Build Virtual Labs with netlab
The netlab tool will help you be more proficient once you decide to drop GUI-based network simulators and build your labs using CLI and infrastructure-as-code principles.
Getting Started
- Overview
- Build Your Virtual Lab Faster with netlab
- Python Package and Unified CLI
- Network Topology Graphs
- Start a Virtual Lab with a Single Command
- Custom Groups and Deployment Templates
- Build Vagrant Boxes for Your Network Devices
- netsim-tools (now netlab) on the Modem Podcast
- Everything Is Better with a GUI (even netlab)
Getting Started Videos
Usage Guidelines
- Configure Hardware Labs with netlab
- Mix Containers and VMs in the Same Lab Topology
- Start Large netlab Topologies in Smaller Batches
- Start Multiple Lab Instances on the Same Server
- Change Stub Networks into Loopbacks
Using VRFs and VLANs
- Creating VRF Lite Labs With netlab
- Creating MPLS/VPN Labs With netlab
- Simple VLAN Example
- VLAN Trunk Example
- Combining VLANs with VRFs
- VRF Lite Topology with VLAN Trunks
- Router-on-a-Stick Example
- IRB with Anycast Gateways
- Building a Layer-2 Fabric
Using VXLAN and EVPN
- Simple VXLAN Bridging
- Simple EVPN/VXLAN Bridging
- VXLAN Router-on-a-Stick Example
- VRF Lite over VXLAN Transport
Use Cases and Tutorials
- Building Unnumbered Ethernet Lab with netlab
- Katacoda Scenario: netlab with Containerlab and FRRouting
- Creating BGP Multipath Lab
- Anycast Works Just Fine with MPLS/LDP
- Optimal BGP Path Selection with BGP Additional Paths
- Building a BGP Anycast Lab
- Sample Lab: RSVP TE on Junos
- Sample Lab: SR-MPLS on Junos and SR Linux
- Using netlab with containerlab: Welcome to the World of Tomorrow
- Largest netlab Topology I've Seen So Far
- Suspending Devices in netlab Labs
- DHCP Relaying Lab
- VRF-Aware DHCP Relaying Lab
- DHCP Relaying in VXLAN Segments
Customizing and Extending netlab
- Introducing netlab Plugins
- Multi-Platform Custom Configuration Templates
- Using Custom Vagrant Boxes with netlab
Contributing
Release Notes
- Larger Lab Topologies (Release 1.5.0)
- Cisco IOS XRv, MPLS on FRR (Release 1.4.3)
- Juniper vMX and Junos/CSR1000v Features (Release 1.4.2)
- vagrant-libvirt Dependency Hell
- Cisco ASAv (Release 1.4.1)
- EVPN Asymmetric IRB, Anycast Gateways, VRRP (Release 1.4.0)
- Mikrotik RouterOS 7, Additional EVPN Platforms (Release 1.3.2)
- BGP local-as, FRR and Cumulus Data Plane Enhancements (Release 1.3.1)
- VXLAN and EVPN (Release 1.3)
- netsim-tools Renamed to netlab
- VLAN Module Is Complete (Release 1.2.4)
- VLANs, Hardware Labs, VRF Loopbacks (Release 1.2.2)
- More MPLS and VRFs, Dell OS10, Cumulus 5.0 on Containerlab (Release 1.2.1)
- MPLS Support (Release 1.2.0)
- netsim-tools Release 1.1.3
- New netlab Installation Instructions
Archive of Older Release Notes
- netsim-tools Release 1.1.4
- netsim-tools Release 1.1.2
- Just Out: netsim-tools Release 1.1
- netsim-tools: New in December 2021
- Mikrotik RouterOS and VyOS Support
- netsim-tools Release 1.0
- Cumulus VX and Nokia SR Linux Containers
- Cumulus VX, EIGRP, and BGP IPv6 AF
- netsim-tools release 0.6.2
- BGP, IS-IS, SR-MPLS, FRR
- Netsim-tools Release 0.5 Work with Containerlab
- Unnumbered Interfaces, Configuration Modules, OSPF
- VirtualBox Support
- Dual Stack Addressing, Junos vSRX Support