6

I'm looking for an open-source network simulator. I'd want to simulate different topologies, ie: Bus, Star, Ring, Tree, etc...

It doesn't matter for me to simulate a Cisco product, only interconnecting nodes, and generic switches/routers, and show behaviour of different topologies, etc. It could be nice that such a software didn't need one entire day of studying its documentation to use it.

The software should preferably run on Linux.

Improve this question
4
  • 1
    Simulate for what purpose?
    – Croad Langshan
    Commented Aug 22, 2015 at 18:26
  • 1
    Is for students that are learning networking
    – sebelk
    Commented Aug 22, 2015 at 18:28
  • 1
    Imunes looks like something that you could use
    – Aiden Grossman
    Commented Aug 22, 2015 at 20:10
  • Did you ever choose a tool? If so, awarding an answer would help others who read this question in future, just as people here have tried to help you
    – Mawg
    Commented Aug 14, 2018 at 11:56

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
5

I would definitely check out this guide, Open-Source Network Simulators. They all run on either Linux or BSD. The simulators included in the guide are,

Improve this answer
3

Netkit is the best suited tool for your opensource tool.

http://wiki.netkit.org/index.php/Main_Page

Netkit is an environment for setting up and performing networking experiments at low cost and with little effort. It allows to "create" several virtual network devices (full-fledged routers, switches, computers, etc.) that can be easily interconnected in order to form a network on a single PC. Networking equipments are virtual but feature many of the characteristics of the real ones, including the configuration interface.

Improve this answer
2
  • I think this @prasad is who understood better what I'm looking for, I will take it a look.
    – sebelk
    Commented Aug 24, 2015 at 1:33
  • Naive question, please don't laugh: do you know if Netkit, or any other solutions Tom suggested, would allow to simulate "a sample part" of the Internet?
    – red-o-alf
    Commented Jan 26, 2018 at 3:18
2

Recently I have been preparing myself to pass the CCIE R&S exam and I've found that combination of GNS3 and Cisco IOU is very useful and could be suffusion, also if you going through study DC you can run titanium IOV over VMWare to simulate N7K, and sure you can use the image of n1000 to simulate the n1000 virtual switch top of UCS. So it really depends on what your studying to choose a network simulator that works for you.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Can you edit this so that is better to read and add links to the other products you mention?
    – user416
    Commented Aug 23, 2015 at 14:17
1

I'd recommend http://imunes.net/ It uses Docker for L3 nodes (Quagga in routers) and Open vSwitch for L2 nodes so basically you get "real" Linux machines connected with "real" switches. Note that it doesn't have any special support for bus or other topologies but you can use the GUI to construct those topologies.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.