The Book of GNS3

Book of GNS3

Build Virtual Network Labs Using Cisco, Juniper, and More
by Jason C. Neumann
July 2015, 272 pp.
ISBN-13: 
9781593275549

Check out the GNS3 project!

GNS3 is open source software that emulates Cisco router and switch hardware to simulate complex networks. You can use GNS3 on any computer to experiment with various router configurations, study for that next big Cisco certification, or build the ubernetwork of your wildest dreams—all without plugging in a single physical network cable.

The Book of GNS3 will teach you how to harness the powerful GNS3 software to create your own virtual networks with Cisco and Juniper devices. Hands-on tutorials throughout show you how to:

  • Configure Cisco IOS and ASA devices in GNS3
  • Add Juniper routers to your projects with VirtualBox and QEMU
  • Connect GNS3’s hub, switch, and cloud devices to physical hardware
  • Integrate Cisco IOU virtual machines for advanced switching features
  • Simulate a Cisco access server to practice managing devices
  • Build bigger labs by distributing project resources across multiple computers

Why set up all of that expensive physical hardware before you know whether it will all work together? Learn how to build virtual networks with The Book of GNS3, and stop reconfiguring your lab every time you want to test something new.

Author Bio 

Jason C. Neumann is an active participant in the GNS3 project, supplying code, moderating forums, and beta testing the software on several platforms. Neumann is also a network engineer with more than 20 years of experience, and holds multiple certifications from Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Novell, and VMware. He is the author of Cisco Routers for the Small Business (Apress).

Table of contents 

Introduction

Chapter 1: What is GNS3?
Chapter 2: Installing a Basic GNS3 System
Chapter 3: Configuration
Chapter 4: Creating and Managing Projects
Chapter 5: Integrating Hosts and Using Wireshark
Chapter 6: Juniper Olive and vSRX Firefly
Chapter 7: Device Nodes, Live Switches, and the Internet
Chapter 8: Cisco ASA, IDS, and IOS-XRv
Chapter 9: Cisco IOS on Unix and NX-OSv
Chapter 10: Cool Things to Do on a Rainy Day
Chapter 11: Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

Appendix A: Cisco Hardware Compatible with GNS3
Appendix B: Cisco NM-16ESW Unsupported Features

View the detailed Table of Contents (PDF)
View the Index (PDF)

Reviews 

"If you would like a much smoother on-boarding process of learning the software and a better understanding of all that can be accomplished using GNS3, I would recommend starting out with The Book of GNS3 as your guide."
—404 Tech Support

"If you want to learn how to build virtual network labs, try The Book of GNS3"
—Richard Bejtlich, TaoSecurity and author of The Practice of Network Security Monitoring"

"This book provides some real insights into how many of the real-world devices you’ll be emulating actually work."
—Steve Mansfield-Devine, editor of Elsevier's Network Security Newsletter