Cisco Network Simulators Available For Immediate Download
Published by Fred at December 16th, 2009Computer networking students are caught in between a rock and a hard place when going through difficult course studies. Students need access to hardware available in class to do labs and reports, and may not have the same hardware at home to work on. Emulation programs have sought to fix this problem.
Netsim is a program developed by Boson to emulate a network. It’s great because instructors can use it to give out labs, assignments, easily grade said assignments, and instantly get feedback on where students need help. The only downside of the program is that it’s costly- something to the tune of $200 for the least expensive license. Students will probably want to look elsewhere to save money.
The problem with some open source programs is that support and documentation can be below average. Unfortunately this is the case with Dynagen, and open source package built to emulate a network. Dynagen will take time to learn, especially considering that it doesn’t have much of a documentation or easy to use interface to bolster the learning process.
GNS-3 is another program based on the Dynamips emulator. GNS-3 is more popular among beginners since it has a better interface and better support. GNS-3, or Graphical Network Simulator, has a developer’s forum and video tutorials to get students ready to use the program. It may not have key features that Netsim has, but teachers can still issue this free program to students and have take-home assignments for them to complete.
Packet Tracer is known to be the king of the industry. Cisco created this software for its own students in the CCNA course. It has the best tutorials, design, and functionality of all the programs listed. The only problem is that if you aren’t a Cisco student, alumni, or instructor- you won’t be able to get your hands on it. You couldn’t get it even if you offered them money; Cisco is strict on only allowing students to get their hands on this fine software. It’s at least worth considering a Cisco class to obtain.
Not all network simulators are desktop simulations. You can find some simulators available over the Internet through web browsers, using technology such as Java or JavaScript. You will find that these web-based programs can be less expensive, and some free, but you will have to have a connection to the Internet to access it. Thus, it could be hard studying if you don’t have access to the Internet.
Final Thoughts
Network simulation is advanced technology. Thus, there aren’t too many choices to dwell on while you are looking for a study aid. Check those mentioned and perhaps do some searching of your own to see if updates or new programs are on the horizon.
Learn more about Packet Tracer Configuration and Packet Tracer 5 Download.