How to use switch in gns3 | switching labs in gns3

Today i shall show you how to use Cisco switch in gns3. In node panel of gns3 you  could not find any layer2 or layer3 Cisco switch, you cannot use the Cisco 2900 or 3800 series switches in gns3. But there is a way by which you can use your router as switch by using NM-16ESW module in router. In this way you can configure switching protocols like VLAN, STP, VTP ect.

So follow these steps..

• First open the "Symbol Manger" from Edit tab.
• Add a ethernet_switch from  available symbol to customize nodes. Type a name for switch and in Type field assign the Cisco router IOS to switch, in my case i select the  c3600 series and i use the IOS c3640-jk9o3s-mz.124-16a (33MB).

• Click on apply and then on ok button.
• Now you can find a new switch in nodes types.

 

• Now drag this switch on stage and click on configuration and add  NM-16ESW module from slot tap.

• click on OK you may received a message "You must use 'manual mode' to connect a link with a NM-16ESW module". Therefore use the manual method to configure this.

Switching labs in gns3 
Now for test i shall configure two vlan on switch.

 

• Start your switch and check the command in screen-shot for vlan 10, 20.

For complete switching labs visit following posts of blog.   

1. Switch virtual interface SVI configuration on gns3 
2. Inter VLAN on gns3 
3. Hot Standby Router Protocol configuration on GNS3

 

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