[HELP] Which Cisco Routers have a GUI.. ?

MrGuvernment

MrGuvernment

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Aug 3, 2004
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Hey all,


question, obviosuly :)

I recall most cisco routers having to use consoles and such to connect, and you have to know so many command to set it up.


Which cisco routers have a GUI intereface like most consumer level routers?

Is it pendant on the IOS version ?

does the cisco 2501 allow a GUI to set up and handle the router?

Cisco is failry new stuff to me, but in our office


This is for a T1 and currently we have a cisco 1800 i beleive and basically the 2 people in charge of it, really, dont know what they are doing.

So i wanted to simplfy it, instead of me taking some cisco courses, just be able to GUI to handle it, and learn from there as i go.

Iam looking on Ebay and many CC* test set ups are being sold for decent prices.

Any recommendations for a sub, mm, $300 cisco router to handle a T1 and has a GUI configuration ?
 
I hate to break it to you but all Cisco routers are command line. That's just becuase the IOS is command line. Sorry :(

I have came across switchs that were'nt GIU but had a menu based IOS. Like press "4" to setup ports (1-12). Press "3" to go to escape to main menu. As far as I know there isn't a menu based IOS for routers.

I can recommend CBT Nuggets Cisco CCNA learning guide. It's actually a CD with movies that show you actually how to work the IOS and configure both routers and switches. Cost is around 250$, so it's not cheap. I was in school for a year and a half working on my CCNA so I can't blame you wanting to skip all that. ;)
 
There are web-based GUI's for switches and if you use an external tool, you can also manage your routers with a web-based GUI, but the routers themselves don't have a GUI. Its either the CLI (command line interface) or the menu interface, in which you press a single key to pick from a list of options. The menu interface doesn't let you "do" everything though, so it's not as good.

If you want to configure your router, you're best picking up a good cisco book. I'm not sure what your experience with routers has been thus far, so I don't know if you could just use the book as a reference tool. Since you're going to have to use the CLI at some point, you should really just read the book. I'd recommend the CCNA book by Mc-Graw-Hill/Osborne. I've read several, and out of the ones I've seen, I hated the Cisco Press books the most. Ironically, I also found them to be the most inaccurate.
 
darn - spoiled by GIU's..lol


k, i shall look into that cd and the book - my experience with routers is pretty much limited to consumer level and entry level Netgear high speed routers - all GUI based.


With the web based options, do yo know of any companies? Even if it is limited - i could learn what i need to get the router working and then use the web interface to monitor it ?


Would a 2501 be a good router for me to buy to use as a tedt bed?

Ebay has some for $50 - does this have what i would need to hook it upto my cable modem? or will that not work ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-2501-Rout...730627151QQcategoryZ28033QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


The help os much appreciated, this is all a new thing for me :D
 
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For home use, I suppose any model would be okay, as most of the typical commands have not changed. However, the 2500 series and 2600 series have been discontinued and are considered "end of life" products. So no new IOS versions will be released for those, and no support or maintenance is available for them. So if you want the ability to use the latest IOS, pick a model from ebay that is not on this list:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/prod_end_of_life.html

Side note:
When I went for my CCNA, like my other certifications, I didn't go through any schooling. I read as many books as I could find, took the practice tests at the end of the chapters, and played with the equipment. Some can do this, some cant... so you might give that a whirl. Personally, I consider so-called "bootcamps" worthless and those who take them should be stripped of their certs. They teach people the test and not the technology. Those people ruin the certs for the rest of us. Of the ones I have (CCNA, MCSA, MCP, A+, Network+) the CCNA is the only one that is still considered somewhat legitimate; because of those bootcamps.
 
yeah, iam definetly a hand on guy and not a sit in front of a teacher and read a book - sure a book and the router in hand - is the way to go - why i dropped out of school.

This would actually be put into place for our office - it has both a T1 and a 1mb up/down cable line.

i was thinking the 2500 for me to practice on, for $45 - cant go wrong really?

but does the 2500 support a cable connection, becuase thatis whati would be using as my internet connection to test on, since our T1 is set for some hosting items i cant se that to "play" with.

i will check ebay for other models still supported.

Does the IOS software varymuch between new versions? or does most of it stay the same, in terms of menu's and appearence and finding things?
 
Voltron said:
Not sure I know what you mean by "tedt bed". Since your going to be working off a T1 I would suggest a 1700 series with a built in CSU/DSU. The 1700 also has 10/100 port (fast ethernet). Instead of the 10mb port on the 2501.

example:http://cgi.ebay.com/CISCO-1700-seri...ryZ67322QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Click to expand...

Sorry, i meant Test bed - something to test and work with to get familiar with the IOS software such.

We actually havea 1700 right now for our T1 and it really doesnt seem to be that fantastic from what i have read or heard about it and it lacks many features better models have.

Iguess the 2500 would be bad for the T1 - 1.5mb vs 1MB more or less

i was just thinking something cheap to get to know. :)
 
As an eBay Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Yes, any of the routers with an Ethernet interface would support a cable modem. The cable modem connects to pc's via Ethernet, and that is how it would connect to the Cisco Router. You would simply need to configure the ip address if your ISP provides a static (or if the modem provides an internal address) and set the bandwidth of the connection. It is also possible for it to grab a dynamic address if the ISP provides dynamic addressing and the cable modem passes that on (no NAT).

You will still want to get a T1 CSU/DSU card as that is much different to configure than ethernet. You won't be able to test it without the line of course, but you can see the other options, etc.

Actually some of the virtual router apps are pretty good for playing with. They can emulate a router and respond to commands as if circuits are connected to it. I've used some of those in the past for lab practice... there are free ones out there too.
 
Your right, 45$ isn't bad but I've seen cheaper. Yes, you can use a cable modem with the 2501 but, you have to remember that it only has 1 ethernet port and that would be used as your inbound connection (cable modem). There would be no outbound from there, so you couldnt hook your computers of to the router.

You can get a 2514 which is in the same 2500 family but has two ethernet ports. You can use one for inbound and foward internet outbound out the other. This would take awhile to learn to do but, that's what your wanting to do right, learn it. :D

You can also have the on that is outbound go into a switch and feed as many Pc's as you want.

You will notice the 1700 doesn't have the serial connection, instead it uses the T1 connection. That is really the only differance.

As for learning the IOS, they are all pretty much the same. Some are Enterprise some are lower level but that all have the same command structure and feel.
 
thanks for the info,

didint realize the 2500 only had 1 port, but now i recall an old one we had , we had to buy an adapter togive it the 2nd port out.....


guess i got's lots of readying and looking around to do :)

will look for a router with 2 eth, on it, then i can use thatfor myself anyways :D
 
CCNA book by Mc-Graw-Hill/Osborne.
Click to expand...

Would this book dor for a complete new person to cisco routers? or might there be something else which would work best as an "idiots" guide, but not too "idiots" guide as i abosrb well when interested in something.
 
Why not try using the free guides and documentation Cisco has on their webpage first, before spending money on books?

Homepage for all Cisco Documentation
Example: IOS 12.4 Documentation

If you do want to learn IOS, Under the "Configuration Guides" I'd start with "Configuration Fundementals Configuration Guide" for a basic overview of the command line and understand all the different prompts and modes. Afterwards, move on to "Interface and Hardware Component Configuration Guide" for setting up ports. From there, just pick and choose based on what you need.

Theres also a bunch of free guides people put together on the internet. Use Google or Yahoo.
 
The Cisco Soho 91 has a gui with their new CRWS system. I bought one and I have to say...it sucks. The gui hangs/crashes the browser every time I set something. I did eventually get it to work, but I had to call up Cisco to figure out how to get into the console and reset everything.
 
Cisco does actually have a GUI, but it's only functional on their newer product line (IIRC). I've never taken a Cisco course but I managed to set up an 1841 with all the goodies (vlans, vpn, etc) in a few days with reading around online and using the Smartnet subscription to its fullest.

You can check out Cisco's GUI (it's called SDM, Security Device Manager or something like that) at www.cisco.com/go/sdm

I like it becauase it makes making access lists and such a lot easier -- but for core configuration, you still have to go console.
 
good old documentation :d, i always forget about that stuff, thanks SCSI for the links, give me something to do tonight, and thanks for the other input guys, or gals :d
 
I am pretty sure lots of them have the ability for a gui, but it must be activated in the IOS iirc. I am pretty sure our WAN guys disable it due to paranoia ;)
 
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