gns3.md

GNS3 manual

In this section, we describe all GNS3 panels and functions.

Panels

When you open GNS3 and open or create topology, see something like this image. The list of all panel that you see in GNS3 written as follows. Commonly used command is bolded.

1. Tool bar (1 and 2 for manage project )
   1. New Project (Project Library in other tab)
   2. Open Project

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   3. Manage snapshot
   4. Show/Hide Interfaces

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   5. Console to all devices
   6. Start/Resume all devices
   7. Suspend all devices
   8. Stop all devices
   9. Reload all devices

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   11. Add a note
   12. Insert a picture
   13. Draw rectangle
   14. Draw ellipse
   15. Draw line
   16. Lock/Unlock devices
   17. Zoom in
   18. Zoom out
   19. Take snapshot
2. Network devices
   1. Browse routers
   2. Browse switches
   3. Browse end devices
   4. Browse security devices
   5. Browse all devices (show all device in previous category)
   6. Add link
3. Topology summery
   • List all devices in Topology (Node Name & Console Connection Command)
     • Right click: see all node menus (see Project Devices)
   • In SubItem see all interfaces and link status (capture state, filter state, ...)
     • Right click: see all link menus (see Link)
4. Server summery
   • List all connected server (with system load)
     • SubItem: List all node in selected server
5. Console
   • Print all GNS3 log (docker pull, connection failure, command failed or ...)
6. Topology view
   • Show all node and device with link (The Topology)
   • Add device by dragging device from it's panel (router, switch, host, ...) in to topology
   • Add link between devices by click on link and click on first device and then second device
   • You can group devices, Add label
   • You can organize topology (move/add/delete/config)

Projects

The project in GNS3 is a saved state of topology in disk. You can create, open or load new project. The GNS3 save all configuration for devices except route config (need to enabled in route configuration panel).

New Project

To create new project, you can click on File > New blank project Ctrl+N or click on New project in panel. You can set project name and location and then press OK button.

Open Project

To open GNS3 project you can click on File > Open project Ctrl+O or click on Open project in panel. Also it available in Project panel under New project tab.

You can open recently project under File menu and Project panel under New project tab.

The Project library tab in Project panel, is the list of all project under default GNS3 project path (can see or change in GNS3 preferences). You can delete or duplicate the selected project.

Save Project

The GNS3 save all modification on the topology on each change and not need to save the project. Also GNS3 have File > Save project as menu to save the project with different project name and location.

Export Project

The GNS3 have ability to save all project topology and it's resource like device image (docker, router, ...) and share with other. You can open Export Project dialog by selecting File > Export portable project. If you don't select Include base images, the target GNS3 must loaded the resource before use topology.

Import Project

In GNS3 you can import the exported project with .gns3p or .gns3project. You can open Export Project dialog by selecting File > Import portable project. If the selected portable project don't include the base images, you must load them before start topology.

Delete Project

In the Browse Project dialog, you can delete a project. Also, after open a project, you can delete it by selecting File > Delete Project

Project Devices

The GNS3 support host, switches, router, security devices plus link. You can add device from GNS3 template or import manually from GNS3 Preferences.

To add a new device to your project, you can open device panel and drag device in to your topology.

Hosts

GNS3 support the following host type that can managed in GNS3 > Preferences. The docker host is the lightest host in GNS3. You can add custom host in GNS3 > Preferences.

• docker based
• qemu based
• Virtual-box VM based
• VMware VM based

After you add host to your topology, you can right click on the new host and see menu. You can configure the host, Open console and Auxiliary console (open secondly console in docker host), start/stop/suspend/reload host, change symbol, change ip and etc.

Auxiliary console always run /bin/sh command. You can switch to BASH environment by run bash command

The configure panel of host consist all config that can edited for host. In the below describe each item:

• Name: Host name (has shortcut in host menu)
• Start command: custom start command when you start the host (can add new service startup or config change)
• Adapters: number of host network adapter
• Custom adapters: can edit adaptors name
• Console type: can select between {Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, VNC}
• VNC console resoloution:
• HTTP port in the container: the port number for HTTP and HTTPS that map to outer host and use in browser when click on host and select open console.
• HTTP path: Default HTTP path
• Environment variables: the linux env value
• Network configuration: to edit /etc/network/interfaces of the host. Also you can select Edit config in host menu (a shortcut to edit network configuration)

In the Advanced tab, you can set /etc/hosts file. The syntax of the config is different with the original file. You can set host-name:IP per line to set hosts and IPs map. If you set this parameters, you can use the hostname instead IP in network command. The /etc/hosts file like a local DNS server.

Switch or Hub

In the config panel of Switch and Hub, you can only change the device name and port number.

Router

GNS3 support to emulate Cisco IOS image router with dynamics program. In the newer version, GNS3 support IOU image router for simulation.

By default, router start with default configuration file. In the router console, you can set and apply new configurations. If you want to save new configs in the router to load in next startup, you need to disable Automatically delete NVRAM and disk file in configure panel.

Also you can change the peripheral slots and wic in configuration panel.

Security devices

Some vendor or open source project in security, publish it's software in GNS3 for simulate and debug network such as Fortinet.

link

The link has a small control menu. You can start capture or set some packet filter for each link.

Packet Filter

In the packet filter dialog, Yo can set some link property like:

• Drop: set the Drop pattern (drop a packet every x packets)
• Loss: set loss rate (randomly drop a packet)
• Delay: set packet latency and jitter
• Corrupt: set corruption chance
• BPF: set Berkley packet filter

Packet Capture

In packet capture dialog, you can select link type and pcap file name for capture packet. By default, the wireshark app run after press OK, but you can disable it and save captured file.

GNS3 Web-UI (beta)

You can see beta release of GNS3 web-ui in this link. You need start gns3-server (in local mode of GNS3 you can run gns3-gui. It also run gns3-server) before open this link.

• http://localhost:3080/static/web-ui/bundled

Preferences

You can see GNS3 preferences manual in this link