Author: Valter Popeskic

INE v5 Full-Scale Practice Lab1 TS GNS3 topology

Few days ago I added an article with Config GNS3 topology for newly published INE Routing and Switching Workbook v5 Full-Scale LAB1. Here’s now the topology with starting config of TS section for LAB1.

I will not insert here any of my stories today as the same article was published before but with other topology files so if you would like more info, just go to previous post INE R&Sv5 Workbook Full-Scale Practice Lab1 made in GNS3

LAB1 TS WBv5

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When they throw a Cisco guy to do something with HP networking gear

…There’s a nice little pdf to get you through

UPDATE on 13 Nov 2015:
It was a real pleasure to have Jeff Carell joining in with a comment about an updated version of “HP Networking and Cisco CLI Reference Guide”. Jeff is the author of “Guide to TCP/IP 4th Ed”, a great network fellow and IPv6 enthusiast whose work on informing the community about networking technology is greatly appreciated by the author of this blog. Link is added to the end of the post. Thanks Jeff.

HP is aware that most of networking engineers start their learning process in Cisco Networking Academy. Is is a normal course of events if you want to learn networking. Cisco has the very best study materials and best, carefully developed syllabus that is both high quality and most detailed in the world of networking. Not to mention the high reputation that engineers get with Cisco certificates standing by their names.

Cisco CLI

On the other hand, when you take an average mid-size business customer today you will probably see that he is mostly concerned about the price and not so much about the feature-set and robustness of IT equipment. And there you have your situation in which customer decides to go with HP rather than Cisco gear in their communication closet.

INE R&Sv5 Workbook Full-Scale Practice Lab1 made in GNS3

UPDATE on 27 Dec 2016:
This post was updated in order to include Tom’s reply in the comments mentioning opening errors with GNS3 for MAC
UPDATE on 21 Jul 2015:
This post was updated on 21th of July 2015 with GNS3 version 1.3.7 INE  Full-Scale Practice Lab1 download. Just scroll to the bottom for download link..

 

Yesterday INE finally added a Full-Scale LAB in their new CCIE Route and Switching blueprint 5 workbook.
I realized this morning that you maybe don’t want to spend half of your day (like me) configuring this topology in GNS3. Better to just take it from here and start your lab right away.

In my study process for the last year I made almost all my labs from INE on GNS3. In that way I was able to run the labs for more days in a row and not think about the money I would spent on rack rentals. Of course, you will still need some rack rentals particularly for troubleshooting sessions. For troubleshooting you need preconfigured rack because if you configure those topologies by yourself there is a big chance that you will see ticket answers and that will break the point of troubleshooting study process.

All my config sessions were done on GNS3 and this one in the next few days will be also done in GNS3. If you want to spare some time and get the topology ready, up and running in few minutes you can download it at the end of this article.

INEv5GNS3

Read more and download files!

What is the difference between tunnel | transport mode in IPsec

Intro

IPsec makes VPN connection possible. I enables to simulate a leased line across public Internet and thus enable us to get secure connection across unsecured environment. It enables encryption, authentication and protection of our data when sent across insecurity of the world’s biggest internetwork – Internet.

It’s the cheap way to simulate a leased line, the way to send private data across the public network without compromising privacy. The goal of IPsec is to secure services and lower the cost of data transfer. Try to compare it to pricing of data transfers across dark cables / leased lines.

There are two parts of IPsec security suite
– ESP – Encapsulating Security Payload
– AH – Authentication Header

Based on our situation we can configure two different modes of operation and here we are to make the things clear about the differences and the technology behind those modes.

IPSec Transport Mode and Tunnel Mode

/31 subnet in point-to-point links. Is that possible?

subnet /31

Ok, this is strange! At least this was my first reaction when I saw that in one of my CCIE labs that I am trying to resolve all the links between routers are addresses with a subnet /31.

Isn’t that weird that something like this you see for this first time after couple of years in networking. For me it was. It blow my mind out. I asked my more experienced networking colleagues later but for them it seemed new too. They said at first: Ok men, that’s not possible!

Well, try to type it on router interface and you will se that it is possible. It strange for sure, but it’s possible. Router OS (Cisco IOS in this case) will try to be sure that you will use this kind of subneting only for Point-to-point links. That’s why it will issue a warning message if you apply this subnet mask on an Ethernet interface. For serial it will go without the warning.

The idea behind this is of course simple if you put it this way: