What a mess! There’s just too many variables for my little processor. There’s no right answer, and there’s no best solution.
Yep, it’s time to pick which routers I’d suggest for a CCNP lab. We’ve discussed many in the last few months in this blog. But “best” depends on a lot of factors, including cost that varies from week to week on Ebay, features supported by each platform/IOS/feature set, the availability of that IOS version/feature set based on your relationship with Cisco, whether Feature Navigator lists all features or not, and whether you really need to practice several features that have only a little coverage for the CCNP exams.
So, what to do? Here’s my plan: today I’m posting some new info, summary info, and making some assumptions to narrow things down a bit. Then I’ll announce a little contest for fun, and really for sure finally wrap up this series with some discussion of sample lab gear for the three budgets ($800, $1200, and $1600).
First, to the models. As of today, I’m not looking at any more models past those listed here. I priced each of several models that we’ve either already discussed or someone has mentioned in the last week or so. For those, I’m going to add enough of the optional features to the mix to make them useful for CCNP, eg, adding a WIC-2T to 2610s. Then I priced it out on Ebay once again, and I’m using those numbers. Here’s what I came up with:
Everyone will probably have a different opinion on the pricing, and rightly so.
Here’s what I assumed when estimating a price. First, I looked not for the very cheapest today on Ebay, “buy it now”, but for the lowest price for which there were at least a few routers available at that price. I tried to look for prices of models with max memory (RAM and Flash) to be safe, or look at the prices to add the memory to max. I wasn’t fully scientific on the price guesstimates, and I know these prices are a little higher than some of the anecdotal evidence you folks have offered – my goal is to use a price that most anyone could get tomorrow, with enough memory to not have to worry about memory anymore. Finally, I completely ignored the IOS on the actual routers for sale today – I’ll make the usual disclaimer that it’s up to you to decide how to obtain and use IOS images per your relationship with Cisco.
Next, I tried to get a handle on all those features for the different exams and feature sets to support them. Let me make some general comments first. The ONT features are support on most every IOS feature set and most every platform, so I ignored them. I also assumed that the routers would use the most recent mainline or T-train version available on each model. I then assumed the best feature set to get all features for all exams, which generally means “IP/FW/IDS/Plus IPSEC 3DES” on older models, and “Advanced IP Services” or better on the later models. Here’s the specific ones for each model:
- 2501 – IP Plus
- 2610 – Enterprise Plus Basic
- 2610 XM – Advanced IP Services
- 1760 – Advanced. IP Services
- 1710 – IP/FW/IDS Plus IPSEC 3DES
- 3640 – IP/FW/IDS/Plus IPSEC 3DES
- 877 – Advanced IP Services
- 837 – IP/FW/Plus 3DES
Then I built a little table to remind me of stuff. I only get 450 pixels wide for images, so I had to break it into 2 tables below. The list of features in each table is the same – they just list different router models. The table lists BSCI features in blue, one row for ONT, and several green rows of references for ISCW features. I also made a lot of footnotes.
1 limited IPv6 support.
2 Cisco’s feature navigator doesn’t list 2610’s as supporting Frame Mode MPLS, but I’ve seen it work – see below for more information.
3 Cisco’s feature navigator didn’t list IPv6 OSPF, but it seems suspicious because it does list support for EIGRP for IPv6, which came later.
4 An earlier comment in this blog mentioned that some Service Provider IOS images support IS-IS on 2500’s.
5 An earlier blog post (http://www.networkworld.comhttps://www.networkworld.com//community/node/26554) showed different results regarding IPS support when searching the Feature navigator. In today’s searching, I found several routers’ IP/FW/IDS/Plus feature sets that listed “Intrusion Prevention System”, whereas it did not list that feature a few weeks back.
Of particular note for you frequent readers out there, a buddy of mine thinks that frame-mode MPLS is supported on 2610s only on some older (and no longer download-able) IOS images. I can do frame-mode MPLS on my 2610’s that use 12.3(19), filename c2600-j1s3-mz.123-19.bin. So, be careful out there trying to get MPLS to run on 2610’s.
Also, I make no claims about the accuracy of the information, so please double check before spending $$.
Finally, I thought it was important to consider the number and type of interfaces on each router. For example, while the 837 has an interesting price point in the used market, relative to features, it has a 4-port switch, but no ability to have a traditional serial interface. So, here’s one more reference table for perspective.
Now, whatta we do with all this mess? Well, first, tell me what I’ve missed or gotten wrong. Then Wednesday I’m going to announce a little contest as we lead in to the final 3 (hoorah!) posts for this CCNP labs series – suggestions on an $800 lab, $1200 lab, and $1600 lab.
