Cisco Router and switch for home

[WojinRina]

I am wondering what would be the best and inexpensive Cisco router and switch to use for my home. I want them to have the full current Cisco IOS CLI on it so I can practice and gain knowledge for my CCENT and beyond. I also want to use them for my home network so I would like to have gig ports and not fast ethernet. I don't require wifi function because I can turn my current router to AP mode and use that.

Does anyone have any suggestions for this?

[Leo Laohoo]

Start with the Cisco 900 series router.  

[Sergey Lisitsin]

I would advise against that. Why? Because the home kit is not the best for practice. What you normally need for your home network is something that you set up once and just enjoy it working as expected. Whereas for training and practice you want to break and fix the network continuously So, if I were you, I would just buy whatever home kit is best suited for your situation and did training and practicing in a virtual environment. GNS3, EVE-NG, VIRL or Packet Tracer would do the trick at CCENT level and give you much much more flexibility in terms of configuring network topologies, rather than having one router and one switch only.

[balaji.bandi]

if you already have internet connection working, i would invest on some hardware which can perform various Labs you can practive, not Limited to rotuing

buy small workstation with decent RAM and CPU, which you can do more Virtual Labs, until you are more keen to buy hardware,(which can give only Router access and Limited commands to learn )

Look for Lab Emu/Simu lators

Cisco CML (cost you 200$) give you full License with 20 Device you can use.

Freeware

PNET / GNS3 / EVE_NG  ( you need to google for Images to work for Labs).

[Martin L]

First of all, you can find more educational and learning help at CLN -learningnetwork.cisco.com  CLN is site made for beginners, learners, and has all certification info while this site is more for real-world and real gear issues and technical stuff. Or, you can ask the same question here and there, no problem.

I would start with free Cisco Packet tracer, a simulator made by and for Cisco Net Academy courses. https://www.netacad.com/courses/packet-tracer .  it is not real IOS but it is good for beginners to learn networking fundamentals and CLI commands.  Also, CML is new emulator from Cisco which has more options and more images. CML runs on so called virtual IOS which is like real IOS but made for virtual labbing.  You can use it for free via DevNet Sandbox; see link below, otherwise buy it for home use from CLI store.  GNS3 and EVE requires for you to have your own images which I guess you do not have.  

If you really need real gear and for studies beyond CCNA, I would get older 2800s routers with some modules and IOS 15 -if possible- from ebay.  those are voice-capable so you could practice voice networking later. For switches, my favorite and cheap now are c3750. 

Dev Net CML - Cisco Modeling labs - there is a demo lab you can play without building your own. see

https://developer.cisco.com/docs/sandbox/#!networking/networking-sandbox-highlights

login info like passwords are at https://developer.cisco.com/docs/modeling-labs/#!faq/reference-platform-and-images-questions

Regards, ML
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