When it comes to learning and getting started with Cisco there are some tools that will help out a lot like Packet Tracer, GNS3 and other emulators. These are great tools for that “simulation” of hands on learning, but you can’t always stay in that area. I find it best to get hands on with “real” Cisco Gear and so with this post I’ll go through my current setup of what I have and ask that question when it is a good time to get a lab? Just because you may want to get a lab that does not guarantee you’ll actually learn and or pass. Continue reading
Category Archives: Software
What is the Nexus 1000v?
I have worked with the Nexus 1000v product and wanted to share my thoughts on it. I want to explain in this blog what this product is and what it does. The Nexus 1000v can be virtual or a hardware appliance and is considered to be a virtual switch that runs in VMware. The major benefit to this product is the visibly you get when running in a virtual environment. Remember in the virtual environment the network engineer has a cloudy vision of what’s going, because the built-in switch within VMware does not get that technical it just works. This is fine for most people but not all, especially the network technicians we want that visibly and the Nexus 1000v does that and more! Continue reading
Trunking Administrative Modes
When looking at the CCNA it is good idea to get a hold of trunking between switches along with that there are a couple of administrative modes that each physical interface on Cisco switch can be when you are trunking between them. Remember that when we are trunking it usually carries all VLANs (This can be changed) but there are different ways to make trunking between links happen. Continue reading
How to Configure SSH on Dell Power-Connect
Although not dealing with Cisco directly Dell switches are around in network closets and with my limited experience with them I thought this would be a perfect blog post to show the differences between Dell and Cisco. I like to think of Dell CLI like a dumb downed version of the Cisco CLI so I had some time to play around with a Dell 6248P switch and wanted to figure out how to get SSH working in the thing. Couple searches around the web and some guess and check methods I was able to get SSH working and disable telnet sessions from connecting to the switch. Compared to a Cisco switch dell has few commands when configuring SSH. This switch was configured with an IP address and user name and passwords before I touched it but I don’t think would too hard to figure out. 
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The Middle of Layer Two Redundancy
In the month of August I talked about the “beginnings” of layer two redundancy mainly looking at the basic foundations and fundamentals of having layer two redundancy. Let’s continue are discussion about redundancy in the layer two environment. Continue reading
