netlab release 25.12 (25.12.02 to be exact – I had a few PEBCAK moments) was published last Friday. Here are the highlights:

• Significantly improved Cisco IOS/XR support. With the netlab release 25.12, you can configure VLANs, VRFs, static routes, route redistribution, OSPF default routes, BGP confederations, and BGP local-as
• VXLAN-over-IPv6 on Arista EOS
• VXLAN with ingress replication on Cisco Catalyst 8000v
• The shutdown link/interface attribute can be used to start labs with interfaces turned off
• Large BGP community lists, implemented on Arista EOS, FRR, and Junos. You can use standard- or large community lists in routing policies
• The netlab validate command will reread validation tests from a modified lab topology file every time you run it. It can also read validation tests from a separate file.

We also had to make a few potentially-breaking changes, fixed a bunch of bugs, and added over a dozen small improvements.

You’ll find all the details in the release notes.

Upgrading or Starting from Scratch?

• To upgrade your netlab installation, execute pip3 install --upgrade networklab.
• New to netlab? Start with the Getting Started document and the installation guide.
• Need help? Open a discussion or an issue in netlab GitHub repository.