Layer 3 Cisco Switch for Lab

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Langly

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Hey All,

I am having trouble deciding on a Layer 3 switch for my labs. I am looking for something that is just cheap and does layer 3 switching that would carry me through my CCNP studying.

Really all I have found is 3550's for a price that I could get off ebay and elsewhere for cheap.

Do any of you guys have any other ideas for some cheaper cisco switches that I could maybe go for to try to add to my lab for later? Maybe a 12 port solution for a layer 3 switch that is cheap? I've been searching ebay and craigslist and digging around, but I'm open to any ideas.

I'm using 3750s here at work but I can't really afford those for myself and take any home :D

Thanks guys!
 
3550s are the minimum but you really need 3560s if you want to get into IPv6
 
Ugh 3560s are so much more expensive. Ill have to see if I can find some on CL or on some surplus sales around here
 
3550s should still be fine for the NP. You can do all your v6 stuff on routers (physical or virtual). As Matt said, they're the cheapest solution you'll find.

Edit: I should probably also mention that v6 isn't usually the big concern with the 3550s vs 3560s. The two main things would be QoS differences and lack of PVLAN support. Here's an explanation of the differences:

http://www.ine.com/resources/ccie-3560-3550.htm

Though, again, 3550s should be fine for the NP.
 
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thanks Vito, thats a cool link. I'm going to go ahead and shut this thread down, I've got my answer. Thanks guys!
 
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