Cisco lab help with routers and routing

[whiteford]

Hi,

I am trying to set up a home lab. I have 2 x 2600 routers both with 2 x WIC-1T cards and a Cisco 1600 with a WIC-1T card and a 1721 with a Wic-1T card (but I might ba able to fir another).

Now for a home lab I want to test RIPv1 and V2 and OSPF, EIGRP, I think 3 routers will be enough. But do I need to 2 serial ports on each router for this, and if so, how many DCE/DTE crossover cables would I need?

Many thanks as I just want to get the equipment ready then start my CCNA study on this area.

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Andy,

>> how many DCE/DTE crossover cables would I need?

one DTE V.35 cable and one DCE V.35 cable for each link a full mesh of three routers is

3(3-1)/2 = 3

the cisco cables have a proprietary connector on the router side on the other end you can have a V.35 DCE (female) providing clock and a V.35 DTE that can be joined together to form the connection.

you will need to provide the clock on the serial where the DCE cable is connected

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[whiteford]

Hi Giuseppe,

1.) So is that 3 DTE/DCE crossover cables?

2.) So I only ned to use one serial WIC-1T card on each router?

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Andy,

1) 3 DTE and 3 DCE cables (no crossover here in V.35)

2) two serial interfaces for each router are needed for the full mesh if you have less you can make one router to have two serials and the others one.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[whiteford]

Sorry for the confusion it's just my teaccher said, you could have 1 DTE cable and connect it to a router and fix a DCE cable to the end of the DTE cable (to reverse it) and put in your other routers serial port?

Or

Buy a DTE/DCE crossover to do the same job?

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Andy,

no problem give a look at the following

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_note09186a00801f5d8e.shtml

the setup is the following:

routerA ---Cisco 60pin --- V.35DCE || -- V.35 DTE ---- Cisco 60 pin --- routerB

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[whiteford]

Hi,

I think that is the same as a DB60 crossover cable (DCE-DTE), look at the cables on many over these labs to buy:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CISCO-CCNA-Router-Switch-Lab-2610-2500-2600-2924-CCNP_W0QQitemZ290259791485QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290259791485&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1308&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Andy,

you are right I always used the DB60 to V.35 cables in the last 10 years because these are the cables to connect to a a modem DCE3.

So, yes 3 of these so called cross-over cables are enough for your setup

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[whiteford]

Hi,

1.) In your experience what lab scenarios can I create with have these 3 routers, I know I can test IP routing protocols like RIPv1 v2, OSPF etc, but I keep hearing about frame relay labs etc, what is this? Is it simulating the internet or something?

2.) And is it possible to simulate a VPN with my 2 cisco 2620 routers with 2 x WIC-1T cards or do I need 2 ethernet ports?

Thanks