Packet Tracer 3.2 Usage

Editing Routers

Simple Mode On

With Simple Mode on, a GUI is used to configure routers (make sure that Console Mode is off). This allows novices to create simple routed networks before they have learned Cisco IOS. You can toggle the power, change the name, and enable or disable DHCP on the router. You can also copy the running configuration to the startup configuration by clicking the save button. Similarly, you can erase the startup configuration by clicking the erase button. These features are equivalent to the copy run start and erase start IOS commands. You can write a description for the router by clicking the Information button. You can also configure each port individually in the "Port Config" panel, create static routes in the "Static Routing" panel, or configure dynamic routing in the "Dynamic Routing" panel.

> Port Configuration

> | In port configuration, you can edit the parameters of each available port on the router. These include the power status, bandwidth, duplex setting, MAC Address, IP address, and subnet mask. You can choose the port to configure by clicking on one of the existing ports (0-5 in this example). You can also use the keyboard number keys (0-9) to quickly jump to the desired port.
> | To add a new port, click on an empty port slot, and select a port type from the drop down menu.
> | To remove a port, first go to the port, then click on its icon again, and choose "Remove" from the drop down menu.
> | The CONSOLE port on the router is different from other port types. Here, you can configure the parameters of the console port. These parameters affect the outcome of a console session attempt from a PC. The parameters on the console port of the router and the connected PC must be set in certain ways for the console session to be successful. For more information regarding Console Mode, see the "Editing PCs" section.

> Static Routing

> | In static routing, you can set the gateway of last resort, and can add any number of static routes.

> Dynamic Routing

> | Dynamic Routing is set to "Automatic" by default . To configure Dynamic Routing, first uncheck the "Automatic" check box, then add the desired networks.

Simple Mode Off

> With Simple Mode off (make sure that Console Mode is off), you can configure the router via a command line interface using Cisco IOS. You can still toggle the power and add/remove ports graphically. In this mode, you can create router configurations not available in Simple Mode, such as those with access lists and NAT. Click here for a complete listing of all supported commands.

> You may copy the text from the command line interface and use it in a variety of ways. For example, you may use show running-config, copy the running configuration, paste it to another application and upload this configuration to an actual router. Note that you'll have to edit these configurations (for example to reflect the existing interfaces on the real router) for this to work. In this way you can do large parts of your configuration tasks in Packet Tracer, off-line of real routers. This allows more efficient use of precious time on the real routers.

Console Mode On

> | When Console Mode is on (regardless of whether Simple Mode is on or off), you can only toggle the power, change the name, and add/remove ports on the router graphically. Any other configuration must be done via a console session from a PC. See "Editing PCs" for more information.