IP network construction learning system utilizing virtual router

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to give students a hands-on practical learning for IP network skills. It is important for students to operate network devices repeatedly to learn network skills. However, in practical learning with real network devices, students need a number of network devices. For this reason, it is not easy for students to prepare environment to be able to practice freely at any time. Therefore, we have developed a learning system to learn IP network skills on just one PC. Unlike existing network simulators, this system does not require students to learn scripting language to make scenarios. This system enables students to practice network skills freely and virtually on just one PC. We have implemented this system by applying the virtual Linux environment User Mode Linux. This system consists of virtual routers, virtual hosts, and operating functions. In this research, this system is primarily intended to practice operation of routing on virtual routers. To evaluate, this system was experimented. The results indicated that this system had sufficient performance for introductory network courses for undergraduate students.