So the best sim is _____________?

WesleyB420

whats the best sim paid for or free?

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I have used Boson NetSim. It is good enough.

milliamp

Boson netsim here too.

I have an 800 series router also though and there is alot to be said for the trial and error of messing up my own stuff and having to fix it.

Longbow

Another vote for Boson, it does everthing you need to complete CCNA.

darkuser

A_REAL_ROUTER

for the price of one of those crappy sims you could have 2 2500's and a serial x-over.

darkuser

sorry ... didn't read the FREE part .....

optimus

The Bosun Netsim should be enough to get you through the CCNA. I know plenty of people that use Netsim plus good books, and they pass.

There are things you can do in Netsim (Frame relay with 4 routers like in one of the labs here), that could drain your pockets on Ebay. However, if you decide to go for a CCNP, most everyone has actual equipment. So for a CCNP I would use a Sim and Real equipment.

Optimus

forbesl

darkuser wrote:

A_REAL_ROUTER

for the price of one of those crappy sims you could have 2 2500's and a serial x-over.

:::::::sound of thunderous applause:::::::::

Longbow

forbesl wrote:

darkuser wrote:

A_REAL_ROUTER

for the price of one of those crappy sims you could have 2 2500's and a serial x-over.

:::::::sound of thunderous applause:::::::::

Considering how much more you can practice/explore with the Boson simulator for the same amount of money, I'd rather have the crappy sim.

networker050184

The sim is "enough" but if you want to actually get in there and learn all the facets of Cisco equipment I'd get the real thing. Sims are usually very buggy and only allow you to do certain predefined labs. I'd much rather do my own thing and mess around with it while watching debugs. That is how your really learn.

marco71

I vote for Cisco's Packet Tracer

IT Man

Am I the only one who used the CCNA Virtual Lab, Gold Edition by Sybex.

sprkymrk

IT Man wrote:

Am I the only one who used the CCNA Virtual Lab, Gold Edition by Sybex.

Nope. I remember using this several years ago when I first got my CCNA. I liked it way better than Bosun, but then again it wasn't free. The free version of Sybex sim was on a par with the free Bosun sim IMO.

LBC90805

marco71 wrote:

I vote for Cisco's Packet Tracer

DING DING DING DING DING, we have a winner. Gutter tell him what he's won!!!

I have both Packet Trace and Boson and prefer Packet Tracer. Though I have not gotten into some of the deeper topics yet in practice such as Frame Relay. I have noticed that at times Boson does get buggy and will not do what you tell it to do.

cambei

Dynamips and Dynagen ftw!

Seriously, don't bother with simulators if you can use dynamips. I am currently using it for 12 router topologies and it runs real IOS, so no silly simulator errors.

I wish I had known about it before I bought a bunch of my kit, would have saved me some money!

mike3

I've barely used Dynamips and loaded an IOS up however, how do you trick the IOS into thinking it is hooked up to another router (IOS)?

cambei wrote:

Dynamips and Dynagen ftw!

Seriously, don't bother with simulators if you can use dynamips. I am currently using it for 12 router topologies and it runs real IOS, so no silly simulator errors.

I wish I had known about it before I bought a bunch of my kit, would have saved me some money!

aragoen_celtdra

+100

I have 5 physical routers at home, but I find myself using dynamip/dynagen 95% of the time to lab up my exercise scenarios.

I hear GNS3 is a good substitute if you don't like Dynagen

cambei wrote:

Dynamips and Dynagen ftw!

Seriously, don't bother with simulators if you can use dynamips. I am currently using it for 12 router topologies and it runs real IOS, so no silly simulator errors.

I wish I had known about it before I bought a bunch of my kit, would have saved me some money!

remyforbes777

Packet Tracer for me although i have not toyed around with Dynamips.

tiersten

cambei wrote:

Dynamips and Dynagen ftw!

Seriously, don't bother with simulators if you can use dynamips. I am currently using it for 12 router topologies and it runs real IOS, so no silly simulator errors.

Only issue with Dynamips/Dynagen/GNS3 is that they don't and won't emulate a switch properly. Some people have used the emulator + a bunch of NICs and a real switch or two to get around this.

marco71

LBC90805 wrote:

marco71 wrote:

I vote for Cisco's Packet Tracer

DING DING DING DING DING, we have a winner. Gutter tell him what he's won!!!
...

... waiting for my prize