How to spec out a server for your home IT lab

In this video, I go over some of the details I look for when I am shopping for a server. In the early days, it was the cheapest, now, I am looking for higher CPU core counts and optimal RAM capacity to run larger labs. Where are you gonna put this thing anyways? I cover that as well. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, let me know in the comments!

[EricK-uomj]

Don't forget to check the power requirements. On some of the bigger rack servers need multiple 220 volt power plugs, and that's normally not in a personal residence.

[outright]

Thanks again, Riker. Yeah, the Gamer PC was a suggestion since some of us have no possibilities to afford such a nice real hardware like the ones you just showed here. But yeah, totally CPU and RAM need to be the primary targets to allow the proper growing and scalability when creating complex topologies. I'm living in Brazil (I'm Chilean) and the hardware here is hard to get . Keep up the videos! Cheers!

[kevinnewman]

If you have space or noise considerations, I have had good luck with the Dell workstation lineup. I’ve built 2 machines on the T5810 platform and T7610. These let you use the same Xeon CPUs as the servers.

[terryzacharias]

Hey Rob, that was super helpful. I'm running eve-ng on a dedicated laptop (bare metal install) and want to move in this direction. When you have a chance, can you share your larger eve-ng VM specs and recommends? Thank you Sir!

[sorinmatei]

Thanks a lot Rob! I’m sure you’ve answered to a lots of questions

[TXNitroFord]

Hey Rob thanks for your content man, been following you for a couple years now. I have been down the training route too with Check Point via CBT Nuggets and Pluralsight courses of mine.

I’m getting heavier in the Cisco Security track as I support Cisco ISE, FTD, ASA‘s route/switch on the 9300 platform in my current role. I picked up a C220 and I was wondering can I run SSD drives on that or will they actually take a Sata Drive instead of the SAS?

Garland computers is in the DFW area actually not far from the Cisco campus that’s in Richardson and Garland Computers probably 5 miles from there I actually bought my last Dell R710 from there. I’m starting the CCIE security track now so would love any insight and help you can give me in getting this eve server up and running. The server I purchase has 128 gigs of ram but I’m ordering the upgrade next week to get it up to 256.

[ds]

Hi Rob, thank you for the video. How about the costs due to power consumption? How do you take that into consideration?

[laafawnduh]

Dude good video. Just the information I need to start learning.

[inspiringminds]

Thanks Rob! I've been running my vmware>Eve-ng off my gaming laptop, I'm able to load your sdwan lab and run everything, the laptop is silent! My laptop has 16 cores, 64gb ram so I can't run the biggest of labs but I can run enough for CCNA and CCNP.

[RomeoG]

hmm. my comment disappeared. Not sure what happened. Anyway, I mainly wanted to point out that the flash based CIMC on the older UCS servers I don't think is really a problem. I believe you can access all of the same settings (from what I can see) between SSHing to the CIMC IP address, and/or using the Java KVM console (with which you can access the BIOS). Of course, aside from those 2 which allow full remote access, you can always access those settings with keyboard and monitor.

[zadkieladdae]

Dell r810 or r820 is what am visioning.