Packet Tracer

Packet Tracer

Packet Tracer is a simulator provided by CISCO Systems, Inc. It means that Packet Tracer is proprietary. You have to buy a license to use Packet Tracer.

What does Packet Tracer do?

It is a simulator which simulates the behavior of CISCO equipments like Routers and Switches.

According to the Website of CISCO

“Cisco Packet Tracer is a powerful network simulation program that allows students to experiment with network behavior and ask “what if” questions. As an integral part of the Networking Academy comprehensive learning experience, Packet Tracer provides simulation, visualization, authoring, assessment, and collaboration capabilities and facilitates the teaching and learning of complex technology concepts”

Yes, no doubt Packet Tracer is a powerful tool (not as much powerful for the persons which works in IT industry for many years) for students. It is mainly developed for the students who want to learn and want to qualify for CCNA Exams. Although many tools are available to simulate the behavior of computer network.

 I used Packet Tracer and many occasions I liked it and in many occasions I disliked it. As it provides so many features to like it but this software sometime irritates you too.

When I like Packet Tracer?

PT provides so many features to the students what I like in PT are:

·         It provides you to see the different packets flowing around a network and makes you understand that what packet is carrying and how it is moving around the network. It is a nice feature for beginner to learn and understand the flow of network and to know that what kind of packets a device can generate.

·         Servers can easily be made. Servers are special and I would rather say the most important element of data communication.PT provides very easy way by just clicking and making some small configuration rather than installing specific software’s installed in machine.

·         Through PT you can simulate a variety of CISCO devices which is no doubt leading the Networking Company. CISCO switches have proprietary ASICS and you cannot simulate in any open source software like GNS3.

When I don’t like Packet Tracer

Like so many soft wares there are flaws and bugs in PT. I am just writing some flaws that make me irritate sometime

·         NO BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY: This is the big flaw which makes me irritate. If you have a file in PT v 6.1 and you want to run it on its previous version like PT v 6.0, it will not run in PT v 6.0 (Thanks for thatL).I don’t like it because we don’t know that which kind of PT version no is running on others computer. Even though you can run you files of earlier versions of PT’s file to newer versions which makes me relax somehow but there should be universal file format that files from any version of PT should run in any PT version. CISCO’s developers should develop this kind of file format.

·         BUGGY BEHAVIOR IN IPv6 SIMULATION: Yes that’s right PT is still not powerful to completely handle the IPv6 Simulation. But hopes are alive because it will soon get this feature very well handled by the developers of PT.

·         SOME COMMANDS ARE LEFT OUT: Yes there are some commands that are not present in PT. One example is pipeline “|” this feature is not supported in PT. It helps to redirect the output of one command to another command.

All soft ware’s have their pros and cons but if you want to use Packet Tracer it will help you to learn about how the network work but the license is the major hurdle if you want to use Packet Tracer. You have to register yourself in CISCO’S learning academy (www.netacad.com) to get the copy of Packet Tracer.

I liked this simulator. I used it a lot but when you get some maturity you want to move to real equipments or the simulators which can provide you the real feel of a device, that’s why GNS3 is the rival of Packet Tracer.

For a newbie, PT is a smart and good choice but for the passionate learner who want to dig down many things about network then GNS3 is pretty good and using real equipments is the best and smart choice.(Using a real equipment is smart choice for everyone, after all every network associate has to handle the real routers, switches and devices. )

There are also many tools available for learning about the network behavior. Some are commercial and some are open source. You can choose any tool that makes you comfortable. The main goal is to learn about devices and their behavior.

In last I urge and suggest that there should be a common file system. By file system I mean here the file extensions. Suppose we all want to use Microsoft Office but it has several versions and extensions. So if we have so many extensions then why not we have a extension that every version of Microsoft Office understand and even any word processor. If we have a common file extension then we can use file of PT to GNS3 and vice versa. Doesn’t it sound pretty cool thing?

Note: I have use PT several times in my post. It represents Packet Tracer (PT).

Note: This is not the criticism on Packet Tracer. I only shared my thoughts and opinion. You can agree with me or you can disagree with me, after all you have your own opinion.