Topology Design for Routers Through the Lens of a Lab Exercise

Do you need two routers to practice routing commands for CCNA? Or do you really need 3 - or even 4? Likewise for CCNP, or one of the CCNA concentrations? And what topology do you need to use - which determines what interfaces to buy - so that you can test every function of every config option for that exam, and see the nuances that you might miss in a different topology? And what are those nuances in the first place? And what lab exercises should I use to learn all this? Well, you asked for it, and I liked the idea, so I'll blog it: some lab exercises that at the same time give us a backdrop to discuss lab topologies.

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