Ten hands-on BGP labs — eBGP/iBGP peering, advertisement, path attributes, route filtering, and troubleshooting — on CML free-tier (5 nodes or fewer).
Build your first external BGP (eBGP) peering between two routers in different autonomous systems over a /30 point-to-point link and exchange one /24 prefix from each side using Loopback0. The topology is intentionally small yet realistic, with two edge routers (AS 65001 and AS 65002) and three Alpine hosts for basic reachability checks and operator context. You will configure deterministic BGP neighbors, originate prefixes with exact-match network statements, and validate reachability and route installation using standard IOS and Linux tools. This is Lab 1 of 10 in the CCNP-aligned BGP Fundamentals series and sets the foundation for later labs on iBGP, route filtering, and path selection.
View lab detailsConfigure eBGP between two routers and originate select connected /24s using the exact-match 'network ... mask' command. Verify that only the intended prefixes are advertised and learned by the neighbor, and use host-based tests to confirm reachability to the advertised networks. This beginner CCNP lab reinforces that the BGP network statement only advertises a route if an exact match exists in the RIB, and that the 'mask' keyword is mandatory for non-classful advertisements.
View lab detailsBuild an internal BGP (iBGP) peering between two IOS routers in the same AS over stable Loopback0 addresses, with OSPF providing loopback reachability. Each router originates a /24 from Loopback1 into BGP, and next-hop/peering behavior is validated from end hosts. This lab emphasizes the deterministic neighbor configuration (remote-as, update-source Loopback0, router-id) and exact-match network origination, supported by a minimal, secure OSPF core.
10 hands-on, auto-graded CCNP labs spanning 20 topics — each one a real Cisco Modeling Labs scenario you build on Cisco IOS. It's a one-time $29.99 and every lab is yours to keep forever.
A one-time purchase — $29.99. Buy once and own every lab in the bundle permanently; it's separate from the daily-lab subscription, so there's nothing recurring.
Yes — each lab is a Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) topology you import and build on real Cisco IOS, and the CML free tier is enough. You download the topology and lab guide, then build it yourself.
Every lab ships as a problem to solve. You build it in CML, then submit your config to grade it against the answer key — you get a pass/fail on each objective, so you know exactly what's right and what to fix instead of guessing.
CCNP. The labs are sequenced to build the hands-on configuration and troubleshooting skills CCNP candidates are expected to demonstrate on real gear.
In this CCNP-level lab (BGP Fundamentals Lab 4/10), you will build a small, realistic transit-AS scenario: an external route learned by R1 via eBGP from AS 65003 must be carried across iBGP to R2 inside AS 65001. You will intentionally encounter the classic iBGP next-hop problem (R2 sees an unreachable next-hop for 172.16.30.0/24) and fix it on R1 with neighbor next-hop-self. iBGP peering runs over Loopback0 addresses with reachability provided by OSPF area 0 between R1 and R2. Two hosts validate end-to-end data-plane reachability and routing control-plane state.
View lab detailsConfigure and validate BGP local-preference to prefer one provider when the same destination prefix is learned from two eBGP neighbors. You will see two equal AS-PATH routes to 172.16.100.0/24 on the edge router and then apply an inbound route-map on the R2 session to set local-preference 200 so the edge prefers exiting via R2. Verification includes host pings/traceroute and router BGP best-path checks.
View lab detailsAdvanced CCNP BGP lab: Build parallel eBGP sessions between two ASes over primary and backup /30 links. Originate a service prefix from AS 65001 and influence AS 65002's inbound path by applying outbound AS-path prepending on the backup session only. Validate best-path selection and next-hop on the neighbor, and confirm reachability from hosts.
View lab detailsDeploy eBGP between two routers and precisely control which locally-originated networks are advertised to a neighbor using an outbound prefix-list. R1 originates four /24 loopback routes but advertises only two to R2. Verify using IOS show commands and basic host reachability checks.
View lab detailsAdvanced CCNP BGP policy lab focusing on inbound AS-path filtering at the edge. You will build a simple eBGP chain (AS 65003 — AS 65002 — AS 65001), originate prefixes from the two upstream routers, confirm that the edge learns multiple routes, then enforce a policy on the edge (R1) to accept only routes originated by its directly connected eBGP neighbor (AS 65002) while rejecting routes that transited AS 65003. Verification relies entirely on R1’s BGP table and AS-path regular-expression queries.
View lab detailsIn this advanced CCNP BGP lab, you will steer a single router's outbound path choice using Cisco's Weight attribute, the very first BGP best-path tiebreaker. R1 (AS 65001) peers eBGP with two ISPs (R2 in AS 65002 and R3 in AS 65003). Both ISPs advertise the same prefix 172.16.50.0/24. Your job is to make R1 prefer the R3 path using the neighbor weight command and verify the outcome using IOS and Linux tools.
View lab detailsAdvanced CCNP capstone on a compact 3-router, 2-host CML-Free topology. Restore end-to-end reachability to a remote advertised network by diagnosing and correcting two independent BGP issues on the hub router. The design intentionally combines an eBGP edge (R2–R1) with iBGP over loopbacks (R1–R3 with OSPF reachability) so learners validate neighbor formation, next-hop reachability, and route propagation end-to-end.
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