Cisco CCNA / CCNP Home Lab Tutorial: Planning Ahead For IE Study
Candidates preparing to pass the CCNP exams are putting together Cisco home labs like never before. With CCNA and CCNP home lab equipment more affordable than ever, candidates have realized the importance of working on real Cisco routers and switches on the way to earning their certifications.
One question I get often from CCNP candidates is goes something like this: “I’m planning on pursuing the CCIE after I get my CCNP. What kind of routers and switches should I buy now in order to use the same equipment in my CCIE home lab?”
This is going to sound strange coming from me, because I’m the #1 proponent of CCNA and CCNP candidates buying their own home labs. When it comes to the CCIE, though, I have to say that you’re probably better off using rack rentals instead of investing big money now to buy more expensive equipment with which to earn your CCNP.
There are plenty of 2500 and 2600 routers out there that you can buy to prepare fully for your CCNA and CCNP exams that may not have the capability needed for IE preparation. (For instance, while 2500...