Packet Tracer

Last updated
Packet Tracer
Developer(s) Cisco Systems
Stable release
8.2.2  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Operating system Linux, Android 4.2+, iOS 8+, Microsoft Windows, macOS [1]
Platform Windows, Linux, Android (operating system), iOS, macOS [1]
Size
  • 305 MB (Linux)
  • 265 MB (Windows)
  • 856 MB (macOS)
Available inEnglish
Type Network simulation
License Proprietary
Website www.netacad.com/courses/packet-tracer   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Packet Tracer is a cross-platform visual simulation tool designed by Cisco Systems that allows users to create network topologies and imitate modern computer networks. The software allows users to simulate the configuration of Cisco routers and switches using a simulated command line interface. Packet Tracer makes use of a drag and drop user interface, allowing users to add and remove simulated network devices as they see fit. The software is mainly focused towards Cisco Networking Academy students as an educational tool for helping them learn fundamental CCNA concepts. Previously students enrolled in a CCNA Academy program could freely download and use the tool free of charge for educational use. [1]

Contents

Overview

Packet Tracer can be run on Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS. Apps for mobile operating systems like Android [2] and iOS [3] were also available. Packet Tracer allows users to create simulated network topologies by dragging and dropping routers, switches and various other types of network devices. A physical connection between devices is represented by a 'cable' item. Packet Tracer supports an array of simulated Application Layer protocols, as well as basic routing with RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, to the extents required by the current CCNA curriculum. As of version 5.3, Packet Tracer also supports the Border Gateway Protocol. [4]

In addition to simulating certain aspects of computer networks, Packet Tracer can also be used for collaboration. As of Packet Tracer 5.0, Packet Tracer supports a multi-user system that enables multiple users to connect multiple topologies together over a computer network. [5] Packet Tracer also allows instructors to create activities that students have to complete.[ citation needed ] Packet Tracer is often used in educational settings as a learning aid. [6] [7] Cisco Systems claims that Packet Tracer is useful for network experimentation. [8]

Role in Education

Packet Tracer allows students to design complex and large networks, which is often not feasible with physical hardware, due to costs. [6] Packet Tracer is commonly used by NetAcad students, since it is available to download after creating a free account. [9] However, due to functional limitations, it is intended by Cisco to be used only as a learning aid, not a replacement for Cisco routers and switches. [8] The application itself only has a small number of features found within the actual hardware running a current Cisco IOS version. Thus, Packet Tracer is unsuitable for modelling production networks. It has a limited command set, meaning it is not possible to practice all of the IOS commands that might be required. [10] Packet Tracer can be useful for understanding abstract networking concepts, such as the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol by animating these elements in a visual form. [6] [10] Packet Tracer is also useful in education by providing additional components, including an authoring system, network protocol simulation and improving knowledge an assessment system. [8]

PTTP protocol and CSR compatibility

In 2019, Cisco registered a new URI scheme with the IANA called "pttp". This protocol is used as part of Packet Tracer 7.2.2 capabilities to transmit data between Packet Tracer and Cisco's CSR routing platform. [11] [12] As of mid-2022, little is known about this protocol or its functionality.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP) is a distance vector interior gateway protocol (IGP) developed by Cisco. It is used by routers to exchange routing data within an autonomous system.

Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) is the network-layer protocol in the IPX/SPX protocol suite. IPX is derived from Xerox Network Systems' IDP. It also has the ability to act as a transport layer protocol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide area network</span> Computer network that connects devices across a large distance and area

A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits.

A network operating system (NOS) is a specialized operating system for a network device such as a router, switch or firewall.

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) is an advanced distance-vector routing protocol that is used on a computer network for automating routing decisions and configuration. The protocol was designed by Cisco Systems as a proprietary protocol, available only on Cisco routers. In 2013, Cisco permitted other vendors to freely implement a limited version of EIGRP with some of its associated features such as High Availability (HA), while withholding other EIGRP features such as EIGRP stub, needed for DMVPN and large-scale campus deployment. Information needed for implementation was published with informational status as RFC 7868 in 2016, which did not advance to Internet Standards Track level, and allowed Cisco to retain control of the EIGRP protocol.

Virtual private network (VPN) is a network architecture for virtually extending a private network across one or multiple other networks which are either untrusted or need to be isolated.

A distance-vector routing protocol in data networks determines the best route for data packets based on distance. Distance-vector routing protocols measure the distance by the number of routers a packet has to pass; one router counts as one hop. Some distance-vector protocols also take into account network latency and other factors that influence traffic on a given route. To determine the best route across a network, routers using a distance-vector protocol exchange information with one another, usually routing tables plus hop counts for destination networks and possibly other traffic information. Distance-vector routing protocols also require that a router inform its neighbours of network topology changes periodically.

Link-state routing protocols are one of the two main classes of routing protocols used in packet switching networks for computer communications, the others being distance-vector routing protocols. Examples of link-state routing protocols include Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS).

The Internetworking Operating System (IOS) is a family of proprietary network operating systems used on several router and network switch models manufactured by Cisco Systems. The system is a package of routing, switching, internetworking, and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system. Although the IOS code base includes a cooperative multitasking kernel, most IOS features have been ported to other kernels, such as Linux and QNX, for use in Cisco products.

NetFlow is a feature that was introduced on Cisco routers around 1996 that provides the ability to collect IP network traffic as it enters or exits an interface. By analyzing the data provided by NetFlow, a network administrator can determine things such as the source and destination traffic, class of service, and the causes of congestion. A typical flow monitoring setup consists of three main components:

In computer network research, network simulation is a technique whereby a software program replicates the behavior of a real network. This is achieved by calculating the interactions between the different network entities such as routers, switches, nodes, access points, links, etc. Most simulators use discrete event simulation in which the modeling of systems in which state variables change at discrete points in time. The behavior of the network and the various applications and services it supports can then be observed in a test lab; various attributes of the environment can also be modified in a controlled manner to assess how the network/protocols would behave under different conditions.

The diffusing update algorithm (DUAL) is the algorithm used by Cisco's EIGRP routing protocol to ensure that a given route is recalculated globally whenever it might cause a routing loop. It was developed by J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves at SRI International. The full name of the algorithm is DUAL finite-state machine. EIGRP is responsible for the routing within an autonomous system, and DUAL responds to changes in the routing topology and dynamically adjusts the routing tables of the router automatically.

Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN) is a dynamic tunneling form of a virtual private network (VPN) supported on Cisco IOS-based routers, and Huawei AR G3 routers, and on Unix-like operating systems.

Protocol-dependent modules (PDMs) are used by the routing protocol EIGRP to make decisions about adding routes learned from other sources; for example other routers or routing protocols to the routing table. In fact EIGRP has the capability for routing several different protocols including IPv4 and IPv6 using protocol-dependent modules (PDMs). The PDM is also capable of carrying information from the routing table to the topology table. EIGRP offers support for various routed protocols, and has added support for Service Routing (SAF) PDMs. The only other routing protocol that comes with support for multiple network layer protocols is Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS).

A routing protocol specifies how routers communicate with each other to distribute information that enables them to select paths between nodes on a computer network. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet; data packets are forwarded through the networks of the internet from router to router until they reach their destination computer. Routing algorithms determine the specific choice of route. Each router has a prior knowledge only of networks attached to it directly. A routing protocol shares this information first among immediate neighbors, and then throughout the network. This way, routers gain knowledge of the topology of the network. The ability of routing protocols to dynamically adjust to changing conditions such as disabled connections and components and route data around obstructions is what gives the Internet its fault tolerance and high availability.

In computer networking, CDP spoofing is a technique employed to compromise the operation of network devices that use Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) for discovering neighboring devices. CDP spoofing is a network security threat that can be mitigated by taking precautionary measures.

MIMIC Simulator is a product suite from Gambit Communications consisting of simulation software in the network and systems management space.

Dynamips is an emulator computer program that was written to emulate Cisco routers. It was developed by Christophe Fillot, who began working on it in August 2005. Dynamips runs on FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. It emulates the hardware of the Cisco series routing platforms by directly booting an actual Cisco IOS software image into the emulator. Dynamips emulates Cisco platforms 1700, 2600, 2691, 3600, 3725, 3745, and 7200.

In a router, route redistribution allows a network that uses one routing protocol to route traffic dynamically based on information learned from another routing protocol.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bakni, Michel; Cardinale, Yudith; Moreno, Luis Manuel (June 2018). "An Approach to Evaluate Network Simulators: An Experience with Packet Tracer". Revista Venezolana de Computación. 105: 98. ISSN   2244-7040.
  2. ↑ "Cisco Packet Tracer Mobile". Cisco Systems, Inc. 2017-05-12. Archived from the original on 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  3. ↑ "Cisco Packet Tracer Mobile on the App Store". App Store. Archived from the original on 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  4. ↑ "Cisco Packet Tracer 5.3" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. ↑ Andrew Smith (31 August 2011). "Development of a Simulated Internet for Education". Research in Learning Technology. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16.
  6. 1 2 3 Dennis C. Frezzo; John T. Behrens; Robert J. Mislevy. "Simulation-Based Environment for a Community of Instructors: Design Patterns for Learning and Assessment" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Zhang, Yongbin; Liang, Ronghua; Ma, Huiling (2012). "Teaching Innovation in Computer Network Course for Undergraduate Students with Packet Tracer". IERI Procedia. 2: 504–510. doi: 10.1016/j.ieri.2012.06.124 .
  8. 1 2 3 "Cisco Packet Tracer" (PDF). Cisco Networking Academy. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Skills for All Resource Hub". Cisco Networking Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  10. 1 2 Expósito, Jesús; Trujillo, Valentina; Gamess, Eric (20–22 October 2010). Using Visual Educational Tools for the Teaching and Learning of EIGRP (PDF). Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science 2010 Vol I. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.301.4894 . ISBN   978-988-17012-0-6 . Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Deng, Tony; Hoang, Tuan; Hinkle, Bob; Chen, Mark (24 June 2019). "pttp Resource Identifier Scheme". Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "What's new in Packet Tracer 7.2.2 ?". Packet Tracer Network. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
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