Hands-on network labs that run in seconds, not hours. Built with Containerlab and FRR so you can practice real routing protocols without expensive hardware or heavy VMs.
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Sign up free — no credit card, 30 seconds. Every lab below includes Damira prompts you can try. In Codespaces, it's pre-installed.
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If you've ever spent hours setting up GNS3 or EVE-NG just to practice OSPF, this is for you. Each lab spins up a full network topology using Docker containers in about 30 seconds. You get real router CLIs, real routing protocols, and real troubleshooting — without the overhead.
How it compares:
| Containerlab (this repo) | GNS3 / EVE-NG | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory per router | ~50 MB | 1 GB+ |
| Startup time | ~30 seconds | 10+ minutes |
| Setup | git clone + one command |
Download ISOs, configure VMs, pray |
| Cost | Free | Free (but needs beefy hardware) |
Perfect for CCNA, CCNP, and anyone learning network engineering.
Six labs, beginner to advanced. Each one includes automated validation so you know when you've got it right.
| Lab | Level | Time | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux Network Namespaces | Beginner | 30 min | How containers create isolated networks under the hood |
| OSPF Basics | Beginner | 45 min | Single-area OSPF, neighbor adjacency, DR/BDR election |
| BGP eBGP Basics | Beginner | 60 min | eBGP peering across 3 autonomous systems, AS-path |
| VyOS Firewall Basics | Beginner | 45 min | Zone-based firewall, traffic filtering, NAT |
| Zero Trust Fundamentals | Intermediate | 45 min | JWT auth, microservices, identity-based access |
| Enterprise VPN Migration | Advanced | 90 min | 16-container, 2-site GRE VPN migration with rollback |
Start at the top and work your way down. Each lab builds on concepts from the previous ones.
- Linux Namespaces — understand how containerlab works under the hood
- OSPF — your first routing protocol
- BGP — how the internet routes traffic between networks
- Firewall — add security between zones
- Zero Trust — modern identity-based access control
- Enterprise VPN — put it all together in a real-world migration scenario
Click the button above. That's it. Everything is pre-installed.
# Install containerlab (Linux or Mac)
bash -c "$(curl -sL https://get.containerlab.dev)"
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/ciscoittech/containerlab-free-labs.git
cd containerlab-free-labs
./build-frr-ssh.sh # builds the router image (first time only)
# Pick a lab and deploy
cd ospf-basics
sudo containerlab deploy -t topology.clab.yml
# SSH into a router — you'll land right at the CLI
ssh -p 2221 admin@localhost
# Password: cisco
# When you're done
sudo containerlab destroy -t topology.clab.ymlEvery FRR router has SSH enabled. Login and you land directly at the router CLI, just like a real Cisco or Juniper box.
$ ssh -p 2221 admin@localhost
Password: cisco
r1# show ip ospf neighbor
r1# show ip route
r1# show ip bgp summary
Credentials: admin / cisco
You can also connect via VS Code (right-click container, SSH) or Docker exec (docker exec -it clab-ospf-basics-r1 vtysh).
- CCNA / CCNP students — practice routing protocols with Cisco-like CLI syntax
- Network engineers — spin up quick topologies to test ideas
- Career switchers — learn networking hands-on without buying hardware
- Instructors — give students lab environments that just work
Got an idea for a lab? Found a bug? PRs are welcome.
- Fork this repo
- Create a branch (
git checkout -b feature/my-lab) - Test with the validation scripts (
./scripts/validate.sh) - Open a PR
See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.
- Containerlab Docs — the tool that makes this possible
- FRRouting Docs — the routing suite behind the router CLIs
- Codespaces Guide — detailed setup for GitHub Codespaces
MIT — use these labs for learning, teaching, corporate training, whatever you want.