RTA Update October 2016 – Labs galore

Here is another RTA update for the month of October. This month is going by fast. The 2nd week has already completed and my nephew just turned 16. Over the past month, I have been working diligently on my certification training and technical classes. I have completed multiple labs, and I have successfully completed the LPI Linux Essential class with a 98.21.  Through this class I have learned new commands and skills that I didn’t really know before; in addition to honing the skills and commands I have used in the past.

I have taken the CCNP Switch exam and I have passed it with flying color. I received 94% on the test and I am very happy that I have done that well.  Now that I have passed this exam, I have the CCNP Route and Switch portion of the certification path completed. I am currently working on the T-SHOOT class. I have finished the the 10 chapters of the class. Now I am focusing on the labs which are very in depth and  complete.

The labs include complex networks with technologist spanning from Routing, Switching, First Hop Redundancy Protocols, Spanning Tree, EtherChannels, and more. In addition to the complex networks, I have to solve multiple trouble tickets per lab while following structured troubleshooting processes.  Once each ticket is completed I need to ensure documentation is complete and the issues are resolved. Overall it is going to be tedious but will allow me to hone the skills needed to troubleshoot complex networks.

Speaking of complex networks, I have been working on my own complex network in a GNS3 Lab environment. This network consists of 2 Enterprise Edge routers, 2 Core Routers, 2 Distribution Switches and 2 access layer switches in a redunant network with Dual homed internet connectivity.

Complex Lab

This lab spans multiple networking technologies. These technologies include Multi-Area OSPF, Full Mesh Core, Distribution and Access Layers, Hot Standby Redundancy Protocol, VLANS, VTP, Spanning-Tree Protocol with Specific Switches as Root Bridges for certain Vlans,  DHCP server, Trunks, and  route redistribution.

This lab is about 90% done with 6 hours of work. I have all of the network working for the internal network. I haven’t had the chance to do the Dual Homed Connection as I am tired and I will need to work on remembering the commands for BGP  and building a simulated internet in the cloud. Once that is done I will work on getting the dual homed connection working on the edge routers and work with iBGP between the edge and eBGP between the edge and the service provider.

Overall, I am very impressed with what I have designed and what I have accomplished with this lab. Needless to say, I still have more work to do on it, but I am confident it will work the way I need it to be.  This is excellent practice to keep honing your skills. On the down fall, GNS3 is limited when it comes to switching because of the nature of Switching Technologies as it is hard to emulate ASICS. With that said, I was unable to do certain things such as layer 3 etherchannels, switch port security and AAA, but I have a switching lab of physical hardware to practice that.

My Switching lab consists of two cisco 3550-48 switches with EMI Image, two 2950-24  switches with layer 2 image,  There is a cisco 2621xm Router, a cisco 1841 Router, A cisco 1811W router. Currently the routers are disconnected as I am still working out how I want them connected. This is because The 2621 and the 1841 have T1 wics in them, and I haven’t decided on the network topology. Once I do that I will post them here with what I have worked on.

Switch Lab

ciscohomelab

Overall I am very pleased with what I have accomplished. The next few months are going to be rough as the holidays are coming. I will be diligent in my studies and I am going to make sure my CCNP T-Shoot exam is passed by the end of Q1 in 2017. But for now, I must get going I have work I need to do.