Cisco Emulator
Studying for any sort of Cisco certification can get expensive very quickly, particularly when you factor in the cost of piecing together your own lab. One problem I have personally run into, is how to squeeze some lab work in while I’m away from home (at work or otherwise traveling). Having my entire lab powered up for eight hours or more, just so I could possibly run a lab exercise for 45 minutes at work did not seem efficient to me.
Recently, I have been playing with Dynamips, which is an emulator that allows you to run real Cisco IOS images. Experience with Linux made me feel right at home with the configuration and operation of the virtual Cisco devices in Dynamips. However, getting the hang of the configuration and inter-workings, could be confusing for some (including myself at points).
While browsing the Dynagen web site this morning, I came across a program called GNS3. This is a GUI interface that simplifies the use of Dynamips. Since it is a GUI, it allows you to see the topology of the network you are creating, which I find helpful.
The emulator in general is very handy when experimenting with certain things without purchasing additional hardware. I know many CCIE’s find Dynamips useful, since they have access to all of the downloads from Cisco. In addition, Dynamips can be bonded to a physical interface, allowing you to connect it to a physical lab or an outside network.
Below are links to the software I have talked about. Keep in mind, all of this software is free.
