Networksims

NetworkSims is a Cisco simulator which supports a wide range of Cisco products, Cisco router, Cisco switch, Cisco PIX/ASA and Cisco wireless. It has various topologies, and fault-finding challenges, along with fun activities. It covers a wide range of devices, and includes on-line tests. It has been rated as a useful simulator for teaching, and is seen as being a safe study site from CertGuard.

Background

Cisco certification has been successful in supporting a range of education initiatives, including supporting the Cisco Academy which is run in many institutions around the World. This certification typically focuses on CCNA (for the fundamentals of networking), CCNP (for professional networking certification), CCSP (for the professional certification for network security), and Wireless. New certifications include CCNA Security and CCNA Wireless. The three main methods that are typically used for getting hands-on experiences are: hand-on practice (this typically involves using rack-based equipment, but can be expensive to purchase and maintain); emulation (this uses a device emulator which runs the IOS image - but this typically breaches the Cisco copyright on the usage of the IOS); and simulation (this uses a simulation of the Cisco IOS, in order to promote learning). Examples of emulators include PEMU (for Cisco PIX) and [Dynagen http://www.dynagen.org]. Examples of Cisco simulation include [BOSON http://www.boson.com] with NetSim. While simulators and emulators cannot replace hands-on experience they are useful in drilling-in the range of commands required for the certification.

The NetworkSims package includes a simulator which was developed by Professor Bill Buchanan and originally named Network-emulators. The work was undertaken in the Centre for Distributed Computing and Security in the School of Computing at Napier University. Originally it used Flash, but has since evolved using the Microsoft .NET framework.

Certification Areas

The focus of the simulator package is on Cisco certifications including CCNA, CCSP, CCVP, Wireless, and MPLS. There is a good deal of debate on the usage of simulators (such as Boson and NetworkSims) and the usage of emulators (such as Dynamips). At present the emulators give good experience of real-life hardware, but do not quite have the fine-grained assessment of the NetworkSim simulator. It thus looks like there's a place for the two types, to give broad coverage in networking teaching.

See also

• Cisco Packet Tracer
• Network simulator
• Network simulation