Need router-in-a-VM recommendations

I'm attempting to recreate specific network topology maps using both a single and multiple ESXi servers. I'm currently looking at VM-able distros of router/firewall implementations, such as FREESCO, floppyfw, and IPCop to provide the routing functions in my virtual networks. Anyone have any recommendations from their own experiences with such distros and appliances?

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astorrs

A couple more options I've used/seen:

Vyatta Open Networking - The Open-Source Alternative to Cisco

Welcome to XORP

blargoe

I think freesco was the one I used one time when I was in a pickle, worked OK but I wouldn't want to set up anything too complex on it.

If you have a physical L3 capable switch lying around, you could always set up a trunk port on that switch and let it route your VM traffic. That's what we're doing in our lab at my office.

dynamik

+1 for Vyatta.

UnixGeek

Also check out MLN, which adds a layer of abstraction on top of Xen, VMware Server, or User Mode Linux. That extra layer lets you generate a complete internetwork by writing up a text file using blocks like the following for each host:

host tampa {
       superclass hosts
       network eth0 {
               switch tampa
               address 10.0.1.1
               netmask 255.255.255.0
       }
       network eth1 {
               switch lakelandTampa
               address 10.0.3.2
               netmask 255.255.255.0
       }
       network eth2 {
               switch tampaOrlando
               address 10.0.5.1
               netmask 255.255.255.0
       }
}

I used MLN and User Mode Linux to setup routing labs for one of my university's networking classes a couple years ago. Each host used a the same template filesystem that had network goodies like Quagga (routing protocol daemons), tcpdump and a web server pre-loaded.

JDMurray

I'm trying out FreeSCO right now (and so far loving it), but I'll check out MLN too. Thanks for the recommendation.

RobertKaucher

+2 for Vyatta.

jetdynamics

+1 for freesco

Ive been using it and its nice although there's a part that I havent done yet. Would you know how to set it up were it would point the DHCP to a particular DHCP Server? Someone told me about DHCP helper but couldnt find it.

JDMurray

Sorry, I've not used FREESCO with a DCHP server. Are you talking about having FREESCO forward DHCP requests to a specific DHCP server?

My next FREESCO challenge is to get it to startup faster. I need to get rid of the 8-second startup delay and that walking penguin graphic. I made a post to the FREESCO forums, but the response the author gave me was hardly a concise, step-by-step procedure.

jetdynamics

Sorry, I've not used FREESCO with a DCHP server. Are you talking about having FREESCO forward DHCP requests to a specific DHCP server?

YES...I was trying to setup a Lab where I have DHCP server,DNS Im trying to study server environment but I couldn't manage to set it correctly to point to a dhcp server.

awgtek

Anyone know where to download the FreeSCO VM ?

crosario

I've been using m0n0wall and pfSense as gateway/firewall for a few years with great success.

pfSense VM appliances:
VMwareAppliance - PFSenseDocs

m0n0wall VM appliance:
m0n0wall - Download

Give it a try!