The CCNA/Cisco Certifications Thread

GhostlyPea said:
@ V-Spec - We have Cisco in the other day to go over some queries around the 9kASR platform and they mentioned the CSR1000v. Great as far as I'm concerned but haven;t downloaded it yet. What's your impressions? Will be good for my CCIE lab, or so I hope. particularly interested in active memory with it so I can look at potentially over provisioning my PC with a number of them

- GP
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So basically, CSR1000v is a game changer as far as study/testing goes, I've always had access to tonnes of physical kit (got a lab with 8x ASR9010s and 4x CRS-1s in) and I'd never swap the physical kit for stuff like GNS3 - but I would for CSR1000v.

The only trouble is that to run more than a few routers you need a lot of memory and plenty of cores, I have access to a dual opteron server which gives 16 cores @ 2Ghz each, and 96GB of ram, I've built a small-scale service-provider topology comprising of 8x P routers, 8x PE routers, 8 CPE routers and some other bits, it's using around 65GB of ram and half the CPU.

But it really is like having a load of ASR1001 routers in a box, the features are there - and none of it is emulated - it's running in a proper environment so it's nice and fast, it supports literally everything an ASR1k comes with in terms of technology.

In terms of the CCIE lab, the biggest problem will be interface types - it only supports gig Ethernet (I don't know if R&S still includes FR and stuff?) but that's literally the only thing - they are bringing out support for other interfaces at some point, but seeing as it runs on a server I don't know whether it would be anything other than Ethernet.

There's not much it won't do, I've got VPLS, P2MP-LSPs a whole load of QoS and TE configured in my lab for validation and messing around, I wouldn't go back to GNS3 for anything tbh.

You can run it in VMworkstation with a few routers, but you'll need 16-32GB of ram to have more than 5-6 instances, but the environment itself is really handy - the ability to just provision a few windows XP VMs is great because you can template and deploy everything as you like, I'm currently doing a load of NG-mVPN stuff - and i've got Ixia chariot configured for generating multicast traffic all over the place - the sort of stuff which used to take AGES to setup, is now easy.

AND on top of all this, you can run it for 60 days on an eval licence @ 50Mbps, after that you can still use it but the throughput is brought down to 2.5Mbps so you can either re-deploy all the VMs and reload configs, or just stick with 2.5Mbps



Also, 9ks are good boxes, - however the company i've just finished at (a 4G mobile carrier) had horrific problems with them killing linecards when reloading - you might wanna mention that to Cisco!
 
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GhostlyPea said:
Not legally. Pick up a cheap router off the bay like this LINK. Just make sure from the seller that it's not faulty and the IOS revision is 12.4 or newer. Obviously you then have an IOS image on the router so 1+1=GNS3

- GP
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Thanks,

just so I have this correct,I only need a single IOS image from any bit of Cisco kit and the GNS3 can then emulate any other bit of Cisco kit from that image or do I need an image from every different model of router I want to emulate?
 
Well really it depends. GNS3 can only emulate certain routers (at the moment), one being the 2600 series where the image on a 2621 would work. Once you have one image you can add virtual routers within it multiple times. Have a read through the GNS3 website, it will explain it all

- GP
 
If a person was serious about starting and following a certification path and wanted to start off a basic home lab for CCENT/CCNA that could then be expanded as and when required for the higher level certs is there any particular piece of kit or pieces of kit that could be recommended as a good starting point?

Bearing in mind that I am a complete novice in this area and probably need a walk through explaining the pros and cons of various equipment and combinations therof is there anyone who could or would like to post a basic description of home lab kit at various levels?

I've done a trawl on youtube and through the various links at the start of this thread but I'm unsure how up to date all that is.

I'm considering this right now,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171177054581&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:3160

any opinions on that and what could be added/subtracted to improve?

Thanks
 
All depends on your budget. Best starting point would be:

3 x 2621XM
2 x 2950-24

That will cover the CCNA, CCNA-S and if you added in a 3560 (Pricey!) then will do the entire CCNP. For comparison, my lab was 2 x 2900XL and 3 x 2500 routers with AUI ports :)

- GP
 
I managed to get my hands on packet tracer so I have that installed now and it'll be back to the free INE CCNA course tomorrow where hopefully I'll be able to follow Brian on the Connecting to the IOS Command Line Interface on packet tracer.

That should give me a bit more time to figure out the best way to proceed regarding setting up a home lab.

Muchos gracias to Ghostly Pea for your input there and I may even press the button on an ebay 2621XM that's going with all necessary cables for about £60 later on.
 
Pro tip: if you're willing to wait a little bit, you'll save a lot of money by bidding instead.

Managed to get 2x 2611XM, 1x 2620XM, 1x 2621XM, 1x 2811, a NM-8A/S and 4x WIC-1T's plus 8x serial cables for about £200.
 
I have 3 saved searches now for 2621XM,2611XM and 2950-24 so I'll be watching the prices of those items closely over the coming weeks.
 
As far as I know, only 2950 switches that have Gigabit interfaces can use the Enhanced Image, which gives you some extra features. Worth buying them if possible.

If you can get them cheap enough (mine were about £20 I think) then buying a couple of GBICs and a cable for them could be useful if you're going to look at UDLD.

It's not a big deal if they don't have them though. Just a nice little touch if they do :)
 
GNS3 are now crowdfunding.

Certain donations will give you early access to their new version, expected in Q1 2014.

Apparently going to have proper switching support. Unsure how they are managing that though.

Worth considering at least. I've already donated my $25 :D
 
Having spent 5yrs in Networks and now 2yrs in cybercrime I can understand the dilemma quite easily.

In Networks you spend a lot of the time needing to know how things work from the ground up, but rarely have time to sit the exams to validate that knowledge. Indeed, you often need a highly technical understanding 100% of the time as there are very few automated processes.

In my current profession, you spend a great deal of time on automated processes, with a fair whack of time doing certifications; yet the issue is that you just don't have time to go over the material that you learnt a while ago in order to reaffirm the knowledge of how things work in the way that they do.

The issue in my opinion is that the workforce either has no funding for personal development, or no time to cover previous knowledge areas (you simply just accept it works/doesn't work and over time, forget how/why).
 
Looking at going for my CCNP. For those who already have it, which would be the best to start off with, Router or Switch? I was thinking Route as I could use GNS3 to go along with vids/books.

Also, which study material do you recommend? :)
 
Depends on what you feel most comfortable with. I took Switch first and then did my Route/TShoot over the next 2 weeks. For me the switching was a harder exam, but not really by much so does depend on what you know already.

I used the official books and just googled things and labbed up what I didn't know or wanted to clarify. CBT Nuggets are good too if you can get them

- GP
 
I haven't got my hands 'dirty' much in terms of Cisco (configuring odd equipment here and there). I would probably get on with something I can go along with, hence my thought of doing Route and using GNS3.

Is there any Switch emulators out there as that exam will be 'interesting' unless I can get my hands on some equipment down the line :D
 
Deception said:
Is there any Switch emulators out there as that exam will be 'interesting' unless I can get my hands on some equipment down the line :D
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You can get a 2950 off ebay for £15-£20, if you're serious about passing the exams and figuring it out properly - it shouldn't be a big deal.

You can connect a 2950 to a GNS3 topology, OR you can use an emulated switch module inside GNS3, but as for starting out - i'd just buy a 2950.
 
-Edit- Nevermind, didn't realise they just renamed CCNA to CCNA Routing and Switching.. Thought it was an add on like Security, Voice etc :(
 
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Started my ICND1 course and thought I was coping okay, just covered subnetting and... now feeling a little adrift. I understand the principle but struggle with putting it into practice. Are there any sites out there that do a good explanation?
 
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Could you remove the link to that website please, it's used for cheating. I take a strong stance against that kind of thing.

If you have access to CBT Nuggets videos, Jeremy Cioara's explanation is pretty good IMO.
 
I have CBT Nuggets so will have a watch of that section. I'll also have another read through that section in the book, perhaps covering it again by myself at my own pace will suffice.
 
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