CCNP Wrap-up V: Build List for $1600 Budget

Finally... last budget of the 3 options. If you haven't been reading the blog, there's a lot of background to catch up - should be relatively easy to find in the past weeks. Last week, I posted about a suggested CCNP lab with an $800 budget. Earlier this week, I posted about the $1200 budget.  Today, I'll hit the $1600 budget.

Same rules as last post, with almost the same assumptions. I'll repeat them here for completeness:

• Prices, models, IOS's etc from this post about routers and this post about switches.
• I make no guarantees about whether this is right
• It's up to you to follow any Cisco legal stuff for IOS images
• I'm setting aside $150 of the $1600 for non-specified items

The $150 reserve is for things like extra 2501's for FR switches, serial cables, access server, etc.

This time, I'm going for just 1 suggestion. That'll give ya'll a little more room for suggestions for the book give-away contest. 

$1600 Lab 1:

2 x 2950 standard image                       $300

1 x Enhanced                                        $250

3 X 3640                                             $600   

1 x 2610XM                                         $250

2 X 2501                                               $50

Miscellaneous reserve                           $150

Total:                                                  $1600

Pros:

• Get most of the features needed for BCMSN - even some that require the enhanced 2950 image
• Get all the ISCW security features I researched, including IPS (2610XM)
• Get 4 routers that support full range of BSCI features, plus 2 others (2501's) that support many BSCI features
• Get 1 router with 12.4T support (2610XM)
• 3 routers with MPLS support, allowing for 2 MPLS VPN PE's and 1 P router

Cons:

• Still missing Layer 3 switch features
• 3640's can't go past 12.4 mainline

So, tell me what you'd do differently. You've also got a few more days to enter the contest. Enjoy!

• CCNP
• Cisco
• Cisco Press