Need Help To Setup a Lap!

[Hoang-cisco]

Hello all,

I have two Cisco Catalyst 2950 switches and two 2620XM routers. I need to set up a lap to practice on my CCNA exam. The routers don't have Network Module, WIC. What else do I need and how a lap is set up? I'll appreciate your responses.

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi Hoang,

You don't have to have WICs, you can just connect the on board Ethernet ports to your switch and practice

You can set up this way:

PC-------------2950------------2620XM-----------2620XM-----------2950--------PC

HTH

Reza

[Hoang-cisco]

Thanks Reza for your quick reply. Are all the cables just straight through ones? I want to connect this lap to my existing LAN and have internet connection, how do I do that? Thanks.

[Reza Sharifi]

Yes, the connection from the switch to router is straight through copper.

[Ganesh Hariharan]

Thanks Reza for your quick reply. Are all the cables just straight through ones? I want to connect this lap to my existing LAN and have internet connection, how do I do that? Thanks.

Hi,

As Reza suggested you can connect with staright cable between switch and router, but how is the existing network is designed and you need to provide a brief overview of existing network so that we can help to intergarte this lab with existing one.

Hope to Help !!

Ganesh.H

[Hoang-cisco]

Thanks ganeshh.iyer

  for replying. Here is a brief of my existing network:

Comcast Cable --->Trendnet Router(Consumer based) ---> A hub.

The TrendNet has an internal IP of 192.168.1.1 with DHCP enabled. Thanks again.

[Reza Sharifi]

Hoang,

If you are trying to prctice for your CCNA, that is all about Cisco equipment and not Comcast Cable --->Trendnet Router(Consumer based) ---> A hub and etc...

So as I originally suggested, you should connect your Cisco switches and routers together and practice with them.

Reza

[Michael Hutt]

Hoang,

I have done the same thing that you are trying to do.  I wanted to build a network simulation that included a WAN and centralized internet access.

I have the following:

Home router (with DD-WRT firmware installed instead of Linksys' factory stuff) 192.168.1.1, small L2 switch in office

Cisco 2611 router connected to Switch with IP 192.168.1.2, "WAN" interface (FastEthernet) given the IP 172.16.0.1 (/28), connected to:

     3 Cisco 3500 XL Switches connected to one another in a triangle formation to test STP.  Management VLANs set to 172.16.0.0/28

     Cisco 2610 router connected to the switches with the last IP in the range, interface Lo0 set for 10.0.0.1/8

I then configured my home router (with DD-WRT) for the private ranges 172.16.0.0 and 10.0.0.0 via 192.168.1.2, configured gateway of last resort on the 2611 router to 192.168.1.1 and enabled routing protocols.  If you cannot set static route entries on your home router or enable a routing protocol, you will not be able to access the internet beyond your 192.168.1.0 network

All Cisco devices have full access to the internet.  If the Cisco 2610 had a second ethernet port or 802.11q support, I would be able to access the internet from the "remote branch office" with the IP range of 10.0.0.0/8 all the way through to the internet

Attached you will find a diagram of my setup in PDF format. R1 is the 2611, the Switches are the 3500 XLs and R2 is the 2610 with loopback0 interface. The lines are color-coded to indicate which subnet they represent.

Hope this helps!  I had a lot of fun setting it all up.

By the way, if you're setting up a home lab, don't power everything on all at once.  Turn them all on one-by-one.  I already blew up a 2900 Series Switch because I turned all three switches and both routers on at the same time!

[Hoang-cisco]

Thanks Reza for your advice.

Michael, thank you very much for your time to answer me and your  very helpful infos. I am sure when I find time to mess with my lab trying to "have a lot of fun" as what you have done, I will run into a lot of obstacles. May I then ask for your help? Thanks again Michael.

Hoang