How to Use Cisco Packet Tracer Step by Step

Using Packet Tracer, you can create detailed projects by creating network topologies or creating a virtual environment for your existing network with this software. Or, if you are preparing for Cisco exams, you can work with this simulator software on all topics covered by exam content, such as routing protocols and VLANs.

How to Use Cisco Packet Tracer for Beginners

After installing Packet Tracer on Windows, Linux, or Apple Mac computers, you can start preparing for Cisco exams by creating a network topology. However, as you prepare for your exams, you need to know the tools and device menus of this software and the drawing tools to create a more descriptive project.

Adding only one Router and switching to the network topology makes the project difficult to read. Therefore, adding notes for the settings of devices you add, such as IP addresses, will help someone else understand your project better.

You can add network devices such as desktop computers, laptops, and servers to the workspace and create a network connection between them.

Now, to start using the Cisco Packet Tracer for beginners, please follow the steps below.

Step 1: How to Add a PC

The most straightforward and essential task in Packet Tracer is to add a PC to the workspace. To add a PC, click the section below.

Drag and drop the device with the desktop view into the workspace in the right section.

After adding a PC, you can open the corresponding hardware settings window by double-clicking on it. In this window, you can add modules to the PC from the area on the left, as in the image below. You can also turn the PC on or off from the section shown in the illustration.

Step 2: How to Assign IP Addresses to Computers

You must assign IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateway addresses to the PCs you add. For example, click to configure the TCP/IP settings of PC0, click the Desktop tab in the window that opens, and then click IP Configuration.

In the IP Configuration window, if you have a DHCP Server in your network topology, enable the DHCP option. If you do not have a server, you must select Static to manually assign an IP address and configure the IP settings as follows.

Configure the IP address settings for PC0 as follows.

You do not need to save your settings because as soon as you click the X button, your settings will be saved.

Now, from the PC0 properties, click on Command Prompt.

When you execute the ipconfig command on the CMD, you can see the IP settings of PC0.

Step 3: How to Add a Cisco Switch

To add a Cisco Switch to the workspace, click (Network Devices) and click Switches from the options listed.

Under Network Devices, click Switches.

After clicking the switches, the device models will be listed in the middle pane. Drag and drop the relevant Switch model from the workspace to your network.

Once you have added the key to the workspace, click once to open its properties.

You can examine the physical appearance of the Switch in the Properties window.

After clicking the Config in the Switch0 properties, you will see some settings related to the device. From here, you can change the name and hostname of the Switch in the workspace. In addition, you can delete, save, and export Startup-Config and Running-Config files.

If you want to configure the Switch using commands, you can use the IOS Command Interface.

Step 4: How to Wire Network Devices

After adding a PC and Switch to the workspace, you must connect these devices with a network cable. To cabling network devices in Packet Tracer, list the cable types that the program supports by clicking 1 and then 2 as shown in the image below.

From the network cable types, select the straight-through cable type and click PC0.

Select the FastEthernet0 network card on PC0.

Now click Switch0 to connect the PC to the Switch and select any of the free ports listed.

After connecting the network cable, the port status color between the PC and the Switch will be green, as in the following image. If the port is green, it means that the cable type is correct and working.

Add one Laptop to the network topology and click the wiring option in the same way to connect it to the Switch. Then, plug the network cable into the FastEthernet0 interface of the Laptop.

Also, plug the other end of the cable into an empty port on the Switch.

Configure the IP settings of Laptop0 as Static as follows.

Step 5: How to Test Ping Between Computers

To use ping in PT, you must open the properties of the client device and run the command prompt. Now, to ping from Laptop0 to PC0, execute the ping 192.168.10.10 command on the CMD.

Pinging from Laptop0 to PC0 will be successful as follows.

When you ping from PC0 to Laptop0, ping will also be successful.

You can also use Realtime to Ping in the PT. Open Realtime by clicking the left arrow, as you can see below.

Then click Add Simple PDU in the right pane.

After clicking ADD Simple PDU, you will see an envelope shape. Using this shape, you must select the source and destination client that you want to ping.

Click on PC0 once and then click on Laptop0 to start the Ping process by identifying the source and destination devices.

As soon as you leave the envelope on Laptop0, you will see a message on the Realtime tab that Ping is successful.

Step 6: How to Add a Wireless Router

In Packet Tracer, you must click Wireless Devices to add a Wireless Router to the workspace. From the listed wireless devices, click the WRT300N wireless modem.

When the Wireless Router is active, click the empty area to add it to the workspace.

Once the WRT300N Router has been added to the workspace, click once.

To connect the wireless modem to Switch0, first click on the cabling tool at the bottom and then connect it to the GigabitEthernet0/1 interface.

Then, select the Ethernet1 port by clicking on the wireless modem.

After you have done the wiring between the wireless modem and Switch0, click the GUI tab of the device’s properties.

To configure the LAN settings of the Wireless Router, enter the local network IP address from the Network Setup option in the GUI interface and enable DHCP.

After configuring the device, do not press X and slide the GUI interface down.

Save your settings by clicking the Save Settings button.

Check that the connection is OK when you ping the wireless modem from PC0.

To add one SmartPhone to the topology, follow the path shown in the illustration. After listing the devices, click the Smart Device Phone.

After selecting the smartphone, click where you want to add it.

As soon as the smartphone is added to the workspace, it will connect to the wireless modem. This is because the DHCP service is enabled on the wireless modem.

Click on the Desktop tab of the smartphone properties.

After clicking the IP configuration, you can see that the phone receives TCP/IP information from the DHCP server.

Pinging from the smartphone to the wireless modem is successful!

Step 7: How to Add Comments/Notes to the Workspace

When using the CPT, you can add comments/notes to the workspace to provide a more detailed network design. For example, you can note the IP address of each PC or specify the segments connected to the Router.

To add a description, click (Place Note) as below and then click on the workspace.

After clicking the workspace, the text box will appear.

You can add comments to network devices, as in the image below.

Step 8: How to Add Shapes

The use of shapes in the PT makes the topology created more descriptive. To work with shapes, you can select the shape you want to draw from the pop-up window by clicking the down arrow next to the red circle on the right of the program.

Once you have clicked on the red circle, the Palette Dialog window will open. In this window, select the shape you want to draw and then color the shape with the Color buttons.

1. No Fill

This option does not fill the color in the drawn shape.

2. Fill Color

This option applies the selected color to the shape.

For example, select a circle shape as in the image below.

Now, draw the shape on the workspace.

As another example, you can add a colorless rectangle and group the comments.

Step 9: How to Size Shapes

Once you have created the shapes, you can use the Resize Shape feature on the right if you want to resize it.

After clicking Resize Shape, a red dot will appear on the edges of the shapes. You can resize shapes by holding down the red dots.

After resizing the shapes, press the Select tool or the ESC key.

The shape was resized after pressing ESC.

Step 10: How to Delete Objects in the Workspace

Click on the X tool from the tools on the right to delete all the devices and shapes you added to your project.

Then, point to the device or figure you want to delete and click once with the left mouse button.

The rectangular shape in the workspace has been deleted. Do the same for the circle shape.

Remove the smartphone connected to the wireless modem from the workspace.

The smartphone has also been successfully deleted from the workspace!

Video

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Conclusion

In this article, we have examined how to create a primary network with Cisco’s network simulator and how to use the simulator software. Thanks for following us!