{"id":7176,"date":"2013-09-04T08:33:46","date_gmt":"2013-09-04T12:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/?p=7176"},"modified":"2023-03-30T08:19:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T12:19:01","slug":"graphical-network-simulator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/2013\/09\/graphical-network-simulator\/","title":{"rendered":"Graphical Network Simulator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have been working with GNS3<\/a> (Graphical Network Simulator) in some of my classes.\u00a0 It is a fine tool with which one can build simulated computer networks using various routers and switches.\u00a0 The software program itself is free, however, the Cisco IOS images are not included and must be found elsewhere due to copyright issues.\u00a0 This detail is a bit of a pain, but not too bad.\u00a0 Once the program is set up and the appropriate IOS images are loaded, the console functions exactly like whatever router is being simulated.\u00a0 This includes running whichever terminal program is preferred, e.g. hyperthermia, putty, or if using the Linux version, x-term, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"GNS3<\/a>
GNS3 screenshot, topology, and router console<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The advantages to this over something like Cisco’s Packet Tracer program are many.\u00a0 In Packet Tracer, certain functions are locked out and generally there is only one acceptable way to complete any given task.\u00a0 With GNS3, the IOS is fully functional, which means that experimentation and failure are available to play with.\u00a0 Failure is a great way to learn things in any hands-on environment.\u00a0 The advantage of virtual failure is that only you know about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For real-world applications, this means that router and switch configurations can be created, tested, and tuned ahead of time and then loaded into working devices, saving downtime and potentially handfuls of hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few things about using GNS3, the PC idle tuning is required.\u00a0 Each instance of IOS assumes that the entire processor is available to use, thus starting several routers can work a PC’s processor to 100% and windows will never fully recover.\u00a0 Secondly, when starting each router, wait 10 to 20 seconds before starting another one.\u00a0 Again, this has to do with the way IOS uses processors.\u00a0 Also, to save time, store the IOS image as a decompressed file.\u00a0 This saves quite a bit of time on startup.\u00a0 Finally, do not forget to copy the running config to startup-config.\u00a0 Even though GNS3 says it is saving the router configs, it does not save the running config unless you issue the copy run start command, just like a real router.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been working with GNS3 (Graphical Network Simulator) in some of my classes.\u00a0 It is a fine tool with which one can build simulated computer networks using various routers and switches.\u00a0 The software program itself is free, however, the Cisco IOS images are not included and must be found elsewhere due to copyright issues.\u00a0 … Continue reading Graphical Network Simulator<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[260,4],"tags":[308,187],"class_list":["post-7176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-it","category-tech-stuff","tag-it","tag-network"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7176"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11342,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7176\/revisions\/11342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}