Router Simulator for Cisco Lab Scenarios
By Barry Burdette
I have recently been investigating router simulators and have found several on the internet
with free demos. After reviewing them I have narrowed down the available packages to four manufactures.
The following is my opinion of each of these.
Dynamips
Dynamips is available for free and runs on Linux, Mac OS X or Windows and can simulate the hardware
of the Cisco series routing platforms by directly booting actual Cisco IOS software image into the
emulator. It allows users to build complex network topologies to test the functionality of IOS on a
desktop PC, without the need of an actual physical Cisco device. Dynamips currently supports different
networking medium such as Ethernet, Serial link, ATM, and POS interfaces for the Cisco 1700, 2600,
3600, 3700, 7200 and Juniper router hardware platforms as well as Cisco PIX and ASA security platforms.
Even though there are switching platforms included in the application, there is no configuration
on them but simple port vlans. There is no VTP, STP or ether-channel configuration and of course
no layer 3 switching.
Once installed you must install an appropriate Cisco IOS for every routers and security platforms
you wish to use. The switches require no IOS as they have no configuration capabilities. A frame-relay
switch is included and be configured with a number of virtual circuits and DLCIs. Dynamips does not support ISDN.
This product is easy to install and use as long as you have access to the Cisco IOS for the
devices, and even though it has no labs or tutorials included the price is right. I would recommend
this product for anyone studying for the CCNA or routing portion of the CCNP. The inclusion of the PIX,
ASA, and IDS security devices give it the added capability for security labs. I would not recommend it
for those studying for the CCIE due to the lack of switch configuration.
NETSIM
The Boson simulator NETSIM is available in three variations. The CCENT (99.00), CCNA
(179.00), and CCNP (349.00). Each comes with additional functionality as the price increases.
Netsim will simulate 47 different Cisco devices. Cisco 800, 1000, 1600, 1700, 2500, 2600,
2811, 3600 routers; 1900, 2900, 3500 switches and 7960 IP Phone. It also supports a several
networking medium such as Ethernet, Serial, ISDN and Frame-Relay. As well as Simulates network
traffic with virtual packet technology and SDM emulation.
Netsim provides more switch configuration than any other simulator on the market today,
but still cannot match that of hardware as switches use ASIC design to do the switching and
software has not been capable of completely emulating yet.
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