I discovered that I cannot create 802.1Q trunks between my 2513 routers and my switch. This was all all I needed to push me to purchase the 3640 router I have been looking at for a while.
The router is going to come with a NM-2E2W network module (two Ethernet ports) and the DRAM and FLASH maxed out (64MB/16MB). This should be good to get me started. later on down the road I will probably add a serial module to connect this route to my 2513′s.
Next up will probably be a 3550 switch. I am trying to get one with the enhanced image to play around with some of the Layer-3 features.
Here is a quick list of the equipment that I currently have in my lab:
- 3 – Cisco 2513 Routers
- 1 – Cisco 2924 Switch
- 3 – AUI to Ethernet Transceivers (For the AUI ports on the routers)
- 3 – DCE to DTE Cables (Used for serial connections between routers)
- 1 – Skeletek 16U Rack
- 1 – Aneutronics 20 Outlet Rack mount Power Strip
- 1 – USB to DB9 Dongle
Most of this stuff was sourced from E-Bay. If you are patient, you can find some good deals.
The linked USB to DB9 dongle is probably the best I have used. I went through a couple different brands of varying prices, and most of them ended up crapping out on me. The Amazon price is a bit more then the price I paid, but shopping around will pay off. I also find it useful to have a six to ten foot long USB extension as well. This gives you more freedom to move around if you need to.
Eventually I will expand this equipment for more advanced labs and certifications. Some planned upgrades include:
- 16MB DRAM and 16MB Flash on all 2513 routers (Maxed out)
- One or two 3500 series switches
- A few better routers (2600 and 3600)
- VMware whitebox (for servers)
I will take some pictures of my the lab and post them later.
I started reading though my CCNA book about a month or two ago. Before I did not have a set schedule, but I have started to set the goal of one chapter a week for myself. While it is a conservative goal, I hope it will give me time to apply what I read in hands-on labs.
Currently, I am preparing to finish up the chapter on VLANs. That leaves about six to seven chapters left in this book. Once I am finished with that current book, I will move on to the Cisco press books I have for CCNA study.
Below are the books I currently have in my collection:
In my first post, I gave a few reasons why I wanted to build a VMware whitebox. To recap, my main reasons are:
- Save money on the hardware (no enterprise class server to purchase).
- Save money on my power bill.
- Keep noise to a minimum, or the level you would expect from a typical desktop.
Why did I choose virtualization, and why did I choose VMware ESX server?
The choice to go with virtualization was a no-brainier for me. In a lab setting there will probably be a need to run many different servers. These servers can range from a typical Windows XP build all the way to a Linux or Solaris based server. Having one or two physical servers running two different operating systems just did not give me the flexibility I needed.
With virtualization, I can build as many virtual servers as I want on one physical server. In this case the limit is only the amount of hard drive space the host has available. Keep in mind, I am not talking about having 10-20 virtual servers running at the same time. Your ability to do this without negatively effecting performance will depend on many factors, including the host hardware.
Rebuilding servers is also easier with virtualization. For example, I can build a Debian based virtual server and copy that image to another location off the host hard drive. If in the process of experimenting with different configurations, I completely hose that Debian server, rebuilding it is as simple as coping that original image file back to the host hard drive. This greatly minimizes the amount of time spent rebuilding and reconfiguring servers.
Why VMware ESX? This product is used by many companies of varying sizes (including the company I currently work for). In the process of playing around, I expect to pickup basic VMware administration skills. Adding another skill to you resume, or impressing your boss with you knowledge of VMware can’t hurt!
The bottom part of my network rack has been occupied with two servers for a while. At the time that I purchased the servers, I thought they would be a great and would be put to use on a regular basis. Soon after I grew tired of dealing with them. My Dell server was a full length server, which made it hard to get to the connections in the back. Both servers were very loud, and they consumed too much power.
Recently the Dell poweredge was sold, and I’m still waiting to unload the Sun Netra X1. My plan is to replace the servers with a VMware ESX server whitebox.
The term whitebox refers to a computer or server that has hardware that may not be listed on the official VMware hardware list. Building a VMware whitebox is not only cheaper, but it is also more practical for a home setting where you don’t want a huge server keeping you up at night (let alone driving your power bill through the roof).
Based on the official VMware hardware list, we can find out what network chipsets, SAS chipsets, etc are supported by the VMware kernel. This sounds like an easy task, but this information is sometimes difficult to find. On top of that, you have to be very careful about the hardware you choose, since the VMware kernel is notoriously picky about the hardware it will recognize
My ultimate goal is to build a whitebox for under $1,000 that has the ability to run 7-8 virtual servers with ease.
After much thought, I decided to create this web site. My main motivation was to share some of the things I have been working on for the last couple of years, mostly related to networking.
Pursuing my CCNA certification, has been a goal of mine for over a year now. Only recently have I started to regularly train and study for the exam. I have had a small lab for about a year now, and it is just now seeing some proper use.
Eventually I hope this site turns into an open forum where people can share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions.