11/17/2020 CCNA Packet Tracer vs Emulator – CiscoNet Solutions

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CCNA Packet Tracer vs Emulator

Selecting the proper lab training platform is fundamental to preparing for CCNA
certi cation. Cisco CCNA is a foundational networking certi cation that requires
knowledge of IOS con guration of multiple protocols. So where do you start and
what lab training platform works best for CCNA?

Lab training is a learn by doing approach for real-world experience with

con guration of network topologies. It is often used in conjunction with a study
guide or course. The best lab training platform should provide a balance of
features, functionality, ease of use and cost. This article will discuss all lab training
solutions and select CCNA best-in-class.

CCNA 200-301: What Does It Really Require?

It is important to dispel the marketing hype and confusion that often surrounds
CCNA lab training. It is true that experience plays a signi cant part in any
certi cation exam. Candidates with experience have passed CCNA with well-
designed practice tests only. The new exam has changed signi cantly and lab
simulations are no longer on the exam. There are however questions that require
knowledge of protocol con guration and operational commands. The purpose of
operational commands is to verify the running status of network devices and
connectivity.

CCNA is now a foundational certi cation for all higher level certi cations (CCNP,
CCIE etc.) so it is now much less specialized than the previous exam. There is no
troubleshooting and noticeably less con guration topics that are mentioned in the

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new curriculum. OSPFv2 is the only dynamic routing protocol however you should
know all routing protocols within the context of route selection (administrative
distance). The best strategy and key to passing your CCNA certi cation is the right
information instead of more information. Streamline your study plan to align 100%
with the new CCNA curriculum. That will also help with managing your study review
before the exam.

Big Four Training Platforms

The following training platforms comprise the best options available for CCNA
students. The primary metrics used for comparison here are cost, platform,
features, usage, and ease of installation. There is a CCNA rating assigned to each
platform and a comparison table as well.

Cisco Packet Tracer

Open GNS3
Cisco VIRL
Physical

Network Simulator vs Network Emulator

There is a distinction between a simulator and emulator when discussing lab

training solutions. The distinction at the CCNA level however is not that important
at all. The simulator is an application that only models network devices and
associated connections. By contrast, emulators provide a virtualized network
environment with hosts, devices and real connections running within a virtual
machine (VM). It is equivalent to removing IOS software images from your physical
network devices and bundling them into virtual images. Each network device is
connected to create a lab topology within the virtual application.

Whether it is a simulator or emulator, you can add hosts and servers to create a lab
topology similar to any real-world network. The advantage of emulators is that

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some additional con guration commands are supported that are based on actual
network tra c.

Packet Tracer (PT)

Cisco decided to make Packet Tracer free to all prospective students with nothing
more than registration at Cisco Networking Academy. Previously, only registered
paid students were permitted access to PT for training purposes. This e ectively has
opened up network training to millions of students with a rst class simulation
platform.

You can get real-world experience with the same Cisco IOS software and CLI that
physical equipment use. There are some slight di erences but nothing that would
a ect your training for the CCNA exam. Students have been using PT as their
training platform for years and passed the exam. In fact, it is endorsed by Cisco
Networking Academy, so why would it not serve well for CCNA study?

As mentioned, Packet Tracer is free and based on a simulator training platform. PT

runs as a Windows application with an easy install in minutes. Register with Cisco
Networking Academy and download the software. Note that you will also be enrolled
in an introductory course that you can nish at your leisure. The important thing is
getting the software installed. For the purposes of CCNA training, you will spend
most of your time with existing labs that are already developed.

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PT simulator is as easy as clicking on a le and starting your lab. You could learn
basic PT usage in 30 minutes or less. It is designed to be an almost intuitive
simulation tool. Click on a network device, select CLI folder and start your
con guration or run operational commands. Host icons have a desktop folder for
Windows command line and web browser. Finally, PT is more than adequate for the
CCNA exam where it is included in certi cation lab guides and courses.

Cost: Free
Type: Simulator
Platform: Traditional
Operating System: Multiple
Installation: Easy
Usage: Easy
CCNA Suitability: 10

Open GNS3

This is an open standard that has become quite popular recently with the advent of
virtualization. One of the advantages of virtualization is running a software image
on your laptop. GNS3 is free as open standard software and emulates Cisco router
hardware with Dynamips. If you want to add switches then the only option is to add
a switch module to a virtual router. There are now Cisco 1000V switch images
available however it is based on the Nexus cloud switching platform only.

GNS3 is client/server based so you would install a server VM and access it with a
virtual client application. They can be installed and run concurrently on the same
laptop. There are licensing issues associated with GNS3 and Cisco IOS software.
GNS3 does not provide any Cisco IOS software images and Cisco does not permit
usage without a license. Be prepared to learn virtualization as well although that is
not a bad idea considering it is more prevalent now.

The question is do you want to mess around with all of that as part of your CCNA
training program. Installation is often di cult and performance is worse than PT,
based on your laptop hardware. There are technical glitches and problems with
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GNS3 that is common with open software. It is easy to use once you get the labs
running however it is not an optimal training solution for the CCNA exam.

Cost: Free
Type: Emulator
Platform: Virtual
Operating System: Multiple
Installation: Di cult
Usage: Moderate
CCNA Suitability: 6

Virtual Internet Routing Lab (VIRL)

Cisco VIRL was developed speci cally as a network modeling tool for both enterprise
and service provider customers. It is more cost e ective and easier to run proof of
concept on con guration scripts before deploying to physical equipment. That
makes it easier to identify network design and con guration errors along with IOS
software bugs. VIRL is an emulator that includes all IOS software images and
network devices available however it is a yearly paid subscription.

Cisco network devices have been virtualized so that IOS software is also available as
a virtual software image. That permits virtual appliances to be deployed to on-
premise or cloud servers. All of the networking features and services are still
available. VIRL is a virtualized client/server platform similar to GNS3 where you will
install it as a VM on your laptop. Hardware requirements are stringent as well with
minimum requirement of four core CPU and 8 GB RAM. As you deploy more complex
lab topologies then performance worsens quickly.

The installation of VIRL by most accounts has improved a lot recently and there is a
new CML 2.0 version released with improvements. As with GNS3, it is virtual so you
will spend some time learning virtualization that can be a distraction from
certi cation prep study. It is practical for CCNP and CCIE certi cation, however not
recommended for the new CCNA exam.

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Cost: 199.00/yr
Type: Emulator
Platform: Virtual
Operating System: Multiple
Installation: Moderate
Usage: Easy
CCNA Suitability: 6

Physical Lab

The idea of spending hundreds of dollars on refurbished Cisco equipment is not as

popular today. You would have to buy a software license as well if it is not included.
There are numerous online sources for Cisco equipment however hardware faults
are common with used equipment and you have to buy cabling to connect devices. At
this point, there is really no good reason to spend money on a physical lab for
CCNA certi cation.

The command line interface (CLI) is the same as PT and any additional features you
would get would make no di erence. There is power usage at your home and the
noise associated with physical equipment. You would have to source a rollover cable
and connect your laptop to each device individually. Creating a viable lab would
require multiple switches, routers, laptops and servers to simulate and test network
connectivity. As a result, physical equipment is not recommended as a training
solution for the CCNA exam. There are rack rentals with physical equipment
however you will nd the cost is astoundingly high and no advantage whatsoever
when studying for your CCNA exam.

Cost: 300.00+
Type: Physical
Platform: Physical
Operating System: Cisco IOS
Installation: Moderate
Usage: Easy
CCNA Suitability: 5
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Recommended Platform: PT

The best training solution for the new CCNA certi cation exam is by far Cisco
Packet Tracer (PT). It is a freely available simulator from the same company that
has developed the CCNA exam. PT is a well-designed and reliable application that
has all the features required to study for the new CCNA exam. You can also build and
test your own labs from scratch and access network services such as DHCP, DNS,
AAA, NTP and HTTP server. The lightweight application is now available on most
operating systems with faster performance and ongoing support from Cisco. Start
your training with a lab guide that has updated labs based on the new CCNA exam
requirements.

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