Layer 1 Help, please

[g3nz0d227]

Hi. 

I'm a newb, and I just bought a lab, but stuck on how to wire it correctly. Can anyone help?

Components: (physically situated from top to bottom)

Cisco Router 1800

Cisco Router 1800

Cisco Router 1800

Cisco Catalyst 3560 Switch

Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switch

Can anyone help explain how I should wire the Cat5 cables from device to device? Thanks. 

[Brandon Buffin]

That highly depends on what you're trying to simulate. From the picture, it looks like the 1800 in the middle is simulating an ISP/PSTN connection. If so, you could use one of the switches plugged into each of the other 1800s to simulate two offices that would then connect to each other over the simulated WAN. So, from a switchport on the 3560 (configured as a trunk) plug into a FastEthernet port on one 1800. From a switchport on the 3750 (configured as a trunk) plug into a FastEthernet port on the other 1800.

Brandon

[Joseph W. Doherty]

For Ethernet . . .

From router to router, or switch to switch, you'll need a cross over cable.

From router to switch, you'll need a straight through cable.

However, the 3560 and 3750 should support auto MDI, if auto is enabled on port (which by default, it normally is).  I.e. They should work with either a cross over or straight through cable to any other device.

I don't know whether an 1800 also supports auto MDI.