NETLAB Academy Edition® System Requirements
NETLAB Academy Edition® includes a server appliance with Academy Edition software pre-installed.
NDG NETLAB+ Appliance.
- Annual maintenance is required, and is included in the first year.
-
All other required items must be purchased separately:
- Lab Equipment
- Remote PCs (supported by some topologies)
- Control Devices
- Standard 19" rack
- Ethernet, console, and serial cables
- Power strips and surge protectors
- Connectivity:
- Administrator Knowledge
Please review the details below.
Annual Maintenance
The required annual maintenance fee covers the cost of technical support and software updates.
- Annual maintenance is included in the first year.
- NETLABAE must keep pace with new curriculum, labs, hardware, IOS images, PC operating systems and system security patches.
- NDG is firmly committed to supporting the dynamic nature of the Academy program, which requires a continuous investment by NDG in both labor and equipment.
Please review the Annual Maintenance FAQ for more information.
Lab Equipment
Lab equipment is used for actual course work and includes routers, switches, firewalls, and PCs. Please review the NETLABAE supported lab topologies and supported lab devices.
Lab Equipment Selection Guidelines
- Supported curriculum selection: Determine the supported curriculum your organization plans to offer.
-
Determine the topologies required for each lab: Select the
labs you wish to offer for each curriculum. The detail pages for
each course (see step a) include a Supported Lab List, which
lists the topology types required for each lab.
Example:
The Multi-purpose Academy Pod (MAP) may be used for all CCNA Security Labs The CCNA Security lab page also indicates that several other topologies may be used to support many of the labs, if router memory is upgraded. NDG provides compatibility to use older equipment topologies whenever possible. - See the equipment requirements for each selected topology: Details on required equipment for each topology are in inluded on each topology page.
Control Devices
NETLAB+ Control Plane
Control devices provide internal connectivity, console access, and managed power.
- Control switches provide internal Ethernet connections.
- Access servers provide console connections.
- Switched outlet devices provide automated power distribution and control.
Control devices are dynamically managed by NETLABAE and are not accessible or configurable by end users.
Remote PCs
Some NETLABAE lab topologies support remotely accessible PCs.
Remote PCs are implemented by integrating with 3rd party virtualization products. The NETLABAE documentation library includes several guides with extensive detail on the implementation of virtualization with your NETLAB+ system.
Some pods also support hardware PCs, but with several limitations.
Please refer to the pod-specific pages, videos, and documentation guides to determine the remote PC options supported by each topology.
Learn more about Remote PC Support >
LAN and Internet Connectivity
- 10/100 Ethernet LAN Connection, please review the LAN/Internet Connectivity FAQ section.
- Internet access (T1/DSL/Cable, 500 Kb/s +)
- Fixed static IP address (DHCP is not supported)
- Firewall, see security and firewall requirements
Security and Firewall
Ideally, NETLABAE should be placed on a public network or DMZ. If you plan to install a NETLABAE system behind a firewall, please review the following requirements carefully. Many steps have been taken to make NETLABAE secure and firewall friendly. However, some firewall changes may be necessary to meet the requirements.
We recognize that most sites may need approval from a network security administrator. To assist with this process, please refer to the following documents:
The security and firewall requirements are part of the "Designated Operating Environment" defined in the license agreement. By agreeing to the license, you agree to meet these requirements.
Client Requirements
| Required Browser Plugins | Option Selection |
|---|---|
| Java™ | Enabled (IE users see below) |
| JavaScript | Enabled |
| Cookies | Enabled (for this site) |
| Popup Windows | Enabled (disable popup blockers for this site) |
| Supported Browsers | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Internet Explorer (Windows) | 7, 8 | Supported |
| Firefox | 2, 3 | Supported |
A Java plug-in is required. You can obtain Java at java.sun.com.
Administrator Knowledge
- Cisco Networking Academy Instructor
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (recommended)
- Installing and connecting Cisco devices
- Downloading and installing Cisco IOS software images
- Cisco IOS command line interface and basic configuration tasks