Looking for a little advice, tips from experience, info

[tushi8]

Hi folks -

I'm looking at a couple of switches (older ones) for a home lab, and I am looking for L3 managed switches, that have a web interface, and VLAN support at its core.

I'm looking at the SG 300-20 and the Catalyst 3750.

Any insights or info is appreciated.

Thanks

[Flavio Miranda]

Hello,

  It is good to have hands on expeirience with Cisco device but I see one problem. The device we should have experience, considering an IT career, we can not afford. Then, gets hands on experience with old device make less sense.

 Now, if the objective is study about routing and switching, there´s little you can do with only two devices. Then, my conclusion is, why buy physical devices when the vendor (Cisco) is virtualizing everything?  Dont make more sense invest in more memory and CPU and go virtual? or at least with GNS3 or Eve and why not PacketTracer?

 People usually understimate this last one.  When they shouldn´t because it is possible  to test so many network concepts with a free, light and easy tool like that.

[Leo Laohoo]

I agree with the responses from the other forums. 

There is no benefit with learning GUI.  With Cisco appliances, it is CLI most of the time.