GNS3
GNS3
GNS3
Simulator
Who am I?
Matthew Gillespie
CTI Networks
RHCSA Redhat 7
CCNA/CCNP Route Switch
UWCA
braindeadprojects.com
What is GNS3?
GNS3 grew out of a Masters thesis by
Jeremy Grossman
It's a Python suite of tools that glue
together a Cisco emulator with
virtualization platforms in an easy to use
GUI. Emphasis is on network design.
It's an evolution from the early days when
you had to edit dyamips/dynagen text
configs by hand.
What can it run?
Cisco IOS (dyamips)
Cisco IOU (IOS on Unix)
Cisco PIX OS (Cisco ASA)
Virtualbox Machines
QEMU/KVM Machines
VMWare Machines (new in version 1.4)
VPCs, etc.
Cisco Emulation
Handled by dynamips.
Can emulate 1700, 2600, 2691, 3600,
3725, 3745, and 7200 series platforms.
GNS3 Crowdfunder
2013 Crowdfunder.com event, hoping to
earn $35,000.00 to improve the software.
GNS3 Crowdfunder Success
• They met their goal within 3.5 hours.
• They had additional rewards already
established...
• The contributions wouldn't stop.
• So... they added more rewards.
Victim of their own success?
• Goals Met:
• 11/20/13 - 04:19MST - $38,007
• 11/20/13 - 13:40MST - $90,037
• 11/21/13 - 14:26MST - $122,387
• 11/23/13 - 13:31MST - $150,023
• 11/28/13 - 14:08MST - $180,078
This needs to be calculated on
each router.
Router Console Access
Each device can be accessed via serial
port by right clicking and selecting
“Console”
Router Console Access
You can also customize your own TMUX or
Screen layouts to connect to each of the
consoles.
Emulated Frame-Relay and
ATM
While they're not as common anymore,
GNS3 can emulate basic ATM and Frame
Relay networks.
Integrated Wireshark
• Traffic over each link can be viewed real-
time using Wireshark
Integrated Wireshark
Connecting GNS3 to the Real
World
The “Cloud” element provides the ability to
connect interfaces to the real world.
Generic Ethernet & Linux NIO interfaces
NAT interfaces
UDP tunnels
TAP interfaces
UNIX sockets
VDEs
NULL interface
GNS3 Jungle
• The GNS3 Jungle is the online forum with
announcements, feature requests, bug
reports, etc..
GNS3 Academy
• Online collaboration for learning and
teaching.
Router OSes
• Lots of options
• The GNS3 community has tons of
feedback and HOWTO's on integrating
various vendors.
Mikrotik
http://www.mikrotik.com/download
24 hour demo license, no dynamic routing
Level 1 free routing license
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/index.php?
title=Manual:License&redirect=no
Vyatta (VYOS)
Free Community-based version of Vyatta,
which is used behind the scenes in
Ubiquiti's EdgeRouter platform, etc
http://vyos.net/wiki/Main_Page
Juniper JUNOS
“Olive Routers”
Packages install on FreeBSD VMs
HP VSR 1000's
Another Linux based router VM
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/networking
http://lkhill.com/hp-vsr1000-getting-started/
Cisco CSR 1000v
Yet Another Linux based router VM
Runs IOS XE software
www.cisco.com
Limitations?
• Certainly Plenty of them.
• Some IOS images won't pass multicast
• Some features in IOU images will
configure, but don't actually seem to work
(Dynamic ARP inspection, Private VLANs,
etc)
Quirks
Plenty of them
You can't connect a VM device directly to a
cloud, you have to connect it to a GNS3 switch
and THEN to a cloud.
You can connect VM to VM and dyamips system to
VM directly.
Speed and duplex issues on interfaces...
usually it's best to hardcode settings.
Stoping a VirtualBox machine is a “poweroff”
command, so ensure you shut the OS down
gracefully before hitting STOP.
Questions?