Test Network

[Twitch]

Morning to the Crew - has anyone set-up a parallel Meraki test network in their environment?

I need to test some configuration changes that I want to make before changing our production network to make sure that everything will work as intended. We are considering incorporating Cisco 2811s (or newer, I'm testing with some of my personal equipment) at the edge of our VPLS to handle inter-site routing since we won't be using QinQ to pass VLAN tags. 

The test lab will include an MX and several MS250 switches, along with 2 2811s. Our main office here has one internet connection which feeds our production network. I need to get the test network connected to the internet also so I can create a test org in the dashboard, but I don't want the test network to handle any production routing and switching while it shares the internet connection with the production network.

I'm considering creating an isolated VLAN on the production MX and routing the test network through that to the internet. Has anyone else done something similar in their environment? Did you go the same route with an isolated VLAN, or did you use another method to get the test network connected to the dashboard?

Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Twitch

[BrandonS]

I have done that for small test/lab environments from time to time such as when staging some devices before shipping out to a customer.  I would either create a VLAN on my production network for the purpose or in some cases just plug the devices in wherever they can get DHCP and internet to come online and get firmware updates, etc.  

I can't think of any particular downside to using a VLAN from your production network for this purpose except some extra configuration if you need to support or test incoming services that would require port forwards, etc. from your production network over to your test network VLAN.

[Twitch]

@BrandonSThanks for the info! I will go with the VLAN route.

[PhilipDAth]

What about getting a cheap domestic Internet circuit for the test environment?  Then it can be 100% seperate.  You can use the same IP addressing and everything.

[Twitch]

@PhilipDAth  That would be ideal, and I agree completely. Unfortunately, it's not a decision I get to make. I made the request, but I was asked to see if I could get the test working without needing to spend money on a separate internet circuit.

So, I separated the two networks in the Dashboard and I was able to get the MX and switches connected to the Internet using our existing circuit. Not ideal, but so far so good.

Twitch