Cisco Packet Tracer

Overview

June 2014
 • Cisco Packet Tracer Overview
• Packet Tracker Key Features
• Packet Tracer 6.1
• Packet Tracer Key Benefits
• Summary

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• Comprehensive networking technology teaching and learning software developed by
Cisco Networking Academy

• Offers a unique combination of realistic simulation and visualization experiences,

complex assessment and activity authoring capabilities, and opportunities for multiuser
collaboration and competition

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• Innovative features help students and teachers
collaborate, solve problems, and learn concepts in an
engaging and dynamic social environment
• Supports lectures, group and individual labs,
homework, exams, games, collaborations and
competitions
• Allows instructors to easily teach and demonstrate
complex technical concepts and networking systems
design
• Helps students develop important 21st century skills

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• Students who explore and experiment using Packet Tracer develop intellectual curiosity and
critical thinking skills.
• Packet Tracer’s visually rich simulation environment facilitates comprehension of complex
technology concepts.
• Students who troubleshoot networks using Packet Tracer develop problem solving skills.

• Students who design and build virtual networks using Packet Tracer improve their innovation and
creativity skills.
• Students who explore concepts at their own pace in Packet Tracer’s safe, virtual environment gain
confidence in their decision making skills and abilities.
• Using Packet Tracer for team collaboration and competition activities builds social,
communication, and negotiation skills.

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 Simulate IOS Commands

Visualize Network Traffic

Collaborate on
Multiuser Activities

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• Anyone can author, the PT Activity Wizard guides you
• The process is basically write instructions, build a correct answer network, specify
grading, specify an initial network, save

• Ability to create your own learning

activities, tasks, labs, games and complex
assessments
• Build scaffolded learning experiences,
formative and summative assessments

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 Instructors can localize, edit, or enhance existing activities using the Activity Wizard

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 • PT is a network-capable (peer to peer) application, using the real network (TCP socket
connections) to carry the Packet Tracer virtual packets
• The PT application running on one computer can communicate with the PT application
running on 1 or more other computers
• This connectivity between multiple instances of PT supports teamwork, classroom
games, collaboration, competition, remote instructor-student interaction, and social
networking
• Packet Tracer traffic is isolated to prevent any access to external equipment keeping
your school network secure.

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 3 Packet Tracer instances interacting via
Packet Tracer Messaging Protocol (PTMP)

Real TCP
Socket
Connection

PC 1 PC 2
Real TCP Real TCP
Socket Socket
Connection Connection

PC 3

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 Instructor console view of multiuser “Relay Instructor console view of multiuser “King
Race” game of the Hill” game

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 • Logical and Physical Workspaces • Activity Wizard, Lab grading
• Real-Time and Simulation Modes • Multiuser functionality
• User friendly Command Line • Multiple platform support
Interface (CLI)
• Multiple language support
• Global event list (packet sniffer)
• Integrated Help and Tutorials
• LAN, switching, TCP/IP, routing, and
WAN protocols

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 • Learning theories stress early hands-on experiences
• Key components of Networking Academy e-learning strategy include
In-person, hands-on labs with real equipment
Online curriculum and assessment
Cisco Packet Tracer
Instructor
Collaboration Tools

• Learning cycles alternating both Packet Tracer activities and in-person, hands-on
lab experiences with real equipment are a best practice for teaching CCNA-level
networking to beginners

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• Supports the majority of protocols and technologies taught in CCNA Routing and Switching, and
CCNA Security, and can also be used to teach concepts from IT Essentials and CCNP courses

Students Launch Packet Tracer Directly From CCNA Curricula to Access Activities That Reinforce the
Curriculum

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• IOS 15 - Models new devices and IOS
licensing
• IPv6 - IPv6 desktop config. IPv6 Tunnel over
IPv4, CBACv6
• HSRP - Hot Standby Routing Protocol
• Graded Circling Tool - Model the key
classroom interaction of “circling” aspects of
networks
• Isomorphs - Isomorphs with varying IP
addresses, device names, & topology
orientations

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 New Features Description
IPv6 Enhancements IPv6 desktop configuration
IPv6 Tunnel over IPv4
Context-Based Access Control (CBAC)
Support Cisco ISR 1941, 2901, New Cisco devices
2911, ASA5505 and IOS 15 New IOS licensing mechanism
HSRP (Hot Standby Routing High availability gateways and load balancing
Protocol)
Enhanced modeling of hands-on PC firewall + terminal server + async octal
lab environments cable + server with 2 NICs + ACL Sequence
number
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Benefits
Up-to-date practice, feedback, assessment, and gaming
for ALL learners as the world moves to the IPv6 vision
of an “internet of Things”
Enhance opportunities to practice on new Cisco
products and new IOS licensing mechanism
Enhance opportunities to practice with redundancy
Enable increased comparison and contrast of the
simulated Packet Tracer environment to the hands-on
lab environments
Enhance “learning by modeling”
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 New Features Description
Next Generation Performance Isomorphs with varying IP addresses, device
Exams names and topology orientations
Problem injection & event feedback
Variable Manager
Graded Circling Tool Ability to annotate the topology and have
them graded as the authors specify
Save as Common Cartridge PT file operations now support metadata (web
page info, tags)
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Benefits
Address exam security by creating tasks at the same
level-of-difficulty with vary “surface” features
Enables a wide variety of practice, feedback, intelligent
tutoring, and game-like experiences
Model the key classroom interaction of “circling”
aspects of networks like collision and broadcast
domains, IP subnets, VLANs, OSPF areas, etc.
Enable LTI/CC interoperability in future technology
phases
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New Features Description Benefits

Under the Hood Code Increased use of Coverity Code Analysis More efficiently running code for users
Improvements
More of model exposed via API Improved bug identification

Script Module Enhancements More powerful PT Ecosystem products that use the API
and Script Module features

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 Server with 2 NICs

Host Based Firewalls

HSRP

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  Makes teaching easier by providing a multiuser environment for instructors (and free to NetAcad
students) to easily teach complex technical concepts

 Makes learning easier by providing a realistic simulation and visualization environment for
exploration, experimentation and explanation

 Instructors and students can create their own virtual “network worlds” for teaching and learning
networking concepts and technologies

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• Ability to teach complex networking concepts
Demonstrate technologies and configurations
Author custom guided activities, labs and assessments with immediate
feedback using the Activity Wizard
Use for lecture demonstration, individual and group labs, homework,
assessments, games, network design, troubleshooting and modeling
tasks, reinforcement of hands-on lab activities, case studies, competitions

• Supplements classroom equipment and provides

complementary learning opportunities that are not possible in
the classroom alone
• Supports social learning processes via multiuser
collaboration and competition

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• Provides a free practice and visualization environment for
the design, configuration and troubleshooting of network
environments
Observe virtual packets in controlled time as they travel through your
network

• Allows practice outside of the physical classroom and lab

(home computers, mobile laptops)
Create and configure much larger topologies than possible with physical
equipment available

• Provides a rich learning environment beyond standard

networking technology instructional practices
Provides valuable hands-on expertise to help you succeed in the
classroom and on the job

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 Packet Tracer is a powerful network simulation program that allows students to experiment with
network behavior and ask “what if” questions

Makes teaching and learning network technologies easier

Not intended to replace experiences with real equipment, but rather to complement them

A laboratory for teaching and learning; you can experiment, you can create your own virtual
network “world”

Helps students develop 21st century skills such as decision making, creative and critical thinking,
and problem solving

Packet Tracer is an integral part of the Networking Academy comprehensive learning experience

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• Packet Tracer is available free to all Networking Academy instructors, students and
alumni
• To download Packet Tracer, log in to Cisco NetSpace, click Offerings > CCNA > Cisco
Packet Tracer, then select your download package

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 The following Packet Tracer resources are available on Cisco NetSpace > Offerings >
CCNA > Cisco Packet Tracer
• FAQs
• At A Glance
• Overview Presentation
• Packet Tracer 6.1 Executables
Windows
Linux
Linux – Ubuntu installation

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• Access the global instructor community for questions, discussions, collaboration, and
activity sharing: Cisco NetSpace > Communities > Packet Tracer

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Thank you.