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Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Routing On A Frame Relay Switch |
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When you're preparing for CCNA and CCNP exam success, the
best investment you can make is to put together your own home
lab. There is no better way to learn Cisco technologies and
prepare for the CCNA, BSCI, BCMSN, CIT, and other exams than
by working with the many protocols and services you'll need
to master in order to pass the exams.
One of the most popular articles I've written over the few
years dealt with buying and configuring a Cisco router as
a frame relay switch. That article is still available on many
websites (including my own), but I want to remind you that
just because you configure a router as a frame relay switch,
that doesn't mean you can't use it as a home lab router, too!
The global command "frame-relay switching" allows
a Cisco router such as a 2520 or 4000 to perform just that,
frame relay switching, but this command doesn't disable IP
routing. Depending on the router model you use, you will most
likely have some extra serial connectors as well as an ethernet
port that you can use with your other routers in your home
lab.
Let's say you have a 2520 router as your frame relay switch.
This switch has four serial ports and an AUI port. You could
connect to up to four routers to the 2520's serial ports in
order to serve as the frame relay switch for those other routers,
and still assign an IP address to the ethernet port and run
a routing protocol on the 2520. If you're connecting to less
than four other routers as the frame relay switch, you can
assign IP addresses to the leftover serial ports as well.
A frame relay switch is a tremendous addition to a CCNA /
CCNP home lab, and if you use it as both a frame switch and
a router, you get double the bang for your home lab buck!
About the Author:
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage,
home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study
Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass
The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit
the website and download your free copies. You can also get
FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA
exam with The Bryant Advantage!
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Need Cisco Hardware for your Cert? |
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| Call 813.852.6400 now for more information to find the best router or switch to best help you with your certification exam. Having "real" hands-on experience is extremely beneficial not just for testing, but also ensures you are actually familiar with the device you are working on.
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