tbh, a cisco for £20 is not really going to happen.

Ricochet J · 22 Jan 2006 at 19:49

In that case is there any website that emulates a Cisco router and does a better job than the Cisco E Labs?

FordPrefect · 22 Jan 2006 at 20:15

There are boson labs but its nowhere near as good as getting a few bits of kit together. You might be able to pickup a cisco 800 series router for a few hundred off ebay. Maybe 100 is you are really lucky.

Ricochet J · 22 Jan 2006 at 21:52

So I am looking at 100s then

Bosan Labs? I'll google it and tell you what I think.

Thanks

benjo plz. · 22 Jan 2006 at 21:56

Boson Labs iirc

.

Edit : Meh, just had a look at their prices, would probably work out cheaper to buy a Cisco.

Psyk · 22 Jan 2006 at 22:48

I was always tempted to sneak a 1700 into my bag while the teacher wasn't looking during my cisco lessons at school. But it's too late for that now

V-Spec · 23 Jan 2006 at 00:04

Cisco 2500s are fine for learning on, you can pick them up off the "Auction site" for around £50 each, if you want to learn Cisco this is about as low as you can go, the boxes are very slow, based off very old hardware BUT they do run modern 12.2T IOS which was the latest release, and contains all the main features, IOS is currently 12.4 but for learning 12.2T is used almost everywhere. Just make sure any model you get is fully loaded, by that I mean 32Mb of ram, and 16Mb of flash (required to load the IP-Plus variants of IOS 12.2)

The best models to go for are the 2503s which have 2 serial interfaces and a single Ethernet interface for which you need a aui transciever. The best bet is to buy at least 2 and get some X.21 back-to-back crossover cables so you can learn all the basic CCNA stuff, (frame-relay etc)

Some of the older models such as the 2504s have old token ring interfaces and such which are completley useless nowadays.

I wouldn't recommend learning on 800 series routers, they're expensive and missing all the functionality of routers with the older style serial interfaces, which again is important if you want to learn the mainstream wan stuff.

The E-Labs are pretty good, but nothing beats the hands on, I have my own lab for which im taking my CCIE practical exam in July, i've got a ton of kit, but some of it is pretty old as its the principles and protocols which matter, not the ability to route 130000 connections at once!

a_jam_sandwich · 23 Jan 2006 at 00:19

i managed to get a 2600 with a wic 1t for 160 off ebay just before christmas and that rules!!!

Skilldibop · 23 Jan 2006 at 11:13

i got two 2516s for £65 each about a year ago. also got a 1721 for £99. Ebay ***. Cables are expensive, so look for X.21 cisco COMPATABLE cables. If you get the real deal then your looking a £60 for half a cable.

PieMaster · 23 Jan 2006 at 11:38

Skilldibop said:
Cables are expensive, so look for X.21 cisco COMPATABLE cables. If you get the real deal then your looking a £60 for half a cable.

Hmm, maybe I shouldnt have thrown away about 20 of those (compatible ones) when I cleared out all my PC junk at home

Basher · 23 Jan 2006 at 11:46

Some of the cheaper models you'd be looking at are 1600 series, 1700 series 2500 and 2600 series. But your not going to get one for £20. The emulation systems are OK, but nothing special really, a lot of them are really quire limiting.

Basher

V-Spec · 23 Jan 2006 at 12:03

Skilldibop said:
i got two 2516s for £65 each about a year ago. also got a 1721 for £99. Ebay ***. Cables are expensive, so look for X.21 cisco COMPATABLE cables. If you get the real deal then your looking a £60 for half a cable.

I just bought a bag of 10x DCE-DTE crossovers for £45 off "The auction site" pretty good value,

Skilldibop · 23 Jan 2006 at 14:53

yeh but they're either used or "Cisco compatable" i got mine for 9.99 each. But they don't have the little cisco systems logo on, that costs £50 it seems

Ricochet J · 23 Jan 2006 at 17:16

Excellent. Before I do fork out extra cash are there any good free Cisco router emulations?

Thanks

Skilldibop · 23 Jan 2006 at 17:29

not free. There is reouter simulator that comes with the books or your instructor hould be able to get if for you. But like anything cisco.....you want a good one you have to pay.

Basher · 24 Jan 2006 at 11:27

Skilldibop said:
not free. There is reouter simulator that comes with the books or your instructor hould be able to get if for you. But like anything cisco.....you want a good one you have to pay.

The simulator that comes with the books is pretty boor IMO, ther's not all that many commands you can use with it I seem to recall.

V-Spec · 24 Jan 2006 at 12:03

I think sims are ok for someone who just wants to see what IOS looks like and how you use it, but yeah sims are very limited. Your better off spending £100 on a pair of old 2500s