Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Mininet VS Cisco Packet Tracer

Compare Mininet VS Cisco Packet Tracer and see what are their differences

Mininet logo Mininet

Mininet is a robust and inexpensive Instant Virtual Network designed to function on standard PCs like Laptops and Desktops.

Cisco Packet Tracer logo Cisco Packet Tracer

Download Cisco Packet Tracer, an innovative network simulation and visualization tool used by Cisco Networking Academy students and instructors.
  • Mininet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-21
  • Cisco Packet Tracer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-04

Mininet features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Mininet provides a simple and user-friendly interface, allowing users to easily create and manage network topologies without requiring extensive knowledge of network configurations.
  • Cost-Effective
    Since Mininet is an open-source software, it is available for free, making it a cost-effective solution for educational and experimental purposes in networking.
  • Rapid Prototyping
    Mininet enables the quick creation and deployment of network prototypes, which is ideal for testing new ideas and configurations without the need for physical hardware.
  • Scalability
    With the ability to emulate large networks on a single machine or scale out with multiple machines using virtualization, Mininet offers flexibility in terms of scalability.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Mininet supports a wide range of networking protocols and integrates well with other networking tools, providing a comprehensive ecosystem for network research and development.

Possible disadvantages of Mininet

  • Performance Limitations
    Being an emulation tool, Mininet might not perfectly mimic the performance of a real network, particularly for highly demanding network applications.
  • Complexity in Large Scale
    Managing very large network topologies can become complex and cumbersome, requiring careful configuration and resource management.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running large or complex network simulations on Mininet can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial CPU and memory allocation, which can be limiting on less powerful machines.
  • Limited Real-World Testing
    While Mininet is excellent for prototyping and testing, it may not fully replicate the behavior of networks in real-world environments, potentially missing aspects related to physical hardware limitations.
  • Learning Curve
    Although Mininet is generally user-friendly, there is still a learning curve associated with effectively using the tool, especially for those unfamiliar with command-line interfaces and network configurations.

Cisco Packet Tracer features and specs

  • Free for Students
    Cisco Packet Tracer is accessible for free to students enrolled in Cisco Networking Academy courses, making it an economical option for educational purposes.
  • Comprehensive Simulation
    The tool provides a detailed and accurate simulation of network operations, allowing users to create complex network topologies and understand real-world networking scenarios.
  • Educational Tool
    Designed as a learning tool, Packet Tracer includes various tutorials, labs, and assessments that help students understand networking concepts more thoroughly.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Cisco Packet Tracer is available for multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, thus accommodating a wide range of users.
  • Collaborative Features
    The software supports multi-user collaboration, allowing teams to work together on network projects in real-time.

Possible disadvantages of Cisco Packet Tracer

  • Limited to Cisco Devices
    As a Cisco product, Packet Tracer primarily focuses on Cisco devices and protocols, which may not encompass all the needs for those interested in a multi-vendor environment.
  • Resource-Intensive
    Packet Tracer can be demanding on system resources, necessitating modern hardware to run complex simulations smoothly.
  • Learning Curve
    For beginners, the interface and abundance of features can be overwhelming, requiring a significant time investment to become proficient.
  • Limitations in Network Scope
    While Packet Tracer is robust for many educational scenarios, it has limitations in simulating larger, more complex networks compared to professional tools.
  • Lack of Real-World Interactivity
    Despite its detailed simulation capabilities, Packet Tracer cannot fully replicate the intricacies and variability of real-world network conditions.

Mininet videos

Introduction to Mininet

More videos:

  • Review - Review mininet by jaring kambing gunung
  • Review - Samsung F300 Review Unboxing MiniNET.si

Cisco Packet Tracer videos

Review Cisco Packet Tracer

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Mininet and Cisco Packet Tracer)
Simulation Software
44 44%
56% 56
Tool
30 30%
70% 70
Technical Computing
35 35%
65% 65
Network & Admin
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Mininet and Cisco Packet Tracer. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mininet seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Mininet mentions (3)

  • How do I learn the basics and beyond of networking?
    You can learn routing even on a host in Linux with iptables as well as Linux network namespaces via mini net http://mininet.org/ etc. once you’re comfortable there you can start looking at docker networking and also frr as well as gns3 or eve-ng running virtualized routers. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Reverse Engineering a mysterious UDP stream in my hotel
    Or instead of using Docker, you can also get a Mininet VM, (optionally) install a desktop environment on it and create any manner of network configurations to tinker with, and use Wireshark to analyse traffic. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Cloudflare outage on June 21, 2022
    You can learn BGP with mininet: https://mininet.org/ You can simulate arbitrarily large networks and internetworks with this, provided you have the hardware to run a large enough number of virtual appliances, but they are pretty lightweight. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago

Cisco Packet Tracer mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Cisco Packet Tracer yet. Tracking of Cisco Packet Tracer recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Mininet and Cisco Packet Tracer, you can also consider the following products

ns-3 - a discrete-event network simulator for internet systems

GNS3 - GNS3 is a graphical network simulator that allows simulation of complex networks.

Paessler Multi Server Simulator - Paessler Multi Server Simulator is inexpensive and robust software that helps you power massive-scale testing.

NetSim - NetSim software was created to simulate various Cisco systems. Cisco software is known around the world as being one of the best network, routing and switch systems for businesses and private use. Read more about NetSim.

FlexSim - Simulation software to model, simulate, predict, and visualize systems in manufacturing, material handling, healthcare, warehousing, mining, etc.

Cloonix - Cloonix is an open-source virtual network creation framework based on KVM licensed under the AGPLv3 license.