GNS3 Simulator Tutorial
Data Communication Networks
Instructor: Dr. MohammadReza Pakravan
Provider: Milad Samimifar
1 Introduction
GNS3 is used by hundreds of thousands of network engineers worldwide to emulate, configure, test and
troubleshoot virtual and real networks. GNS3 allows you to run a small topology consisting of only a
few devices on your laptop, to those that have many devices hosted on multiple servers or even hosted
in the cloud. [1]
2 Installation
2.1 Ubuntu-based distributions (64-bit only)
These instructions are for Ubuntu and all distributions based on it (like Linux Mint). Run this commands
in terminal:
1 sudo add -apt - repository ppa:gns3/ppa
2 sudo apt update
3 sudo apt install gns3 -gui gns3 - server
2.2 Windows
This document explains how to install GNS3 using a Windows environment.
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Data Communication Network GNS3 Tutorial
Figure 1: Download GNS3
3 GNS3 Router
3.1 Download
The biggest trick to getting GNS3 running is also downloading the IOS image needed for the simulator
to work. You can download IOS images from this website. My suggestion is to use c3640 router. You
can download the router from this link.
3.2 Install
1. Once Opened GNS3, in Menu Bar click Edit and select Preferences.
2. Click IOS Router then Click New to add a Router IOS image in GNS3.
3. Click Browse and select the Router IOS image that you want to add in GNS3.
4. Select Router IOS Image and Click to Open.
5. Click Yes.
6. In the Name and platform window, specify the name and platform for the IOS image and then
click Next.
7. In the Memory Window page, leave its Default RAM size and then click Next.
8. In the Network adapters page, Select the slots and then click Next as shown in the following figure.
9. Click Idle-PC finder and wait... until found value. (An Idle-pc value is necessary to prevent IOS
to use 100% of your System processor.)
10. Idle-PC value found. Now click OK and Finish.
11. Click Apply then OK.
12. Setup is successfully completed. Click the Router Symbol to Check Added Router IOS [2].
13. Modifying the permission of ubridge in Ubuntu:
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Data Communication Network GNS3 Tutorial
1 sudo chmod 777 /usr/bin/ ubridge
4 Your First Cisco Topology
Figure 2: a simple topology
4.1 VPCS node
Virtual PC Simulator is a program which allows you to simulate a lightweight PC supporting DHCP
and ping [3].
4.1.1 Set an IP
Manually set an IP:
PC1 console:
1 PC1 > show ip
2 ...
3
4 PC1 > ip 192.168.10.1 192.168.10.100 24
5 Checking for duplicate address ...
6 PC1 : 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.10.100
7
8 PC1 > show ip
9 ...
10
11 PC1 > wr
12 Saving startup configuration to startup .vpc
13 . done
PC2 console:
1 PC2 > show ip
2 ...
3
4 PC2 > ip 192.168.11.1 192.168.11.100 24
5 Checking for duplicate address ...
6 PC2 : 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.10.100
7
8 PC2 > show ip
9 ...
10
11 PC2 > wr
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Data Communication Network GNS3 Tutorial
12 Saving startup configuration to startup .vpc
13 . done
4.2 Router
4.2.1 Configure the router [4]
R1 console:
1 show ip route
2 configure terminal
3 interface f0 /0
4 ip address 192.168.10.100 255.255.255.0
5 no shutdown
6 interface f1 /0
7 ip address 192.168.11.100 255.255.255.0
8 no shutdown
9 exit
10 exit
11 sh ip interface brief
12 wr
4.3 Result
1 PC1 > ping 192.168.11.1
2
3 84 bytes from 192.168.11.1 icmp_seq =1 ttl =63 time =11.702 ms
4 84 bytes from 192.168.11.1 icmp_seq =2 ttl =63 time =16.516 ms
5 84 bytes from 192.168.11.1 icmp_seq =3 ttl =63 time =15.342 ms
6 84 bytes from 192.168.11.1 icmp_seq =4 ttl =63 time =14.999 ms
7 84 bytes from 192.168.11.1 icmp_seq =5 ttl =63 time =12.557 ms
References
[1] https://docs.gns3.com/docs/
[2] https://www.ncpnetwork.com/how-to-add-routers-ios-in-gns3.html
[3] https://docs.gns3.com/docs/emulators/vpcs/
[4] https://docs.gns3.com/docs/getting-started/your-first-cisco-topology/
