This is a quick overview of all the material that I used to prepare for and pass the CCENT and CCNA Routing and Switching exams.
Below are images of the physical lab that I built using second hand equipment from Ebay and all the necessary cabling and tools needed to operate it.
Cost breakdown
| Routers | |
| 1 x 2811 with WIC-1T, 256mb memory, 64mb CF | £35.00 |
| 1 x 2621xm 126mb RAM, 32mb flash | £15.00 |
| Switches | |
| 2 x 3550 24 Port managed switches | £49.98 |
| 1 x 3750 24 port switch | £30.00 |
| Miscellaneous | |
| 10-U Server Rack | £26 |
| DCE/DTE DB60 Crossover Cable – 3FT | £4.99 |
| USB to RS232 DB9 converter | £9.99 |
| WIC-1T Serial WAN Interface Card | £6.50 |
| 512MB (2x256MB) DDR PC-2700 | £0.99 |
| 256MB Generic compact flash memory | £3.99 |
| Rollover console cable serial DB9 to RJ45 | £3.40 |
| WIC-1T Serial WAN Interface Card | £2.50 |
| Additional set of Rack mount brackets | £7.00 |
| 15m of CAT 6 cabling | £5.49 |
| RJ45 straight module adapters | £6.99 |
| 19 piece Professional Network repair tool kit | £14.99 |
| Total | £222.81 |
Books
CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide – Todd Lammle
CCNA Routing and Switching Official Cert Guide Library – Wendell Odom
CCNA Switching Portable Command Guide – Scott Empson
* all the above is currently accessible from safaribooksonline.com
Video series
Cisco CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-105 – Jeremy Cioara
Cisco CCNA ICND2 200-105 – Jeremy Cioara
CCNA Routing & Switching v3.0 – Keith Bogart
CCNA Routing and Switching 200-125 Complete Course – Kevin Wallace
Various material by Keith Barker on youtube
Software
GNS3
Packet Tracer
Minicom
Wireshark
Ubuntu
Virtualbox
Arch Linux
Other
Boson (source for practice exams)
Cisco Learning Network
/r/CCNA
/r/networking
Great post for those thinking about creating a home lab!
Do you have a link for where you got your rack from?
Hey Peter,
I got the rack from Amazon, it’s called ‘Quik Lok RS/10 EU Eu Rack Rail 10-U Desk Rack Stand – Black’.
Thanks,
Will