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I am taking classes for Cisco networking and I'm about to summer break. I want to find a FREE network emulator for summer practice so i dont lose all my newly found knowledge. They have one at boson.com but 400 bucks isn't free. Any idea? I need this program to be completely independent of the networking process currently going on with my computer.

When I got my CCNA like 10 years ago, I picked up some CCNA book on the cheap. It had a CD in it that offered a limited Cisco emulator. I would go to the local computer book store (for me it's Micro Center, maybe you will have luck with Borders or Barnes & Noble) and see what they have, see if any Cisco books include an emulator. For $50 or whatever the book costs, it's way cheaper.

I did find it pretty limited, though. Maybe you should go on eBay and pick up an used 1700 or something and just play around with that. That reminds me that I need to update the ios on my 2621 someday.

I doubt you'll find a good one that is free or anything free at all. I haven't seen anything like that included with CCNA books (at least that isn't a trial). Routersims is good which isn't free but less than what you were looking at. If you are taking an official Cisco academy course then you will have access to packet tracer which is the best one.

Best free is Dynamips/Dynagen/GNS3/pemu, but that requires you to get hold of true IOS-images to load within. But thats probably your best bet if you can get hold of the IOS'es.

Packet Tracer

packet tracer came with my book for class but i didnt know it was a emulator. i'm only one class deep and its thru a local college so its not really the best class.

mattbak73 wrote:

packet tracer came with my book for class but i didnt know it was a emulator. i'm only one class deep and its thru a local college so its not really the best class.

I took my only Cisco coursework through my county career center (although it was in my high school). Packet Tracer is an excellent emulator (in fact, make sure you keep a copy installed and a copy or two of the installer when you graduate from Cisco Networking Academy enrollment, since you can't get it elsewhere and it's such a good tool)

Freekin sweet. Thanks guys.

another question will packet tracer mess with the network i have set up at home right now?

It won't. Everything is done within the application. You can add routers, switches, workstations, etc. and setup the network however you want. It will allow you to add different cards to the routers and IOS works just like it would in the real world.
It has a neat feature that will show you what happens within each layer as traffic passes through the network.