GNS 3 - Question about legality

[brunoalexandrecavaleiro1]

Hello,

I want to certify on CCNA. In my country the courses terribly expensive. Also I prefer the auto-study regimen.

I have tried to find an cheap alternative to obtain legally a NetAcad account, to no avail.

I don't want to download illegally Packet Tracer, due to moral matters. 

I have researched a bit and found GNS3. The only flaw it seems to be missing IOS images to run on the simulations, and I need that.

I was wondering is it is possible and LEGAL to, tftpd images from real equipment I would purchase and own and legally run them on the GNS3 on simulations.

Is this a viable possibility? I have pondered purchasing a lab to run at home, it's a little bit more expensive but manegable, still more cheaper than the courses (2100$ - 3000$)

Thanks everyone

[Joseph W. Doherty · Accepted solution]

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Posting

If the equipment you buy, has a corresponding device emulator, within GNS3, then yes, technically you could pull the image from that device and run it under GNS3.

Would doing this be legal, though?  Probably not.

Actually, from a purely legal perspective, I doubt Cisco has approved anyone, external to Cisco, to run their software under GNS3.

For your question, even "buying" Cisco equipment, to use an IOS image on it, I doubt is legal.  Mostly because although you own the equipment, you don't own the software.  The latter has been licensed to run on the hardware you purchased.  (In concept this is similar to buying a book, a music CD or movie DVD.  You've purchased the media with some license or right to use the media's content, but you don't own the media's content.)

[brunoalexandrecavaleiro1]

Could you help me giving me advice?

What is a viable option to study to CCNA legally?

When I purchase on Ebay equipment, am I only purchasing the hardware not the software (OS)? If I turn on the equipment and access the IOS, is it illegal?

Any other solution?

Thank you

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Disclaimer

The Author of this posting offers the information contained within this posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any purpose. Information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind. Usage of this posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

Liability Disclaimer

In no event shall Author be liable for any damages wha2tsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or profit) arising out of the use or inability to use the posting's information even if Author has been advised of the possibility of such damage.

Posting

I'm probably not the best person to advise on studying for an CCNA, as I don't hold any Cisco certificates myself.

I suspect Cisco's licensing doesn't transfer with the hardware.  If true, technically buying an Cisco device on eBay means you would need to obtain a license to run Cisco software on it.

However, if the device legally had software on it, at the time it was sold, I'm unsure Cisco would win a case trying to preclude you from using it (and I further suspect they wouldn't even bother you - especially if you were only using it non-commercially, and just for self-learning).

[Ethan Grinnell]

Cisco could have squashed the GNS3 project if they wanted to, but they want people to get certified since it ultimately helps them sell their product. So they allow GNS3 to stay. While not technically allowed, you can safely use IOS images in GNS3. I'm sure there was a legal blurb on the GNS3 website that says more or less the same thing.

Having said that look into VIRL, you can use all the latest IOS images and more platforms than can be done in GNS3. It's not free, but pretty cheap for what it does. It also has quirks, like GNS3 though.