My Cisco Lab With Addresses

Here is my lab layout with the interfaces and IP addresses included.

My Cisco Lab

This past Saturday, April 9th, I received my first complete Cisco lab via FedEx.

After negotiating with a very reputable seller, I ended up with a terrific beginner's lab for a terrific price!

My lab consists of:

Routers
• (1) Cisco 2610 Router with a WIC-1DSU-T1 and a WIC-1B-U
• (1) Cisco 2620 Router with a WIC-2T
• (2) Cisco 2620 Routers each with a WIC-1T

Switches

• (2) Cisco Catalyst 2950 Switches (24 FastEthernet ports)

Cables
• (2) Back-to-Back Smart-Serial cables (SS end is DCE)
• (1) Back-to-Back DB60 serial cable
• (4) Straight-Through RJ45 cables
• (3) DB9 Console cables
• (6) Power cables

Accessories
• (4) 2600 Rackmounts
• (2) 2900 Rackmounts

The Cisco 2610 Router was actually purchased from a different merchant. It has two WICs (Wan Interface Cards). The first is a T1 CSU/DSU card. The second is an ISDN BRI card. I don't have a use for either of these cards at the moment, but maybe one day I will.

The WIC-2T is a two port Smart-Serial card.
The WIC-1T is a one port DB60 serial card.

The lab is not mounted on a rack because I do not own a rack. With only six devices, it is not cost - and space - efficient to purchase a rack large enough to hold my devices with room for expansion.

This lab has been with me for a week, and it has helped me understand many networking concepts. If you do not own or have access to a real Cisco lab, spend the money and buy a lab.
You will be happy you did!

My Network

I received my routers and switches on Saturday night, but I will write about them in a later post.

I did however create a diagram of my current network using Microsoft's Visio, which I blogged about in an earlier post.

I left out the network addresses in order to maintain overall clarity. When I add the interfaces and their addresses I will post the updated diagram.

Microsoft Visio

I was looking on the internet for the software that everyone uses to create the Cisco lab diagrams. After reading through a few forums I was led to believe that the most popular software tool for this is Microsoft Visio.

Visio is a tool for creating diagrams of all types. Drawing network diagrams is one of Visio's many uses.

I visited the official Visio website in search of a free trial. After registering and logging in, I was left to choose between a 32-bit or a 64-bit version of Visio.

Because I have a 64-bit machine I chose the matching version. It took about twenty minutes to download Visio. I started the installer, and it gave me an error. Apparently my Microsoft Office Suite is 32-bit and even though my computer is 64-bit, Visio relies on the Office runtimes.

I need to download the 32-bit version of Visio. I haven't downloaded it yet, but I hope to download it and begin to familiarize myself with the software soon.

Expect some new diagrams in future posts!

My First Router

Last Friday I recieved the Cisco 2610 router I had ordered last Sunday. This is my first Cisco enterprise router. It has 1 built-in ethernet interface, a WIC-1B-U ISDN BRI card and a WIC-1DSU-T1 card. I am expecting three other routers very soon and I will write about them when they are delivered.

Cisco Certification

A little while ago I began studying for my Cisco certification. My first goal is to become a CCENT or Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician. The exam I must take is the ICND1 640-822. Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 is an exam to test your understanding of entry level networking theory and your ability to configure a small routed network. I hope to take the exam by the end of this year. Wish me luck!