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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Lab series (Cert Zone blog)

This page lists links to lab-related series in my older Cisco Cert Zone blog at Network World. I don't blog there any more, but the series linked on this page still have useful information! Additionally, I do still blog at the CCENT Skills and CCNA Skills blogs, and I list labs there as well - join in!

  

CCNA Lab Equipment, 2011 Edition
Apr - June,  2011
8 posts
So you want to get experience with the Cisco CLI, and you want to use real gear. What do you use? This series tries to answer the question, spell out the things to think about, list suggested hardware and software, and generally give advice on how to start.

 

 Self-Assessment Using RIP
Nov - Dec,  2010
3 posts
Instead of a set of lab requirements, this lab-like series poses two questions: how to review concepts in the context of a particular lab example, and then how to review all related configuration commands in the context of a lab example. The link above links the last page in the series, with the first two pages listed in the footer of that post.

 

 

 A CCNA and CCNP VLAN Lab
Sept - Oct,  2010
3 posts
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/index-page-ccna-and-ccnp-vlan-lab
 
This lab supplies a switch topology, and lists a couple of sets of requirements. The game: find the shortest config that meets the requirements. Lots of good discussion on a variety of configs!

 

 

CCNP Lab Series, 2010 
April - June,  2010
3 posts
Cisco changed CCNP significantly early in 2010. This series examines the changes to CCNP, and refreshes the discussion about what lab gear to buy to build your CCNP preparation lab.

 

A Lab Comparing 2-router and 3-router Lab Topologies
February 2010
3 posts
You need at least two routers to practice and experiment with IP routing protocols. This lab looks at some of the issues when experimenting with RIP and EIGRP when using a 2-router lab topology, and the benefits of using a 3-router topology to overcome some of those issues. Note that this page is the last in the series, but it has links to the other two posts in the series.

 

Fall 2009 CCNA Security Series
October 2009
 3 posts
This series from October 2009 wasn’t solely focused on lab gear for this CCNA Concentration, but it did list a pretty through discussion of lab requirements.

 

Spring 2009 CCNA/CCNP Lab Series
March/April 2009
 9 posts
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/42182
This series used my 2008 blog posts about labs as a springboard, not re-hashing the requirements for individual exams, but rather focusing on changes in prices in the used gear market. These changes can lead you to different build lists for what you might want to buy to support your chosen topologies. In particular, it goes through options for a $100-$200 CCNA lab, and a $750 CCNP lab.

 

Spring 2008 CCNP Lab Series
Feb - May 2008
 9 posts
This looong series discussed many aspects of how to build a lab for the CCNP as it existed in 2008. That version of CCNP included a wide range of topics, including wireless LANs, QoS, Security, as well as traditional routing and switching topics. The series takes a long look at the hands-on features required from each exam, the IOS versions and feature sets to support those features, the hardware needed, and then looks at what topologies and build lists meet some or most of those needs.

 

Winter 2008 CCNA Lab Series
Jan – Feb 2008
9  posts
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/24916
This is my original lab series in blog form, where I was learning a lot about the kinds of things the blog readership would be interested in. As such, if you look through it, it might require a little more of a sequential reading, rather than just picking specific topics. Regardless, it’s here for the viewing. Enjoy!

 
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