What is Cisco Packet Tracer?

Cisco Packet Tracer is a network simulation program that allows students to examine and experiment with how networks work.

This world-renowned utility has been developed to provide a network simulation tool that can detect the sending and receiving of packets, configure network devices, and many functions of the network world.

It is represented as an essential part of learning complex technology concepts. It enables network device visualization, design, and simulation by applying theoretical knowledge acquired in Cisco Networking programs. It is an essential program for developing creativity, decision-making, criticality, and problem-solving.

Packet Tracer encourages application, discovery, and troubleshooting, enabling students to build a network of almost unlimited devices. A simulation-based learning environment helps students develop decision-making, creative and critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Packet Tracer includes the Networking Academy curriculum, which allows teachers to quickly launch and demonstrate complex technical concepts and design networking systems.

This will help us avoid errors or know how to implement network services such as DNS, DHCP, and Web in the real world, as it provides the tools to configure participating teams on the network, such as Switch, Router, and Servers, when creating and emulating a network in Packet Tracer.

Cisco Packet Tracer Features

The current version supports basic routing with RIP, OSPF, and EIGRP, as well as several simulated application layer protocols.

Although it simulates functional networks, it uses only a tiny portion of all the features available on the actual hardware running an up-to-date version of the Cisco IOS.

The concept of Packet Tracker is not suitable for simulating production networks because CCNA and CCNP students use it for laboratory simulations.

What Does It Do?

• Provides a visual representation of complex technologies and configurations.
• Allows personalized author instructors with guided activities that provide immediate feedback using the Activity Wizard.
• The courses make it easy to learn many activities, such as individual and group laboratory activities, assignments, assessments, games, network design, troubleshooting, modeling tasks, case studies, and competitions.
• Provides detailed modeling, visualization, animation and exploration, experimentation, and description.
• Supports self-learning outside the classroom.
• Supports social learning processes by enabling collaboration and competition.

It supports most protocols and technologies taught in the Network Academy curriculum: Cisco CCNA Discovery, CCNA Discovery, and CCNA Security and IT Fundamentals, and Cisco CCNP courses can be used to teach concepts.

Advantages

Some of the advantages of using Cisco Packet Tracer include:

1. This utility can simulate, visualize, authorize, and control networks and peripherals.
2. Simulates all functions and features of physical equipment.
3. It has two workspaces called logical and physical; the difference is that in the analytic workspace, it will be possible to design and create logical network topologies by connecting or grouping virtual network devices in the physical workspace. Our logical network’s visual, physical dimension provides a more realistic view of how to position or configure the network devices to be used, such as routers and switches.
4. Packet Tracer combines various geographic locations of networks. We can visualize cities, buildings, or cabling cabins for more network integration.
5. Packet Tracer offers two display modes: real-time mode and simulation mode; As the name suggests, if we use the natural way, each component we configure and integrate will respond instantly in real-time. However, using the simulation mode, we can see details such as control of time intervals, data transfer, or more aspects of the impact on an entire network.
6. Integration of modular devices that simulate hardware to make physical configurations.
7. It has a multi-user peer-to-peer mode where it is possible to manage virtual networks over an entire network.
8. We have an integrated function and an assistant.

An application that allows you to create or design network topologies, configure devices (data link layer and OSI network layer), add packets, simulate the network, and observe how they work, PT supports the following protocols:

HTTP, Telnet, SSH, TFTP, DHCP, DNS, TCP / UDP, IPv4, IPv6, ICMPv4 and ICMPv6, RIP, EIGRP, OSPF Multitasking, static routing and path redistribution, 802.3 and 802.11 Ethernet, HDLC, Frame Relay and PPP, ARP, CDP, STP, RSTP, 802.1q, VTP, DTP, and PAgP.

The PT allows the topology to access each device and configures it as in actual equipment with a very intuitive graphical interface or console equipment interface (CLI). The PT is flexible enough, so simulated PCs in topology have a desktop where you can access the applications we use on the network daily. You can also add PC servers running services such as HTTP, DNS, and TFTP, which you can connect to the web to simulate operations from the scanners of client computers or to save network equipment configurations.

For example, you can watch the video below to install it on a Windows computer.

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