Cisco Modeling Labs
Cisco's network simulation platform with licensed Cisco images, a web UI and an API.
- Verified facts
- 8 of 8
- Alternatives ranked
- 2
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About Cisco Modeling Labs
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is Cisco's on-premises network simulation platform. It runs on a workstation or server and lets you design, start and troubleshoot topologies of virtual Cisco devices such as IOS, IOS-XE, NX-OS and IOS-XR, alongside included open-source nodes, third-party KVM virtual machines and Docker containers. The big difference from GNS3 or EVE-NG is that CML ships with licensed Cisco reference images, so there's no need to find images yourself. Labs are managed through an HTML5 web interface and a full API with a Python client library, which makes it useful for NetDevOps work with Ansible, Terraform and pyATS. There's a free tier limited to five nodes with no expiry, Personal and Personal Plus licences for single users studying for CCNA, DevNet or CCIE, and Enterprise and Education editions for teams and schools. Personal licences are capped at a fixed number of nodes and include community support only.
Best for: Cisco certification students and network teams who want official Cisco images in their labs.
Pros and cons
What works
- Licensed Cisco images included
- Full API and Python client for automation
- Free tier with no expiry date
- Enterprise edition adds multi-user and clustering
Why people leave
- Free tier is limited to five nodes
- Personal licences cannot be expanded beyond their node cap
- Mostly focused on Cisco gear
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Cisco Modeling Labs: common questions
Is Cisco Modeling Labs free?
Cisco Modeling Labs has a free plan and paid plans. Free tier: 5 nodes, no expiry (checked on Cisco Modeling Labs's own site).
Is Cisco Modeling Labs open source?
No, Cisco Modeling Labs is not open source. Open-source alternatives include GNS3.
What platforms does Cisco Modeling Labs run on?
Cisco Modeling Labs is available for Web and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Cisco Modeling Labs?
The highest-ranked Cisco Modeling Labs alternatives right now are GNS3 and EVE-NG. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.