If you need a tool to manage your home network or some more complex ones, there is one totally free application that will help you create a virtual laboratory so you can test all connections before setting up your physical network.
It is essential if you are going to need numerous devices in a new house or if, on the contrary, you want manage all of them in one you already havewith incredible possibilities like adding your own room plan.
The tool in question is called Cisco Packet Tracer and is available for free through the link of the course in question to learn how to use it, Introduction to Cisco Packet Tracer, which you can access from here.
To start using it, you will need to have an account in the CISCO academy, in addition to having previously logged in to the tab called Skills for all, perfect whether you are a user who wants to learn or if you already have knowledge in network management.
Although it may seem like a blank canvas that is difficult to fill at first if you have never faced an application, yes, it is easier than it seems and you will be able to test different configurations on your networks at home or an office.
So you can use Cisco Packet Tracer to configure all your devices and test them in a virtual laboratory without affecting your network.
How to create a home network
Cisco Packet Tracer is in English, so it is It is very convenient that you master the language, although you can use it also quite intuitively. Thanks to this, creating a network at home is really simple and accessible.
The first thing you have to do is configure the router or the device with which you are going to have access to the Internet; For this, there are 2 essential functionalities.
If you are going to try the map of your home to know where each device is, it is best to directly add the plan of your house or apartmentan option available in the top tools tab, from the upload an image function.
Once you have all your rooms, the best thing is that create a closet to house your different equipment. For example, a router, switch or any other that you are going to place here.
The room where the router is located will be the main room to get internet with a good connectionso thinking carefully before placing it is mandatory. From here, you can switch between the physical and logical location – top left.
Physics is what will allow you see where your office is located in a cityin addition to seeing the different cabinets – or rack – that you have placed in your room, as well as accessing physical components, such as the different connection cables and the on/off buttons.
Regarding the choice of devices, they are selected from the lower left tab, where you can locate different terminals, such as network terminals –where you will find the routers–, the final ones –mobile phones, desktop or laptop computers– or IoT –light bulbs, alarms, sensors, etc.–.
To create your virtual home network, place on the map that you have uploaded as an image all the devices that have a connection to the main router and go to the tab, in the same section as the devices, illustrated with a kind of lightning bolt, that of the cables.
Everything works like a real connection, so you will need to choose the Ethernet0 port on the router if you want to send a wired connection to a nearby PC, as you see in the example, to the appropriate port on the computer.
From the end device, you have several settings available if you need to fix a failed connection, access the web browser, or directly access the command terminal to obtain information.
As you have seen, Cisco Packet Tracer has countless features that can make it easier for you to view your connected home with an application suitable for all audiences.