Free / Cheap CCIE remote labs
Here is some information on how I am planning to sort out the hardware for my CCIE lab.
There are so many options as to how you would acquire the hardware for your CCIE preparation.
Normally you would buy the equipment but this is very expensive. The 2nd option is to rent rack time. This works outs cheaper than buying. The uncommon option that I use is to contact to the local Cisco academy to get access to their remote NETLAB access. This is one of the cheapest ways of finding hardware for your CCIE preparation.
There are so many Cisco academies spread throughout the world. Some regional academies have very good racks with lots of latest equipment.
If cost is an issues, you should definitely contact your local Cisco academy and find out about the availability of their Netlab pods. Some might surprise you with their equipment and helpfulness.
Hope this helps
All the best with your CCIE lab.