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Network Topology

Physical Topology Diagram

Section titled “Physical Topology Diagram”
Hybrid Lab Network Topology Hybrid Lab Network Topology

Figure 1: The practice lab topology with collapsed core design.

Lab Topology

Section titled “Lab Topology”

The lab followed a hierarchical design (core / distribution / access) — not because a home lab needs it, but to practice real-world switching concepts on physical hardware.

  • Edge Gateway (GL.iNet): Upstream ISP connectivity and NAT for the lab.
  • Core Switch (Catalyst 3560-CX): Practiced Layer 3 inter-VLAN routing and SVIs.
  • Compute Node (HP t740): Proxmox hypervisor and EVE-NG, bridged to physical ports via multiple NICs.
  • Access Switch (Catalyst 2960): Practiced Layer 2 concepts (VLANs, trunking, STP). The FastEthernet 2960 would make no sense as real access for end devices — it was purely for practice.
  • Management Console: Out-of-band and in-band configuration workstation.

Practice VLAN Schema

Section titled “Practice VLAN Schema”

VLANs were used to separate traffic by function while practicing VLANs, trunking, and inter-VLAN routing. The Catalyst 3560-CX acted as the Layer 3 gateway using Switch Virtual Interfaces (SVIs).

  • Management VLAN: Dedicated subnet for switch management, Proxmox, and out-of-band access.
  • Lab VLANs: Isolated segments for EVE-NG bridges, LXC containers, and physical test endpoints.
  • 802.1Q trunking: Uplinks between the 3560-CX and 2960 carrying tagged VLANs.
  • EtherChannel / LACP: uplink aggregation practiced in EVE-NG topologies.

These were practice schemas, not fixed production configurations — they were rebuilt per lab. See the Labs & Topologies section for the diagrams used.