loading IOS images to GNS3 emulator

I have for the first time installed GNS3, It seemed to be pretty well regarded around the forum. I soon found that It requires IOS images be attached or uploaded to each router. Are there any practical ways for those of us who dont have a cisco support contract to obtain IOS images to upload? I do have a few physical routers that have 12.4 installed. Is it easy to just copy the image from the router to my computer and upload it to GNS3?

Also, so I'm sure, If I have a 12.4 image from one of my physical routers, can that be used for any 12.4 compatible router in GNS3 or do I have to match it to the router model it was pulled from?

any info would be appreciated, thanks.

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Comments

CiskHo

MachX85 wrote: »

I do have a few physical routers that have 12.4 installed. Is it easy to just copy the image from the router to my computer and upload it to GNS3?

Yes

MachX85 wrote: »

Also, so I'm sure, If I have a 12.4 image from one of my physical routers, can that be used for any 12.4 compatible router in GNS3 or do I have to match it to the router model it was pulled from?

They must match. If GNS3 only lets you use 2600s, 3600, and 7200s, then your IOS will have to come from one of those type routers

notgoing2fail

Yeah, what CiskHo said. I learned about GNS3 just over the weekend and started playing with it.

It's limited to only a handful of routers so you have to have the IOS for the router series that it supports. It also doesn't seem to support any catalyst switches so that's a bummer!!!

If you do have one of the supported routers, just copy the IOS to a TFTP server and voila!

copy flash tftp

MachX85

great, thank you. I will start play around with the setup now.