You might be building a home lab if you are studying for the CCNP R&S exam, or simply trying to improve your networking skills. You might be surprised to learn that building a cheap CCNP home lab can be difficult.
Cisco expert Jeremy Cioara proved that it is possible to create a cost-effective and affordable home lab. Here are some valuable tips on the equipment that you will need to set up your Routing & Switching home laboratory.
What is the best way to learn about GNS3 and Cisco VIRL? Once you have practiced by doing, then you can move on to practicing with GNS3 or VIRL. Don’t miss this chance to learn by doing! Make your own lab! Convert your home to a network kingdom. The only difference between your bedroom (and a cubical) is the height of your walls and the likely position of your bed.
Learn how to become a security expert with SPOTO’s Cybersecurity Training
Start trainingVirtual and physical lab environments are great learning environments.
What equipment do you need? It can be difficult to choose the right equipment for a CCNP lab at home. Jeremy recommends these pieces.
Cisco 3550 ($20-60) x2 – Solid Layer 3 Switch that provides all the capabilities needed for a CCNP home laboratory.

Cisco 2600xm (2611 and 2621) ($35-$100 x2) – A perfect router with strong features to support a CCNP laboratory.

Cisco 3620/3640 ($20-50) x1 – Great frame relay switch or central office hub.

Cisco 1841 (from $20 to $50) x2 – A cost-effective method for an Integrated Service Router, (ISR).

Compare prices and shop around. There are many great deals online, including prepackaged bundles.
Other miscellaneous equipment
Serial cables
Ethernet cables
Serial ports (WIC-1T).
Serial modules (NM 4A/S)

What else do I need? A mission! Make a plan with steps and steps you want to take. Establish a home network. This is a great place to begin, all you need are a router and a switch. Another goal is to watch SPOTO training and then complete the labs exactly as in the videos. Once you feel comfortable creating network environments on physical gear, you can start practicing VIRL and GNS3 to create lab environments that are larger than your home.
You can combine Jeremy’s CCNP tips and our other home laboratory training:
Anthony Sequeira’s Cisco VIRL Training
Keith Barker’s WireShark training and GNS3 training to CCNA
Jeremy’s CCNA Home Lab Training
Don’t miss the recent webinar with Jeremy, Building a Technology Lab – The Mindset.
Have fun and practice the CCNP!
Download
Are you not a SPOTO subscriber yet? Start your week-long free trial now.
SPOTO offers everything you need to improve your IT skills and advance in your career: unlimited video training and Practice exams, Virtual Labs and validated learning with in–video Quizzes, Accountability coaching, and access to our exclusive IT professionals community.