<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
a	O
cross-platform	B-Operating_System
visual	O
simulation	O
tool	O
designed	O
by	O
Cisco	O
Systems	O
that	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
create	O
network	B-Architecture
topologies	I-Architecture
and	O
imitate	O
modern	O
computer	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
simulate	O
the	O
configuration	O
of	O
Cisco	O
routers	B-Protocol
and	O
switches	B-Protocol
using	O
a	O
simulated	O
command	O
line	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
makes	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
drag	O
and	O
drop	O
user	O
interface	O
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
add	O
and	O
remove	O
simulated	O
network	O
devices	O
as	O
they	O
see	O
fit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
can	O
be	O
run	O
on	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
and	O
macOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Protocol
apps	O
are	O
also	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
allows	O
users	O
to	O
create	O
simulated	O
network	B-Architecture
topologies	I-Architecture
by	O
dragging	O
and	O
dropping	O
routers	B-Protocol
,	O
switches	B-Protocol
and	O
various	O
other	O
types	O
of	O
network	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
supports	O
an	O
array	O
of	O
simulated	O
Application	B-Application
Layer	I-Application
protocols	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
basic	O
routing	O
with	O
RIP	B-Protocol
,	O
OSPF	B-Protocol
,	O
EIGRP	B-Protocol
,	O
BGP	B-Protocol
,	O
to	O
the	O
extents	O
required	O
by	O
the	O
current	O
CCNA	O
curriculum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
version	O
5.3	O
,	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
also	O
supports	O
the	O
Border	B-Protocol
Gateway	I-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
simulating	O
certain	O
aspects	O
of	O
computer	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
,	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
collaboration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
5.0	O
,	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
supports	O
a	O
multi-user	O
system	O
that	O
enables	O
multiple	O
users	O
to	O
connect	O
multiple	O
topologies	B-Architecture
together	O
over	O
a	O
computer	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
also	O
allows	O
instructors	O
to	O
create	O
activities	O
that	O
students	O
have	O
to	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
often	O
used	O
in	O
educational	O
settings	O
as	O
a	O
learning	O
aid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cisco	O
Systems	O
claims	O
that	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
useful	O
for	O
network	O
experimentation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
allows	O
students	O
to	O
design	O
complex	O
and	O
large	O
networks	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
often	O
not	O
feasible	O
with	O
physical	O
hardware	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
commonly	O
used	O
by	O
NetAcad	O
students	O
,	O
since	O
it	O
is	O
available	O
to	O
them	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
functional	O
limitations	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
intended	O
by	O
Cisco	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
learning	O
aid	O
,	O
not	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
Cisco	O
routers	B-Protocol
and	O
switches	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
application	O
itself	O
only	O
has	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
features	O
found	O
within	O
the	O
actual	O
hardware	O
running	O
a	O
current	O
Cisco	B-Protocol
IOS	I-Protocol
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
unsuitable	O
for	O
modelling	O
production	O
networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
a	O
limited	O
command	O
set	O
,	O
meaning	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
possible	O
to	O
practice	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
IOS	B-Protocol
commands	O
that	O
might	O
be	O
required	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
can	O
be	O
useful	O
for	O
understanding	O
abstract	B-Application
networking	O
concepts	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Enhanced	B-Protocol
Interior	I-Protocol
Gateway	I-Protocol
Routing	I-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
by	O
animating	O
these	O
elements	O
in	O
a	O
visual	B-Application
form	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
is	O
also	O
useful	O
in	O
education	O
by	O
providing	O
additional	O
components	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
authoring	O
system	O
,	O
network	O
protocol	O
simulation	O
and	O
improving	O
knowledge	O
an	O
assessment	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
protocol	O
is	O
used	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
7.2.2	O
capabilities	O
to	O
transmit	O
data	O
between	O
Packet	B-Application
Tracer	I-Application
and	O
Cisco	O
's	O
CSR	O
routing	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
