Network Lab

[pc-tecky]

Just like @abq with his post, I'm wanting to build a network lab with similar goals, but since my hardware is mostly Cisco based, I decided to post separately.

I have a Cisco Catalyst 4006, Cisco Catalyst 4500-E, 2x Cisco 1841 routers and various Cisco Switches and gear.
While I can get this Cisco Catalyst WS C3750 48PS V06 48-Port PoE Gigabit Ethernet Switch for cheap (I'm not clear which ports are PoE, the four SPF ports?), or a 4500-series PoE line card and some VoIP phones and WAPs. Maybe some PoE to RPi 3 cluster solution-- eh, maybe not, who knows?!?

I don't need all those ports, but that switch is a means to explore unfamiliar networking topics hands-on. On another note, I could just buy an 8-port PoE injector for ~$150 to use with my TP-Link 8-port switch.

Also looking for 10Gb Ethernet hardware recommendations. ConnectX-2, ConnectX-3, Switches?!? I also have 2x 40Gbps QSPF Infinify dual port cards and no cables. Open to ideas!! (Tams Solutions is reasonably local for me as is the UoU Surplus. Any other computer salvage companies nearby in the greater SLC area??)

 

[maze]

You want to run a 4500 series at home....? - i hope you dont look too much at your power Bill

On the 3750, you should have all 48 “normal” ports for poe, the sfp ones arent poe capable.

 

[ridney]

I am also using almost exclusively cisco but using their lower end stuff. So i am giving you my network setup as a sort of refernce point or like an example.

For wired network I used a SG200 switch for my cat6 runs throught my home and a Netgear S3300x as my main one.

For router, im using a 3845 with pvdm-32 dsp. This is my main source of internet connection besides my firewall.

For wireless, I have a 2504 WLC and 4 x 3602 LWAPs with RM3000AC modules. The 2504 is my most expensive device as I bought it brand new but it has been a real treat to have one. Took me quite a while to really learn and configure fully my wireless network. There were lots of trial and error, frustrations and finally some success. Now I dont fiddle with it anymore and just left it unattended for a year since I think.

For voice, i have a UC520 as my sip gateway and fxo port trunk for my digital/analog line. I also used it as POE for my 9971’s and 8961’s IP phones. I also have a couple of 7921g wireless phones. The 3845 router with its pvdm together with the UC520 is my source for transcoding/conferencing media resouce. I am not using the CME from UC520 but i am running a CUCM + CUC 8.6 running on an esxi host as my call manager since it is more compatible to the IP phones that I have. CME are more for like 7900 series phones. Also I am running a separate paging server since CUCM dont have that option.

For firewall, I am using Sophos UTM because of its easy to use web filtering. But I am also running an ASAv for remote access vpn. Using ASDM with the VPN wizard is such a breeze. I did it without having any knowledge of VPN/security stuff. It’s that easy.

For some other stuff, you may need a server host run your VMs like ISE and Prime Infrastructure if you want to have a full blown Cisco home network. The map feature that shows the wireless coverage and heat maps is also really nice together with the syslogs.

So basically thats it, you would now have more or less a cisco home network. Not to mention you might like to add some microsoft stuff like exchange, sharepoint, RDS server, active directory, web application proxy etc... There are so many things still to tinker

 

[pyro_]

Question why not look at using something like gns3? GNS3 | The software that empowers network professionals

If I was to build a Cisco lab again today this is what I would probably go with rather than actuall Cisco hardware other than maybe a couple of switches