Introduction
This post is meant to provide ideas, budgeting, and insight for a small lab. The switches and routers I am about to mention are some devices I have used in preparation for the CCNA exam. Packet tracer is great, but you will find limitations pretty quickly. Especially when you step into a live environment. A physical home lab may get expensive, but you do not need thousands of dollars to start one!
Disclaimer
I am not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cisco Systems, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. All references to Cisco products, technologies, or certifications are made strictly for educational and informational purposes.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links to third-party websites such as Amazon or eBay. If you choose to purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
All content provided in this post is intended for educational purposes only.
Budget Friendly Lab – (Less than $300)
The best budget friendy lab you can create with new/refurbished Cisco gear from amazon. As a reminder buying refurbished gear is the best way to build your home labs. First, you do not need to waste a lot of money on the newest gear, you need to understand concepts not cutting edge technology. Second, buying used helps you learn other steps like wiping switches and prepping them for use. This is something that you do daily as a network engineer.
pricess may change, current as: 6/13/26
What you need:
- Console Cable – $9.99
- L2 Switch – $94.99
- Router – $109.77
- CCNA Book – $63.99
- Total Cost – $278.74
Other Switches
The following are switches that I have used before. I own Each of these switches, and have created home labs with them. There are newer versions of the Catalyst 3560, but this version is perfect for beginners. These Layer 3 Switches are cheap and perfect for beginner labs.
Cisco Switch Calayst 3560 – 8 Port
This version of the Catalyst 3560 has 8 Ports. Perfect for a very small lab. (Cheapest)(silent)
Cisco Switch Catalyst 3560 – 12 Port
https://ebay.us/tPWvpYThis one comes with 4 extra ports, The price is a little bit higher because of that. Though it is still cheaper than the newer models! (moderate price)(silent)
Cisco Switch Catalyst 3560 – 24 Port
A full sized switch. Meaning, even though it has only 24 ports. It can fit in a rack without ears (brackets). (a bit more expensive, and loud)
Other Routers
The following routers are ones I own. These routers I have used for countless labs in combination with my current switches. Similar in size to the 12 port Catalyst 3560 Switch, making it Perfect for limited space, and for Beginners as well.
These 2 routers are similarly priced, and also have the same functionality. Either of these would work for a home lab.
Cisco Router 1700
Small Router
Cisco Router 1800
Small Router
Additional Lab Help
Once you get your hands on one of these devices (or multiple), you will need a Console Cable and a Laptop. From there you will be able to start your networking journey. From there you should attempt to complete some labs online. I will be creating weekly labs here for anyone that wants to use them. These labs will focus on multiple networking subjects. From DHCP to IPv6 configurations on a switch.
I will also go ahead and create one specifically for SCOR.