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If you’ve come across this post I am certain you want to become a network engineer specializing in Cisco networking. It usually takes several years of trial and error before you can become good at administrating Cisco networks, and this is definitely an issue for many people.
The Cisco CCNP lab is one of the most difficult labs to build because it touches on so many different pieces of equipment. When you are building your Cisco CCNA lab, it is pretty easy as three Cisco router and three Cisco switches will put you in a pretty good position at a pretty reasonable price. Definitely a lot less then the price of attending a Cisco CCNA training class and you get to keep the equipment to practice on for as long as you like. When building a Cisco CCIE lab, you concentrate on one particular discipline such as CCIE Security, Voice, Service Provider, Storage or Routing and Switching so you only have to purchase Cisco equipment for that area of expertise.
In: computers
31 Aug 2009Ok, one of the most common question we get is how do I upgrade the IOS on my Cisco router? I can refer you to the documentation on Cisco’s site on how to do this, but it seems as though for the new CCNA student that this just does not give you all the information you need to successfully upgrade your IOS. I completely understand this as their instructions are written for someone who is already familiar with Cisco routers and switches and who is probably already a Cisco CCNA. Now I might also suggest to you that it is not imperative that you upgrade the IOS on your Cisco router as soon as you get it. You see, the commands that reside in version 11.x are 95% the same as in 12.x.
In: computers
1 Jun 2009This article is intended for those new to Cisco Express Forwarding and its impact on the way Multilayer Switching is done in Cisco hardware. Of course, this article can also serve as a review for those familiar with Cisco Express Forwarding but are looking for a refresher. In this first article we are going to go over the components that make up this switching architecture followed by some fundamental examples to illustrate these components and concepts at work. Before we get started be sure to download the topology we are going to be using in the lab examples for clarity.
In: computers
27 May 2009This article is intended for those new to CEF and its impact on the way MLS is done in Cisco hardware. This article can also serve as a review for those familiar with the concepts but are looking for a refresher. In this first article we are going to go over the components that make up this switching architecture followed by some fundamental examples to illustrate these components and concepts at work. Before we get started be sure to download the topology we are going to be using in the lab examples for clarity.
In: computers
23 May 2009This article is intended for those new to Cisco Express Forwarding and its impact on the way MLS is done in Cisco hardware. Of course, this article can also serve as a review for those familiar with Cisco Express Forwarding but are looking for a refresher. In this first article we are going to go over the components that make up this switching architecture followed by some fundamental examples to illustrate these components and concepts at work. Before we get started be sure to download the topology we are going to be using in the lab examples for clarity.
(VTP) is a Cisco Layer 2 messaging protocol that manages the addition, deletion, and renaming of VLANs on a network-wide basis. Virtual Local AreaNetwork (VLAN) Trunk Protocol (VTP) reduces administration in a switched network. When you configure a new VLAN on one VTP server, the VLAN is distributed through all switches in the domain. This reduces the need to configure the same VLAN everywhere. VTP is a Cisco-proprietary protocol that is available on most of the Cisco Catalyst Family products. VTP ensures that all switches in the VTP domain are aware of all VLANs. There are occasions, however, when VTP can create unnecessary traffic. All unknown unicasts and broadcasts in a VLAN are flooded over the entire VLAN. All switches in the network receive all broadcasts, even in situations where few users are connected in that VLAN. VTP pruning is a feature used to eliminate (or prune) this unnecessary traffic. By default, all Cisco Catalyst switches are configured to be VTP servers. This is suitable for small-scale networks where the size of the VLAN information is small and easily stored in all switches (in NVRAM). In a large network, a judgment call must be made at some point when the NVRAM storage needed is wasted, because it is duplicated on every switch. At this point, the network administrator should choose a few well-equipped switches and keep them as VTP servers. Everything else participating in VTP can be turned into a client. The number of VTP servers should be chosen so as to provide the degree of redundancy desired in the network.
Preparing for the CCNA exam
In: computers
2 Apr 2009Ok, one of the most common question we get is how do I upgrade the IOS on my Cisco router? I can refer you to the documentation on Cisco’s site on how to do this, but it seems as though for the new CCNA student that this just does not give you all the information you need to successfully upgrade your IOS. I completely understand this as their instructions are written for someone who is already familiar with Cisco routers and switches and who is probably already a Cisco CCNA. Now I might also suggest to you that it is not imperative that you upgrade the IOS on your Cisco router as soon as you get it. You see, the commands that reside in version 11.x are 95% the same as in 12.x.
In: computers
29 Mar 2009Ok, one of the most common question we get is how do I upgrade the IOS on my Cisco router? I can refer you to the documentation on Cisco’s site on how to do this, but it seems as though for the new CCNA student that this just does not give you all the information you need to successfully upgrade your IOS. I completely understand this as their instructions are written for someone who is already familiar with Cisco routers and switches and who is probably already a Cisco CCNA. Now I might also suggest to you that it is not imperative that you upgrade the IOS on your Cisco router as soon as you get it. You see, the commands that reside in version 11.x are 95% the same as in 12.x.
