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Digg it UP - Cisco Certification: Building Your Home Lab, Part II
It may seem odd to start an article about Investing by talking about homeopathy - do not fear, I have not gone New Age in my approach, but some recent headlines have brought up an interesting debate about science vs. opinion that has relevance to property investment.Earlier in the year, a group of leading UK doctors and scientists wrote an open letter to NHS trusts asking them to stop spending money on homeopathy.In the media frenzy that surrounded this, there were the inevitable results - firstly a bunch of reporters who decided that homeopathy was too difficult a word, and that they should instead report about Alternative and Complementary therapies.The second result was a whole bunch of phone-ins on local radio, full of people whose personally exper
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devi
Clients are wonderful. Speaking to a self-employed client is even better. The reason I love speaking to small businesses & self employed clients is because they are so passionate about their company. They want their company to be perceived by potential customers as being the most honest and trustworthy company out there. The best of the best!. However, these types of clients have a downside. They are so passionate about their new website that they fire off buzzwords that they simply have no understanding as to how hard it is going to achieve that look for their brand/company. Confused? So am I most of the time.Let’s take a made up client called Bob’s Electrical Engineers. His core business is small electrical installations and repairs. He has a client list of around
Having been there myself, I know it's confusing to decide how many routers or switches to buy, and what I need at the minimum to run labs and get some great hands-on practice. Let's take a look at some lab configurations and some other lab equipment you may need.
A starter practice lab will consist of two Cisco routers and one switch, hopefully a 2950. This is a good way to get started. You will need to make sure that the routers you purchase have Ethernet ports, and at least one serial port. If possible, get routers with BRI ports, so even if you're not configuring ISDN now, you'll be able to in the future. (You will need one additional device to make ISDN work in your lab, and we'll talk about that later in this article.)
You can practice setting IP addresses and testing IP connectivity over the Ethernet interfaces, and you can configure a point-to-point connection between the two serial interfaces. (You must know how to do that before you think of taking the CCNA exams!) Depending on the switch, you can also get some practice putting the Ethernet ports in different VLANs and working with the switch IOS.
This setup does have some limitations. You can't practice trunking or Etherchannels with one switch, and you can't set up a Frame Relay cloud with this configuration. It's a good start, but you should consider getting a few more routers, including one to serve as your Frame Relay switch.
What's a Frame Relay switch? Good question.
The Frame Relay Switch
As you know from your studies, Cisco routers are DTEs by default. The Frame Relay cloud is made up of DCEs.
In a lab environment, you need a device to serve as the Frame Relay cloud. This device will have DCE interfaces, and will actually be performing frame relay switching. But this isn't a switch in our lab - it's a Cisco router.
There are plenty of Cisco routers that make great frame relay switches. Get one of those and a couple of DCE/DTE cables, and you can configure the router as a frame relay switch and have your own working frame relay cloud in your lab!
The Cisco router you choose as your frame relay switch should have at least four serial ports, and if you can get more, great. It's always good to have spare ports.
If you get four Cisco routers, with one as your frame relay switch, you can set up a frame relay cloud and practice your hub-and-spoke frame configurations. Even better, as my labs do in my CCNA Study Guide, you can set up a frame relay cloud and a point-to-point Serial connection. This will help you get real hands-on practice with such features as EIGRP variance.
With that four-router configuration and one switch, you can get some great hands-on experience with many CCNA features that many candidates just read about. If you can add a second 2950 switch, you can practice different spanning-tree configurations, such as changing the root bridge of a given VLAN, working with VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP), and configuring your own Etherchannel! (You will need some crossover cables to connect your two switches.)
Let's take a look at one more important piece of lab equipment: the ISDN simulator. You can't just take a straight-through cable and connect your BRI interfaces directly. You need a device called an ISDN simulator to act as the phone company in your home network. The newer simulators let you set your own phone numbers and SPIDs; most older ones have a preset phone number and SPID that you must use. Either way, you get truly valuable experience getting hands-on work with ISDN, especially watching PAP and CHAP debugs and understanding the authentication process.
ISDN simulators can set you back a few bucks. I recommend you visit www.ebay.com and search for ISDN simulator?. There are generally 20 - 30 used ones on there at any given time. Be careful to purchase one with at least a 30-day guarantee. They are robust devices for the most part, as there is one in my home lab that I've had for three years (when they were really expensive!), and it's never given me a bit of trouble.
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devic
In real estate, the worst of times for most people are often the best of times for real estate investors. Smart real estate investors buy in bad times, because they see days ahead that they know are going to be strong and will give them the best return on their investment. In this article I explain how to spot and profit from economic cycles.Real estate runs in cycles of anywhere from seven to 10 years. Buying low and selling high is one of the oldest axioms for financial success. Many real estate investors have built their fortunes by starting their businesses when times were very, very bad. When times are bad, it’s easier to get financing, and it’s easier to get people to work with you on your terms, instead of theirs.One thing I can tell you for sure is t
This setup does have some limitations. You can't practice trunking or Etherchannels with one switch, and you can't set up a Frame Relay cloud with this configuration. It's a good start, but you should consider getting a few more routers, including one to serve as your Frame Relay switch.
What's a Frame Relay switch? Good question.
The Frame Relay Switch
As you know from your studies, Cisco routers are DTEs by default. The Frame Relay cloud is made up of DCEs.
In a lab environment, you need a device to serve as the Frame Relay cloud. This device will have DCE interfaces, and will actually be performing frame relay switching. But this isn't a switch in our lab - it's a Cisco router.
There are plenty of Cisco routers that make great frame relay switches. Get one of those and a couple of DCE/DTE cables, and you can configure the router as a frame relay switch and have your own working frame relay cloud in your lab!
The Cisco router you choose as your frame relay switch should have at least four serial ports, and if you can get more, great. It's always good to have spare ports.
If you get four Cisco routers, with one as your frame relay switch, you can set up a frame relay cloud and practice your hub-and-spoke frame configurations. Even better, as my labs do in my CCNA Study Guide, you can set up a frame relay cloud and a point-to-point Serial connection. This will help you get real hands-on practice with such features as EIGRP variance.
With that four-router configuration and one switch, you can get some great hands-on experience with many CCNA features that many candidates just read about. If you can add a second 2950 switch, you can practice different spanning-tree configurations, such as changing the root bridge of a given VLAN, working with VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP), and configuring your own Etherchannel! (You will need some crossover cables to connect your two switches.)
Let's take a look at one more important piece of lab equipment: the ISDN simulator. You can't just take a straight-through cable and connect your BRI interfaces directly. You need a device called an ISDN simulator to act as the phone company in your home network. The newer simulators let you set your own phone numbers and SPIDs; most older ones have a preset phone number and SPID that you must use. Either way, you get truly valuable experience getting hands-on work with ISDN, especially watching PAP and CHAP debugs and understanding the authentication process.
ISDN simulators can set you back a few bucks. I recommend you visit www.ebay.com and search for ISDN simulator?. There are generally 20 - 30 used ones on there at any given time. Be careful to purchase one with at least a 30-day guarantee. They are robust devices for the most part, as there is one in my home lab that I've had for three years (when they were really expensive!), and it's never given me a bit of trouble.
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devi
Every investor who wants to buy a foreclosure home has the sole objective of optimizing the value of the property. Usually, investors go about this by buying out the equity from the homeowner. This act relieves the owner of payment problems and also allows the investor to obtain equity in the property. This method is called “subject to" purchase, which implies that the current financing is maintained, with your purchase "subject to" that financing.Evaluating propertiesOne key point to note in the assessment of an offer is that you should match your profit margin against the owner's net equity and not the gross equity. For instance, if a homeowner has a property valued at $100,000 that requires $5,000 worth of repairs to obtain that $100,000 value, and
There are plenty of Cisco routers that make great frame relay switches. Get one of those and a couple of DCE/DTE cables, and you can configure the router as a frame relay switch and have your own working frame relay cloud in your lab!
The Cisco router you choose as your frame relay switch should have at least four serial ports, and if you can get more, great. It's always good to have spare ports.
If you get four Cisco routers, with one as your frame relay switch, you can set up a frame relay cloud and practice your hub-and-spoke frame configurations. Even better, as my labs do in my CCNA Study Guide, you can set up a frame relay cloud and a point-to-point Serial connection. This will help you get real hands-on practice with such features as EIGRP variance.
With that four-router configuration and one switch, you can get some great hands-on experience with many CCNA features that many candidates just read about. If you can add a second 2950 switch, you can practice different spanning-tree configurations, such as changing the root bridge of a given VLAN, working with VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP), and configuring your own Etherchannel! (You will need some crossover cables to connect your two switches.)
Let's take a look at one more important piece of lab equipment: the ISDN simulator. You can't just take a straight-through cable and connect your BRI interfaces directly. You need a device called an ISDN simulator to act as the phone company in your home network. The newer simulators let you set your own phone numbers and SPIDs; most older ones have a preset phone number and SPID that you must use. Either way, you get truly valuable experience getting hands-on work with ISDN, especially watching PAP and CHAP debugs and understanding the authentication process.
ISDN simulators can set you back a few bucks. I recommend you visit www.ebay.com and search for ISDN simulator?. There are generally 20 - 30 used ones on there at any given time. Be careful to purchase one with at least a 30-day guarantee. They are robust devices for the most part, as there is one in my home lab that I've had for three years (when they were really expensive!), and it's never given me a bit of trouble.
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devi
In Part 2, of Designing a Trading System in MetaStock I covered how to code the first two of the four major components of a mechanical entry system. I had explained the coding of price and liquidity. In this article, I will cover the steps for coding the remaining two components, trend and volatility, into MetaStock. In the end, you will have the complete codes for a mechanical entry system.Let`s begin with trend identification. Remember, `the trend is your friend` when trading. You always want to trade with the trend, not against it. Think of it this way, if you were swimming in the sea, and got yourself caught in a rip tide, is it easier to swim with the current or against it? It is the same with trading with a trend.There are many ways to identify trends,
Let's take a look at one more important piece of lab equipment: the ISDN simulator. You can't just take a straight-through cable and connect your BRI interfaces directly. You need a device called an ISDN simulator to act as the phone company in your home network. The newer simulators let you set your own phone numbers and SPIDs; most older ones have a preset phone number and SPID that you must use. Either way, you get truly valuable experience getting hands-on work with ISDN, especially watching PAP and CHAP debugs and understanding the authentication process.
ISDN simulators can set you back a few bucks. I recommend you visit www.ebay.com and search for ISDN simulator?. There are generally 20 - 30 used ones on there at any given time. Be careful to purchase one with at least a 30-day guarantee. They are robust devices for the most part, as there is one in my home lab that I've had for three years (when they were really expensive!), and it's never given me a bit of trouble.
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devi
The idea of using life insurance to solve financial problems after death is almost as old as the hills. People have a tendency to approach this in a manner that can be described as too casual at times. Sometimes sufficient thought is not given to the impact on the family if the breadwinner, or breadwinners, do not own sufficient insurance to replace the incomes after death. It may be that people are so afraid of death that they develop some type of mental block. The amazing thing is that I see so many intelligent people who don't want to think about life insurance.I have spent over 40 years in this business and I have seen families in pure panic after the death of their father and husband. On the other hand I have seen a wife bury her husband with such dignity and a
There are many online vendors that will sell you a new one, but obviously the price is going to be higher. One company I've had good experiences with is www.vconsole.com. Make sure to shop around, as there are plenty of ISDN simulator manufacturers out there on the web. Vconsole is the only one I've purchased a new unit from, and the 10-port simulator I use in my classes has worked beautifully.
There is another piece of lab equipment that isn't necessary for your lab, but you'll find life is a lot easier with it. And just as the frame relay switch is really a router, so is this device: the access server.
Access servers are devices with an asynchronous port that an octal cable can connect to. What you do is connect your blue console cable (officially referred to as a -rollover cable-?) to the console port of your access server. You then take an octal cable, and connect one end of the cable to your Async port. The other end of the cable, as you'd expect from the name, consists of eight smaller RJ-45 connectors. Each one of those goes into the console port of one of your other lab devices, and you configure the access server to allow one-key access to each of the other devices in your practice lab.
The configuration of the access server is a simple one, and I'll have an example of configuring your access server and frame relay switch up later today.
Not everyone can start with a lab this size, so be careful when you buy your first routers. Make sure that they're not just giving you good practice now, but that they allow for future growth of your lab. As you add a frame relay switch, an ISDN simulator, and an access server, you'll get the hands-on experience you need to be successful on the job, acquire the self-confidence and troubleshooting skills needed in the testing room and on the job, and to solve any simulator question on your CCNA and CCNP exams with ease.
Have fun!
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