LAB ONE – Introduction

PART1. GNS3 INSTALLATION & SETTINGS

In this first part of the lab, you learn how to install and tune GNS3. You will also learn how to use
the desktop to configure networks.

Exercise 1(A). Installation

• System Requirements

• Windows 7 or higher with an Internet connection

• Mac OS X 10.9.4 or above with an Internet connection

• Download Windows Version of GNS3 from here.

• Please note that you are required to create a GNS account to download the tool

• Install the downloaded GNS3 tool.

• For Windows, when prompted for “Choose  Components”, please uncheck “SolarWinds  
Response  Time  Viewer”

• Finish the installation process. Download the GNS3 Getting Started Guide for future
reference. This lab walks you through a simplified installation process.

Exercise 1(B). Settings

1. Go to Edit -> Preferences on Windows or GNS3 -> Preferences on Mac

2. Click on the arrow next to Dynamips and then click on the sub-menu “IOS routers”.

3. First download the cisco IOS image “c2600-ik8o3s-mz.122-11.T.bin from UCI-ICS masterhit
network drive with the following server names:

1. Windows: \\masterhit.ics.uci.edu\network_lab

2. Mac: smb://masterhit.ics.uci.edu/network_lab

• To learn more about mapping “UCI-ICS masterhit network drive”, please click
Windows or Mac.

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4. Then click on New, then on Browse to select the Cisco IOS image on your computer.
Change the Chassis to 2611XM.

Figure 1.1 Cisco router import

5. Click on Next until you get to WIC modules selection. Choose WIC-1T for wic 0.

Figure 1.2 Cisco router’s WIC module setup

6. After finishing the setup, you should see the following

Figure 1.3 Cisco router preferences

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7. In GNS3, click on the 5th icon down on the left hand side to browse all devices. Select
c2600 and drag it to the empty area on the right. You will see something like the following:

Figure 1.4 How to add a router to the GNS3 desktop

8. Right-click the Taskbar, choose Task Manager. You will need to monitor the CPU load when
you start a router. If the CPU load goes to 100%, then you will need to stop GNS3 and try
again.

9. Right-click on R1 and choose Start.

10. Right-click on R1 and choose Console. Press Return key if it asks you to so that you get to
the prompt line.

11. The load should stay low after starting the router. If it doesn’t, then follow Steps 12-13. If
the load is low, go to step 14.

12. Right-click on R1 and choose Idle-PC. A window with a dropdown box will appear. Select a
value with an * next to it.

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 Figure 1.5 Idle PC value settings window

13. Continue to right-click on R1 and choose Idle-PC until the pop up window doesn’t have any
more values with a * next to it. Hopefully, this will keep the CPU low when the routers are
started. If the CPU remains high, close GNS3 and try starting again.

PART2. EXAMPLE PROJECT

This part of the lab describes how to create GNS3 projects, place virtual PC simulators on the
desktop, start them, console into it, and test the configured topology.

Exercise 2(A). Initialize a project

1. Open GNS3

2. Name the current project and click “OK”

Figure 1.6 New project window

Exercise 2(B). Add two virtual PC simulators (VPCS)

In GNS3, click on the 5th icon down on the left hand side to browse all devices. Select VPCS
and drag it to the empty area on the right. And add one more VPCS.

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 Figure 1.7 The GNS3 desktop with two VPCS

Exercise 2(C). Link two VPCS with virtual wires

1. In GNS3, click on the 6th icon down on the left hand side to activate the “add a link” feature.

• The 6th icon will change to an icon with “X” mark.

2. Click one VPCS icon and select Ethernet0.

3. Click another VPCS icon and select Ethernet0.

Figure 1.8 How to link two VPCS

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4. Then you will see a link between two VPCSs with two red dots

Figure 1.9 Two VPCS with a link connected

5. Click on 6th icon down on the left hand side to deactivate “add a link” feature.

Exercise 2(D). Start the VPCSs

1. Click one VPCS and select “Start”.

2. Click another VPCS and select “Start” too.

3. The two red dots on the link will now turn to green dots.

• Please note that the color of the dots indicates the status of the devices.

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 Figure 1.10 Two connected VPCS with an active link

4. Please note that the “start”, “pause” and “stop” icons on the top icon bars can
start/pause/stop all devices on the current project at once.

Exercise 2(E). Assign IP addresses

1. Before starting these steps, please make sure the dots on the link are green.

2. Right click one of the PCs, e.g., PC1 and select “Console”.

3. Run the following command to set the IP address of the PC1 “ip 10.0.1.1”

Figure 1.11 Assignment of IP address of PC1

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4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, to assign IP addresses to all the PCs, e.g., “ip 10.0.1.2’’ for PC2.

Exercise 2(F). Test

• From each terminal, try to ping the other. For example on PC1 type: ping 10.0.1.2 to ping
PC2.

• Use Ctrl + C to stop ping.

Figure 1.12 Ping PC1 from PC2 and ping PC2 from PC1

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