In this article, we want to show you how you can set up your own Huawei Home Lab for less than $500.
Having your own Home Lab has many advantages. Whether you are preparing for certification (e.g. Huawei HCIA), want to test a change in advance, or simply enjoy a particular technology, having your own physical Home Lab gives you the opportunity and flexibility to do so. Instead of a physical Home Lab, there is also the option of using simulators (e.g., eNSP). Some of these simulators do not support all features, require a lot of resources, and are dependent on the operating system (may no longer work after an update). With your own physical Home Lab, you don't have these problems and can start working with it anytime, right away.
Hardware
As a starting point, we assume two switches and two routers. Since Huawei switches also offer certain Layer-3 functionalities, this setup allows for a great deal of testing. Used hardware is available at very good prices on various platforms or in our Shop. We checked the prices and found the following components as examples:
- 2 x S5700-28P-PWR-LI switches ($24 each on Netcamp Shop)
- 2 x AR160 routers ($89 each on eBay)
Total costs of $226 for the hardware and approximately $34 for small parts (cables, transceivers, mount kits, etc.).
Frame 19 Inch
A 19-inch frame can be used to ensure that everything is neatly installed and accessible. This also allows for optimal air circulation so that the hardware does not overheat.
We found a 9U Wall Mount Open Frame* on Amazon for $69.
Console Server
A console server is used to enable access to network devices via the console. Well-known brands include Opengear and Blackbox, but even second-hand, these appliances are still very expensive. If you're lucky, you can find a good deal on eBay - we found an 8-port Opengear there for $30. If you can't find a good deal, you can also build your own console server using a Raspberry Pi*. The serial ports can be connected to the Raspberry Pi in different ways.
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Use an Aten UC2324*, which is connected to the Raspberry Pi via USB. This allows access to the 4 available serial ports.
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Use four Gearmo USB to Serial adapter*, which are connected individually to 4 free USB ports on the Raspberry Pi. If the USB ports on the Raspberry Pi are not sufficient, an additional USB hub* can be used.
The Raspberry Pi including the Aten UC2324 costs around $120. If required, the Raspberry Pi can also be used as a jump host, e.g. for SSH access to the devices.
If you don't want to use the official Raspberry image, you can also use ConsolePI.
Power Control (optional)
To switch a device on and off remotely, there is the option of using a power control, which allows this to be done via a web GUI, SSH, MQTT, etc. These power controls are rather expensive. We use a Gude power control*, which works very reliably and allows us to start or shut down devices individually.
Remote Access (optional)
If the home lab is to be used not only locally but also remotely, secure and easy access is necessary. There are various options for this - we use an Opnsense N100 firewall*. Opnsense offers Wireguard, a VPN solution that provides a simple, fast, and encrypted connection to your home lab. This means you can access your home lab from anywhere in the world at any time - all you need is an internet connection.
If you don't have a static IP address, you can install the plugin for a DynDNS service on Opnsense. Let us know in the comments if you need instructions on how to do this (e.g., from deSEC).
Cost Breakdown
If we now add up all the costs without the optional components, we can put together a Huawei Home Lab for less than $500.
Hardware: $260
Frame 19 Inch: $69
Console Server: $120
Total: $449
The biggest costs come from the hardware. Patience helps when it comes to finding suitable hardware - certain platforms offer search requests that send an email notification when new components become available. It can also be helpful to ask companies if they sell or even give away hardware they no longer need instead of disposing of it. Such hardware is more than sufficient for a home lab.
Huawei Home Lab
Our Huawei Remote Lab is also a type of Home Lab, but costs more than $500. It consists of the latest Huawei hardware (4 x AR6121E and 4 x S5735-L8P4X-QA-V2), a power control unit, and an Opengear console server. If you don't have your own home lab, you can also book this lab exclusively for yourself on a daily basis.
What Does Your Home Lab Look Like?
If you have also built your own Huawei Home Lab, please let us know! Share a link to your Home Lab (website or image) in the comments below.
