User forum/help for Cisco Packet Tracer?

[JimLG]

Hi,

I've been directed to use the packet tracer software as part of an online educational course. I have installed the software and am following some introductory courses on it; Of course the equipment and devices library focuses on Cisco products; but I also want to map-in items like a simmple 3rd party manufactuer SOHO unmanaged ethernet switch, but so far I cant find a device in the list to represent an item like this.

I also should confess that mostly I use draytek Vigor small business equipment which has a lot of proffesional business features included; Is there an online resource (website) that includes an equipment library to other equipment manufacturers devices etc?

Any help appreciated; Thanks in advance,

Jim Le G. (UK)

[Rich R]

For packet tracer questions best to post to https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/topic/0TO6e000000WEorGAG/packet-tracer and also see https://www.netacad.com/

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Laugh, you have some high hopes for a free, network vendor provided, teaching tool.

Doubtful there's a resource for non-Cisco hardware to "plug-in" to Packet Tracer (PT).  (Generally, vendors, for multiple reasons, don't want this.)

BTW, there are emulators, like the free GNS3 that can emulate multiple vendor hardware.

For your unmanaged switch need, find the closest matching managed switch model and just don't manage it.  ; )

If the last appears to be just a joke, it's not!  Compare behaviors.

[Martin L]

Check out Eve-ng emulator (u must provide images except unmanaged ethernet switch - they call it bridge); list of supported images are at https://www.eve-ng.net/index.php/documentation/supported-images/

Packet tracer originally was developed for Cisco NetAcademy CCNA courses and it was available for free for their students only before going out publicly.

Regards, ML
**Please Rate All Helpful Responses **

[Rich R]

Like https://www.gns3.com/ with extra premium paid features?

[Torbjørn]

EVE-ng has a free community version like GNS3. The main reason to choose EVE-ng over GNS3  IMO is the support for multiple config-sets and config import + export functionality. Most courses/lab-books I've seen also provide labs in EVE-ng format.

You can use both GNS3 and EVE-ng for virtualising Draytek Vigor routers, provided you can get a virtual appliance disk file(Qemu, vmdk etc.). Neither seem to have premade templates for Draytek Vigor devices, but importing them with a custom template should be doable. Let me know if this is something you would want help with  

[Joseph W. Doherty]

"Like https://www.gns3.com/ with extra premium paid features?"

As @Torbjørn already noted, there's also a "free" version of EVE-NG, biggest feature difference between "free" and paid versions, number of nodes supported.

As to comparing GNS3 vs. EVE-NG (or Packet Tracer, CML, eNSP, etc.), suggest you search Internet for comparison reviews.

[Rich R]

Yes - I didn't mean to say there wasn't a free version of EVE-NG - rather that you can optionally upgrade to the premium paid features

[Joseph W. Doherty]

I'm curious - what are the ". . . challenges with limited functionality and compatibility." representing ". . . third-party hardware like a SOHO unmanaged Ethernet switch."?

"I've been directed to use the packet tracer software as part of an online educational course."

I wonder about the quality of such a course that cannot be accomplished using the tool it specifies.

PT is what it is.  Perhaps your educational course needs a specific or minimum PT version.