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New Community Lab Gear
By stretch | Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 12:40 a.m. UTC
I'm happy to announce that, thanks to a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, the community lab has gone wireless! Well, it at least has a wireless access point now: a Cisco Aironet 1232AG. This is a "thick" IOS-based AP which can be configured via console and operates independently of a central controller.
The AP has been added to device block B (console port 7) and attached to interface GigabitEthernet0/11 on S2 (a Catalyst 3560). The AP receives power from the switch via Cisco Inline Power (ILP), which affords lab users additional opportunity to experiment with PoE functional. The lab also has two PoE-powered IP phones currently connected to S2.
Now seems like an appropriate time to ask what else you'd all like to see added to the lab. Thanks to many generous donors, we currently have $876.32 USD to be used to acquire additional or upgraded lab equipment. While some gear has been commercially sponsored (thanks Opengear and Force10!) or donated, most of it was acquired the old fashioned way: with cash.
While I make occasionally small lab purchases of cables, WICs, and so forth on my own, it seems like we might be gearing up for one or two big-ticket additions to the lab. So, what would you like to see added? Keep in mind that we have limited remote console availability, rack space, and power: There's room for a bit more, but we can't add too much new gear without taking some out.
Is there something you'd like to see added now? Would you prefer to wait until we've collected more donations? Share your opinion in the comments!
Posted in Announcements
Comments
August 10, 2011 at 2:37 a.m. UTC
Awesome! Ever since I bought my switches I haven't used the lab very much. I'm definitively going to try and play with that AP.
As a suggestion, what do you think about a CME router to go with those IP phones? I'm not really an IPT guy, but I think one would need it to route calls between the phones, right?
Thank you very much, Stretch! (and thank you all the donors!)
August 10, 2011 at 8:57 a.m. UTC
Is $876.32 enough for a Nexus architecture with N7k, N5k & N2k ? :) Ok, I'm going out..
August 10, 2011 at 12:57 p.m. UTC
wireless LAN controller?
August 10, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. UTC
You could get a Juniper SSG 20 for about that much.
August 10, 2011 at 3:03 p.m. UTC
Excellent news,maybe a Juniper router or firewall to see the interaction with Cisco.
August 10, 2011 at 3:10 p.m. UTC
A Juniper device would be awesome. Maybe an EX2200 switch.
August 10, 2011 at 4:34 p.m. UTC
A Juniper is good choice definitely.
August 10, 2011 at 5:46 p.m. UTC
I vote we wait until more money is collected. Maybe get a sponsorship from Cisco for something used in the 4000 range or nexus?
August 10, 2011 at 7:11 p.m. UTC
Some equipment from Juniper will be best.
August 12, 2011 at 9:29 a.m. UTC
How about some Linux box? That could be really useful f.e. as a packet generator, RADIUS server (802.1x, PPP, ...) and so on.
The management (preventing people from crushing the system) could be a challange but that should be solveable if the system is running a fixed configuration which will be restored during a power cycle...
August 12, 2011 at 3:55 p.m. UTC
@Christoph
Excellent suggestion!
August 12, 2011 at 5:55 p.m. UTC
What about adding three backbone routers so you have a fullfeatured ccie r&s lab? the bb-routers can be some 2600 :-)
August 13, 2011 at 3:31 p.m. UTC
This AP is very good .
August 17, 2011 at 12:26 a.m. UTC
Great! Adding a cisco AIR-WLC 2106 someday would be awesome!
August 17, 2011 at 7:23 p.m. UTC
I think that a UNIX Server would be cool. RADIUS, 802.1x, Tshark...
would be also cool if Cisco IOU v4 could run on it.
August 20, 2011 at 7:39 p.m. UTC
Please add a Juniper Netscreen (SSG) device. There are no simulators/emulators/CBTs at all for that platform making it really difficult to get any sort of hands-on experience.
Thanks Jeremy for all that you do.
August 23, 2011 at 8:13 p.m. UTC
I think the addition of a 2106 WLC would be awesome along with an LWAP. If that's too much, add another wireless bridge for the Cisco Aironet 1232AG to communicate with.
August 29, 2011 at 9:25 p.m. UTC
I agree with the addition of Juniper equipment, its too expensive to purchase for home labs (for some folks)
I'm sure a sponsorship from cisco could be good as well :)
September 15, 2011 at 7:24 a.m. UTC
How about an Adtran 1335 all-in-one and maybe an a small 3430?