GNS3 VM On Hyper-V

With Windows 10 Pro, you have the option of using a Windows native hypervisor called Hyper-V. It’s included with the OS so you don’t have to pay the high price of something like VMWare Workstation while still getting great performance. I set it up with the default option of using Dynamic Memory so that it won’t use much ram until you start adding a lot of routers and switches and it will scale up the VM’s available RAM as needed. I simulated the INE CCIE R/S topology on it with 20 routers and 5 switches, and sat at around 6GB memory consumption of the VM and my total system ram usage right up at 7.6GB of 8GB total. I didn’t notice any issues at all though, and I think that Hyper-V will scale the VM back and give more to the host if it needs it. Overall it feels much better than using VMWare Player which always opened up a window when starting GNS3. With this option, you just set Hyper-V to boot your VM automatically when you boot your desktop and it will always be in the background, available for you to use as a remote sever from GNS3.

If you give your VM a static IP, you can even setup a VPN so you can remotely access the lab from anywhere you have the internet.

What it looks like running INE’s full CCIE RS v5 topology

Requirements

• Windows 10 Pro / Education / Enterprise
• Hyper-V feature enabled
• 8GB ram

Just give me the VHDX

Username: gns3 Password: gns3

Hyper-V Image

How-to build your own

0. Download Ubuntu 16.04 Server
1. Create a Virtual Switch
   • Action -> Virtual Switch Manager
   • Create Virtual Switch
     • Chose External so you can access it from other computers on your network and the internet
   • Name it GNS3 VM Switch
   • Bind it to whatever interface gets to the internet
2. Make a New VM
   • Action -> New -> Virtual Machine
   • Name -> GNS3 VM
   • Choose Gen 2
   • I use 1024MB RAM, and allow Dynamic Memory to add more if needed
   • Connect it to GNS3 VM Switch
   • Create a virtual hard disk - I used 20GB
   • Install an operating system from a bootable image file
     • Browse to where you downloaded your Ubuntu server iso
3. Change secure boot to Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority and Set Auto Boot
   • VM Settings -> Security -> Template -> Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority
   • VM Settings -> Automatic Start Action
     • Always start this virtual machine automatically
4. Install Ubuntu
   • Connect and power on the VM
   • Install Ubuntu Server
   • Enter 5x for US layout
   • Hostname: gns3vm
   • Full name is optional
   • Username: gns3
   • Password: gns3
   • Use weak password: yes (up to you obviously)
   • Encrypt: no
   • Timezone: up to you
   • Partition Disks: I use all defaults here
     • LVM
     • SCSI1
     • Write Changes: Yes
     • Amount of volume group to use: default - enter
     • Force UEFI: Yes
     • Write Changes: Yes
   • HTTP Proxy: blank
   • Install security updates automatically
   • Scroll down and choose OpenSSH server with the space bar
   • Installation Complete - Continue
5. Configure Ubuntu and Install GNS3 Server

   • Login with gns3/gns3

   • Get the mac address and create a static entry in your dhcp server

     ip add
     

     • get the mac of eth0
     • reboot to get new lease

     sudo reboot
     

   • You can now ssh to your VM on the address you reserved

     sudo apt update; sudo apt upgrade
     

   • Its usually worth a restart after your first upgrade to get the latest kernel

     sudo reboot
     

   • Install GNS3

     sudo -s
     
     add-apt-repository ppa:gns3/ppa
     apt update
     apt install gns3-server
     apt install gns3-iou
     

     nano /etc/systemd/system/gns3.service
     

     • Paste this in
     • ctrl+o, ctrl+x to save and exit
     • enable and start the gns3 service
       • systemctl enable gns3
       • systemctl start gns3
       • systemctl status gns3 to verify it’s active (running)
6. Configure GNS3 to Point to Your Remote Server
   • Edit -> Preferences -> Server -> Remote Servers
     • Add, just update the Host to the IP of your VM that you reserved earlier
   • When you go to add IOU devices, choose remote computer and run on the IP you chose.
   • If you have issues with your iourc just paste it manually in ~/.iourc under your gns3 account