Personal Cisco Lab

I am not looking for easier methods or simulations, I am trying to create a real world environment within my lab. I also would like to practice and work with VLANs.


Cheers,

ZiPPy

I am not looking for easier methods or simulations, I am trying to create a real world environment within my lab. I also would like to practice and work with VLANs.


Cheers,

ZiPPy

There really is no right or wrong way to set up a lab. It is going to change constantly based on the what you are trying to accomplish with the lab.

A few things to consider-
-how do you want to access the lab? Via IP? Serial console? both?
-from where do you want to access the lab? just from home/lab location? remotely?
-should the lab environment have internet access? does it really need it? could you emulate that portion (once you can hit a certain subnet, you are on the 'internet')?


There are countless ways to set up labs and none are wrong, but some are more convenient than others. Instead of phyically moving cables you could wire everything up and shutdown interfaces or change vlans to completely alter the lab environment.

When experiementing, remember that your first task is to determine what you want to learn. Your first lab is setting up the environment to help you learn what you need to learn. Your second lab is jumping in a learning what you need to learn.

I am not looking for easier methods or simulations, I am trying to create a real world environment within my lab. I also would like to practice and work with VLANs.

Then you really need to find a copy of CCNA 1&2 and get a cisco command reference guide. The content in these books can not be acquired by just messing around in the lab.

I am not trying to sound like a jerk but you need to pour the foundation before you hang the lights.

-.-

d_jabsd, regarding your questions:

I plan to access the lab through serial console first, but would like to also access the lab via IP in due time. It really depends on how quickly I can obtain the information.
Second, I will be accessing the lab from home, but remotely does sound challenging and interesting. So I most definitely will add the remote connections on the back burner.
Your third question, regarding Internet access was something I was thinking about the other day. I would think it be a good idea to have Internet connectivity, the reason being is to check if the modifications you've done to the network has compromised the entire network (Cisco network). I will have two computers, three at most connected to my Cisco network to create a network environment.
Fourth, is your last question "could you emulate that portion (once you can hit a certain subnet, you are on the 'internet')?" And to be completely honest, I don't know but I do want to find out!!

Thanks for the input!!!


Cheers,

ZiPPy

"could you emulate that portion (once you can hit a certain subnet, you are on the 'internet')?" And to be completely honest, I don't know but I do want to find out!! Cool

Ok, so if you have your data connection coming in through your linksys router, any packet that can reach that router will theoretically be able to reach the Internet.

So lets say the last hop in your cisco lab is able to ping your cisco router; then, that would be your 'emulated' Internet.