NETLAB Professional Edition^® System Requirements

NETLAB Professional Edition^® includes a server appliance with Professional Edition software pre-installed.

• Please review the Annual maintenance options
• All other required items must be purchased separately:
  • Lab Equipment
  • Remote PCs (supported by some topologies)
  • Control Devices
    • Cisco Switches (for control)
    • Access Servers
    • Switched Outlets (APC)
  • Standard 19" rack
  • Ethernet, console, and serial cables
  • Power strips and surge protectors
• Connectivity:
  • LAN and Internet
  • Security and Firewall
  • Client
• Administrator Knowledge

Please review the details below.

Annual Maintenance

• Silver Support includes software updates and technical support.
• Gold Support includes software updates, technical support, server restoration and replacement.

Lab Equipment

Lab equipment is used for actual course work and includes routers, switches, firewalls, and PCs. Please review the specifications of supported lab devices.

Control Devices

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 NETLAB_AE and are not accessible or configurable by end users.

Remote PCs

Remote PCs are implemented by integrating with 3rd party virtualization products. The NETLAB_PE documentation library includes several guides with extensive detail on the implementation of virtualization with your NETLAB+ system.

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, NETLAB_PE should be placed on a public network or DMZ. If you plan to install a NETLAB_PE system behind a firewall, please review the following requirements carefully. Many steps have been taken to make NETLAB_PE 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:

• CSS, Connectivity and Firewall Considerations

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 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