Master Network and Security Simulation with PNETLab

Explore virtualization by turning a bare metal server into virtual machines with a hypervisor. Compare type one and type two hypervisors and note resource efficiency and reduced hardware costs.

Learn how to enable virtualization by entering the BIOS, finding the virtualization setting, and saving changes. Verify virtualization is enabled using Task Manager, system information, or the command line.

Peanut Lab is a free, open-source physical network emulation tool for building and testing virtual topologies with routers, switches, firewalls, and other devices. It is lightweight, fast, and web-based.

Learn the PNETLab hardware and virtualization requirements, including minimum CPU with virtualization, four logical processors, RAM, storage, and compatible hypervisors such as VMware workstation 12.5+, VMware player 12.5+, or VirtualBox.

Download and install VMware Workstation Pro from the Broadcom support portal after creating a free account; available for Windows, Linux, and VMware Fusion for Mac OS.

Install peanut lab on VMware Workstation Pro by importing the peanut lab OVA, configuring memory and virtualization, and using DHCP to reach 192.168.114.200 with root or admin credentials.

Install WinSCP, an SFTP/FTP tool to upload images to Peanut Lab or Evnt; download from official website, install with typical settings, then connect.

Explore peanut lab management consoles, including the default console needing locally installed tools like putty, vnc, and wireshark, and the html console that runs in your browser with no installation.

Learn about Peanut Lab system modes: offline mode with no internet and default admin access, and online mode requiring registration, store access, and lab downloads.

Install the eve ng client pack to enable offline mode in the PNETLab. This guide shows downloading and installing wireshark, ultravnc, putty, and npcap on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Explore the full range of PNETLab supported device images, from Cisco, Juniper, and Palo Alto to Linux and Windows, including how to upload and use them in labs.

Upload device images to Peanut Lab using scp/ftp clients like WinSCP or FileZilla, or use the I Share Two CLI tool to auto-download and apply fixed permissions.

Upload Cisco IOL/IOU switches to peanut lab via winscp, unzip images with seven zip, place in opt/unitlab/io, set permissions, then start the lab to verify VLANs and interfaces.

Learn how to upload Cisco IOS routers to PlanetLab using FTP tools like WinSCP, place dynamips images in the proper dynamips directory, configure interfaces, and start the router in PNETLab.

Learn to upload fortinet images to PNETLab using WinSCP, set permissions, add fortinet objects, and connect via a DHCP-assigned IP to manage a Fortigate firewall.

Explore the I share two cli method for Peanut Lab, learning to search, pull, and install images by type: bin, kimu, dynamips, and docker, and upgrade the tool for lab.

Upgrade I share two from version 1.5.7 to the latest using wget or curl in the CLI over SSH, enabling acceleration and SSL options, and choosing the main update channel.

Learn two Fortinet image download methods for the lab: iShare2 CLI pull and manual Winscp upload, identifying images like Fortigate, Fortianalyzer, Fortimanager, and FortiAuthenticator.

Use the ishare2 cli to pull Linux images for PNETLab, including metasploitable and Ubuntu server, via qemu.

Explore the PNETLab web interface for managing labs, folders, and libraries, creating and deleting labs, assigning permissions and roles, managing users, system settings, downloading labs, and deploying docker-based devices.

Explore the PNETLab workspace by using the object menu to add nodes, networks, pictures, text, and lines, then connect devices and annotate layouts.

Master the PNETLab workspace by using the setup node to start, stop, configure, and export lab device configurations, and manage consoles and startup settings.

Master startup configuration in PNETLab by exporting baseline configs for R1 and R2, then activating, importing, and loading them on startup to preserve host names and IP addresses.

Explore PNETLab workspace features, including picture management, topology refresh, lock and close lab, destroy lab, system status, background options, workbook access, and HTML console.

Create and manage net, bridge, and internal clouds in peanut lab, connect devices like vpcs, assign ip addresses with dhcp, and verify connectivity with ping.

Learn to customize icons in PNETLab by uploading and resizing 55 by 55 pixel icons, using offline or online tools, and updating icons via unit lab HTML images icon path.

Export and import labs in pnetlab by sharing zip-format peanut lab files, then import ready-made topologies and reset by stopping and wiping nodes for clean reuse.

Learn qemu image naming conventions for peanut Lab, including lowercase folder names, dash-based vendor prefixes, and correct file names (SDA or Out two) to avoid boot errors.

Install Kali Linux 2025 in PNETLab by uploading the qcow2 image. Extract with seven zip, rename the folder to Linux Kali 2025, and apply fixed permissions for a ready lab.

Download labs from the Peanut Lab store, then fix missing images using the i share two labs command in Secure CRT to download the required images.

Install SecureCRT on a 64-bit system and complete the setup. Register it with license data, replace license files, set the default terminal, and integrate with peanut lab.