Are you looking to use GNS3 VM 2.2 with VMware Workstation 16 or 17 Pro on Debian 11 or 12? You’re in luck!
This guide will show you how to install and set up a GNS3 VM using VMware Pro on Debian Linux. By the end, you’ll have a GNS3 server ready for your networking experiments. Let’s begin!
Credit: Debian
Learning Why a GNS3 VM is Great for Testing and Practicing Networks
The GNS3 VM, or Virtual Machine, is a Linux-based system bundled with graphical GNS3 software. It acts like a file that runs on your computer with VMware Workstation or VirtualBox.
The main goal of using a GNS3 VM is to keep your computer running. At the same time, you test networks using Cisco or other brands’ IOS images or devices on the server-based system.
With this VM, you can create and try out complex network setups without slowing down your computer. This helps ensure your network is solid before using it for real.
Installing GNS3 VM in Debian PC
Suppose you want to use it on your Windows PC or any other system. You can easily do it by watching our video tutorial or following some simple steps.
These steps will show you how to install and set up it using VMware Pro software on Debian. With this VM, you can create and test different types of networks without any risk, which is really helpful for learning.
- Start by installing GNS3 on Debian, and then set up VMware Workstation on Debian, too. This guide will help you get, install, and set up both programs. Once done, you can begin your virtual networking and computing projects.
- After you’ve installed the necessary software on your PC, make sure to download the GNS3 VM’s OVA file before you start setting it up. This link has important info and instructions you’ll need to configure the GNS3 server correctly.
- To get the GNS3 VM, go to the GNS3 website. Look for the VMware Workstation and Fusion section and download the virtual machine from there. It’s easy to do, and you shouldn’t have any trouble with it.
- To unzip the file you downloaded, go to your Downloads folder. Then, open the terminal, type “unzip filename.zip” (without quotes), and press Enter. This will unpack all the files from the zip folder and place them in their current location.
- First, make sure you’ve unzipped the GNS3 virtual machine file, which should have the OVA extension. Please save it to any folder you want. Then, open the Workstation software to move on to the next steps.
- To open the GNS3 VM.ova file, do this: Go to the tool menu and click on the file, then choose Open. After that, find where you saved the ova file. Once you’ve seen it, click Open to open the file in GNS3.
- When you get to the “Store the new Virtual Machine” window, pick where you want to put the virtual machine. It could be on your computer, on a network, or on an external hard drive. Once you’ve chosen, click the “Import” button to start installing.
- Once you’ve imported the GNS3 virtual server, start it up and see what IP address it gets. To check if it’s connected, use the terminal to ping the virtual server.
- After you’ve installed it, open the GNS3 software, and on the Setup Wizard screen, choose “Run appliances in a virtual machine.”
- Choose the IP address range for the GNS3 server from the list of IP addresses in the Host Binding section.
- Once you’re connected to the GNS3 server, pick VMware on the VM screen and set the number of virtual processor cores to 2 or more.
- Once you’ve picked the server type, double-check the settings in the summary window. When you’re sure everything looks good, go ahead and close the wizard.
- Remember to check the Servers Summary section on the right side of GNS3 to make sure the connection is set up.
Conclusion
Using a GNS3 VM on Debian is perfect for trying out networks without making your computer slow. It’s convenient for network engineers and IT folks who want to try out complex networks without messing up their real ones.
Just follow the stages in this article to set it up on your PC and start exploring different network setups. Whether you’re new to networking or a pro, the GNS3 server is an excellent tool for learning and practicing networks.
If you want to install GNS3 VM on openSUSE but don’t know how to do so, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Our article has a detailed guide that’ll take you through the installation step by step. Whether you’re new to openSUSE or an experienced user, our article will give you all the info you need to start using GNS3 VM quickly.