Community Lab FAQ
Administrivia
If the lab is free, why do I need to register?
Member registration is required to create reservations and manage lab access in a sensible manner. Site registration is free and requires only a valid email address.
Can I create multiple or recurring reservations?
No, a user can only create a new reservation once any existing active reservation of his has expired or been deleted. This is done to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to reserve the lab.
How do I change my reservation?
Delete it and create a new one. To delete your reservation, go to the lab schedule and click the link at bottom to view your current reservation. (If you see the reservation form, you have no active reservation.) Click the "delete" button at the bottom of your reservation page to delete the reservation.
Lab Access
How is access to the lab achieved?
The console port of each lab device has been connected to an Opengear CM4116 console server. The Opengear server is accessed via Telnet and/or SSH on the TCP ports corresponding to the desired console links (for example, telneting to port 2008 establishes a connection to the console port of the device plugged in to port 8 on the console server).
Why can't I access the lab?
If you can't seem to access the lab, be sure to check the following:
- You've selected the right port for your protocol of choice (20XX for Telnet, 30XX for SSH). Also consider trying the other protocol (e.g. try Telnet if you've been trying SSH).
- packetlife.dnsalias.net resolves properly (if not, try querying it against a different name server like OpenDNS (208.67.220.220) instead of your ISP's).
- Is your connection timing out (no response) or is it being actively rejected (TCP RST or ICMP "administratively prohibited" response)? Either of these could indicate traffic is being filtered at your end, especially if attempting to access the lab from a corporate network.
How can I power-cycle devices?
While connected via Telnet, type ~p to invoke the power menu. If connected via SSH, type ~~p (with two tildes instead of one). (If the text '~p' or '~~p' simply appears on the console, hit enter and type it again.) Type R (note that it must be a capital R) and enter to power-cycle the current device, then type . (period) and enter to return to the console.
How do I send the break signal?
A break signal is needed when performing password recovery after power-cycling a device. To send a break via Telnet, hit enter and type ~b. To send a break via SSH, hit enter and type ~~b. If performing multiple breaks in succession, be sure to hit enter each time to ensure the character sequence is properly escaped.
Can I use ASDM or CCP to configure devices?
Not at this time. The lab devices are logically and physically gapped from the Internet except for the serial console connections. ASDM and other GUI tools require IP connectivity from the workstation to the device being managed, which is not available.
Errors
Why did I receive the error message, "Abusive command detected?"
Several safeguards have been configured in the lab's console server to mitigate accidental corruption or deletion of the boot image(s) on each device. Examples of commands which ARE NOT PERMITTED include:
copy run <custom filename>deleteeraseformat
copy running-config startup-config and copy startup-config running-config are allowed.
Trivia
Where is the lab physically located?
Currently, the lab is hosted out of stretch's apartment in Fairfax, VA, US (on the edge of the Washington, DC metro area).
How much does it cost to power the lab?
About $25-30/mo, not factoring in the cost of air conditioning during the warmer months. Donations are appreciated to help cover this cost.
