CCNP Lab Series – Master Links

Hi Wendell

You have probably been wondering where I've been lurking, well here I am. :)

$800 Budget

• MISC $100
• 1 x 2950 $150
• 1 x 2950T $250
• 3 x 2520 $210
• 1 x 3640 $200
• Total = $810

$1200 Budget

• MISC $150
• 1 x 2950 $150
• 1 x 2950T $250
• 3 x 2520 $210
• 2 x 3640 $400
• Total = $1160

$1600 Budget

• MISC
• MISC $150
• 2 x 2950T $250
• 3 x 2520 $210
• 4 x 3640 $800
• 1 x 2511 $200
• Total = $1,610

$5000 Uber Lab

• MISC $200
• 2 x 2950T $500
• 2 x 3550 $1300
• 4 x 3640 $800
• 2 x 2621 $500
• 2 x 877W $900
• 1 x 2511 $200
• 4 x 2520 $280
• Rack $250
• Total = $4,930

Notes:

1. Switching isn't overly sophisticated or taxing on hardware required if you only stay at layer 2 (see point 2)
2. Not possible to do Layer 3 Switching without a 3550 or better, which are going to cost you $650 each, and you need a minimum of 2. Even the $1600 lab cannot accommodate that cost
3. Each lab builds on the previous lab for the most part
4. The 2520's are cheap and give you 4 serial interfaces to work with, along with an RJ-45 10base-T Ethernet port
5. The 3640's are dirt cheap at $200 each. They fullfill all the BSCI routing lab requirements, and all the ISCW VPN & MPLS requirements

Uber Lab Notes:

1. The uber lab does just about everything I can think of in regards to the CCNP & much of the CCIE.
2. The 3640's do CE & PE MPLS as well as VPN's & Voice!! as well as a lot of CCIP.
3. The 2950T & 3550 give you a CCIE Switching lab. In fact those 4 switches are more or less what is used in the CCIE Lab exam afaik, except just newer hardware, 2960's & 3560's, but the actual underlying functionality required hasn't changed as far as I'm aware.
4. The 877W's give you Wireless, VPN, SDM, QoS & ADSL/PPPoE/PPPoA, & Security/IPS.
5. The 2621's are great for running as FrameRelay switches as well as have 2 FastEthernet connections.
6. The 2520's are great for bulking your network up with Frame Relay & Serial connections.
7. The 2511 enables you to control it all.
8. With 15 pieces of rack mountable equipment, you really are going to need a rack with wheels to put it all in.

The Uber Lab lets you duplicate the following topologies:

I would also like to re-interate the comments I made in this post about the various CCNP Subjects as part of this submission:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/25299

Well there you go Wendell, they're my submissions, I hope they are of use to somebody.

Cheers
Shaun

Hi Wendell,

It's been fun (and helpful) reading through the past few lab series that you've done. I thought I might throw out an idea for possible future posting in your Cert Zone.

I know lots of blogs and sites focus on assisting people in earning their certifications. But I don't see a lot of posting about how to really get the most benefit out of earning certifications. Here are a few topics that I thought would be beneficial to the community.

* Why earn certifications?
-- what value do they bring?
-- Reasons to earn (or not earn) a certification.
-- How to get the most value out of your certifications.
* How to fit certifications into your overall career plan
-- Understanding the role that certifications play in a career path.
-- Determining which certifications are worth pursuing.
-- Determining the best order and timing to get certifications.

I guess the theme to these topics would be how to maximize the return on your efforts in obtaining certifications.

Thanks again for your replies to my posts over this past series. I'm looking forward to see what's coming up next.

Cisco certification seekers should also consider the secondary market as an option to set up affordable labs. I’m not suggesting shopping online auctions for mystery gear, but rather, reputable independent resellers selling used and refurbished Cisco equipment. Network Hardware Resale designs discounted bundles specifically for CCNA, CCNP and CCIE exam labs, with all equipment fully tested and covered by a free one-year warranty. Just another tip to keep costs down while pushing your career forward.