NetPilot

Online Network Lab

Describe a network in plain English and run it as a real multi-vendor lab in your browser — real CLIs over SSH, about two minutes, free to start.

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app.netpilot.io

Why engineers run labs online

~2 min
from a plain-English prompt to a running multi-vendor lab
0
VMs or servers to install, license, and maintain
9+
real network operating systems via SSH, and growing

Why run the lab online instead of self-hosting

“Online” usually still means a GNS3 VM, an EVE-NG server, or a Cisco Modeling Labs install you maintain. NetPilot is the cloud-native, AI-native option — browser only, no server, no install.

Cloud-native

Browser only. Nothing to install.

The alternative

GNS3, EVE-NG, and Cisco Modeling Labs still need a server somewhere — a 16-32 GB VM or a workstation you build and maintain before any lab runs.

AI-designed

Describe any topology in plain English — AI designs, configures, and deploys it; SSH in to verify.

The alternative

Even on a hosted EVE-NG (CloudMyLab), you still drag every node, source every image, and type per-vendor configs by hand.

Multi-turn iteration

“Add an Arista spine, move OSPF to area 0.0.0.1” → AI updates across all devices.

The alternative

Re-wire the canvas and re-push configs device by device — the same manual loop whether the emulator runs locally or in someone else's cloud.

2 minutes vs days/weeks

~2 minutes from prompt to working multi-vendor lab.

The alternative

Hours-to-days standing up the server and sourcing images, then more time hand-building each lab — before you can SSH into anything.

See It in Action

Open a browser, describe a lab, and SSH into real network devices — no install, no server.

From a browser tab to a running lab

Describe it, let the agent build it, and SSH into real device CLIs — online, in about 2 minutes.

1. Open a browser — describe or import

Go to NetPilot from any device, then describe the lab in plain English or import existing device configs. No downloads, no VM, no YAML to hand-write.

app.netpilot.io

2. The AI agent designs and deploys to the cloud

NetPilot lays out the topology, generates per-vendor configs, and deploys a multi-vendor lab — Nokia SR Linux, FRR, and Linux built in, with Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and more via BYOI; 9+ network OSes and growing — to the cloud or your on-prem environment. Nothing to install.

app.netpilot.io

3. SSH into real CLIs from your browser

Open a real device CLI over SSH right in the browser, run show commands, generate traffic, and test failure scenarios. Real network-OS code, not a simulation — then tear it down when you are done.

app.netpilot.io

One online lab, every job

Spin up a fresh multi-vendor lab in the browser for whatever you need it for — then tear it down.

Validate a change before prod

Import production configs into an online digital twin and test routing changes, firewall updates, and firmware upgrades before they touch live infrastructure.

Explore change validation→

Proof-of-concept labs

Stand up a working customer demo in minutes, show exactly how your design performs across vendors, then tear it down after the call — no hardware to ship.

Explore POC labs→

Network research

Spin up multi-vendor and open-networking topologies on demand to validate protocols, routing ideas, and new designs — idea to running lab in minutes.

Explore research labs→

What you can build online

From a quick OSPF check to a full EVPN fabric — describe it in plain English and the agent builds it on real multi-vendor network OSes.

Throwaway browser sandbox

Open a tab, spin up an isolated multi-vendor lab, try a config or what-if, then tear it down — nothing left running, nothing local.

Multi-area OSPF

Areas, route summarization, stub/NSSA, and inter-area routing across real network-OS CLIs — Nokia SR Linux built in, Cisco/Juniper/Arista via BYOI.

BGP policy

eBGP and iBGP, route reflectors, communities, and policy via prefix-lists and route-maps — online, no images to source.

VXLAN / EVPN fabric

Leaf-spine data-center fabric with an eBGP underlay and EVPN overlay, deployed to the cloud in about two minutes.

Firewalls & NAT

Palo Alto or Fortinet zones and security policies (via bring-your-own-image), with NAT between Cisco segments.

Production-mirror change test

Import existing configs, build an online digital twin, and validate a routing or firewall change before it touches prod.

Repro on demand, no hardware

Recreate a customer issue or test a what-if on real network OSes from any device — no home lab, no rack, no GNS3 VM to maintain.

Conversational iteration

Reshape the topology in a sentence — “add an Arista spine, move OSPF to area 0.0.0.1” — and the agent updates every device.

Online network labs compared

How browser-based, AI-native access compares to Packet Tracer, GNS3 Web, and hosted EVE-NG — and where each still wins.

Runs in browser
NetPilot
Yes — fully browser-based
Packet Tracer
No — desktop download
GNS3 Web
Partial — web UI, local server
CloudMyLab
Yes — hosted EVE-NG
NetLab
Yes — browser-based
Real device CLIs
NetPilot
Yes — Nokia SR Linux built in; Cisco, Arista, Juniper via BYOI
Packet Tracer
No — simplified simulation
GNS3 Web
Yes (source images yourself)
CloudMyLab
Yes (source images yourself)
NetLab
Limited vendor support
Setup time
NetPilot
None
Packet Tracer
10 min (download + install)
GNS3 Web
4-8 hours (server + images)
CloudMyLab
Hours (quote + provisioning)
NetLab
Minutes (institutional access)
Multi-vendor
NetPilot
9+ vendors, growing (3 built-in + 5 BYOI; SONiC and custom NOSes built on enterprise)
Packet Tracer
Cisco only
GNS3 Web
Yes (BYO images)
CloudMyLab
Yes (BYO images)
NetLab
Limited
AI lab generation
NetPilot
Yes — describe in plain English
Packet Tracer
No
GNS3 Web
No
CloudMyLab
No
NetLab
No
Server required
NetPilot
No
Packet Tracer
No
GNS3 Web
Yes
CloudMyLab
No (managed)
NetLab
No (managed)
Free tier
NetPilot
Yes
Packet Tracer
Yes (Cisco account)
GNS3 Web
Free (server not included)
CloudMyLab
No (custom quote)
NetLab
No (institutional license)

Bottom line

Pick a self-hosted emulator (GNS3, EVE-NG, CML) or hosted EVE-NG (CloudMyLab) when you need:

  • •Offline operation on hardware you own and fully control
  • •Total low-level control over images, kernels, and node internals
  • •Official single-vendor Cisco fidelity for CCIE-grade study (Cisco CML)
  • •Reuse of an existing EVE-NG topology library your team already maintains

Pick NetPilot when you need:

  • •Browser-only — nothing to install, no VM, no server to stand up
  • •An AI agent builds a multi-vendor lab from plain English in about 2 minutes
  • •Real vendor NOS CLIs over SSH — describe it with the agent or drive the CLI yourself
  • •Rapid conversational iteration: change the topology in a sentence, not by re-wiring

Verdict:Pick a self-hosted or hosted EVE-NG emulator when you need offline hardware control, low-level image control, or an existing topology library. Pick NetPilot for the 80% case — engineers who want a multi-vendor lab online in about 2 minutes, AI-built but always SSH-accessible, with no infrastructure to own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about running a network lab online

Yes. NetPilot is a fully online network lab — open a browser tab, describe the topology in plain English, and an AI agent deploys it to the cloud with real device CLIs in about two minutes. No install, no VM, no server to stand up. SSH into real network OSes from any device — Nokia SR Linux is built in, and Cisco IOL, Arista cEOS, and Juniper cRPD run via bring-your-own-image. Tools like GNS3 and EVE-NG have web clients but still need a self-hosted server running somewhere; NetPilot needs nothing local.
NetPilot is a network emulator, not a simulator — and the difference matters for real lab work. A simulator (like Cisco Packet Tracer) approximates how a device behaves; NetPilot runs the actual network operating systems as containers — Nokia SR Linux, FRR, and Linux built in, plus Cisco IOL, Juniper cRPD, Arista cEOS, and more via bring-your-own-image — so the CLI, configs, and protocol behavior match production. If you came looking for an online network simulator to build or validate a topology, NetPilot gives you the real thing — online, in about two minutes.
Yes — that is exactly the model. Spin up an isolated, on-demand multi-vendor sandbox in about two minutes, try a config, protocol, or design, then tear it down. Nothing is left running and nothing touches production. Engineers use it as a throwaway sandbox for every change, what-if, or experiment — no hardware to reserve and no server to rebuild between runs.
Yes. GNS3 runs as a local desktop app plus a GNS3 VM, and EVE-NG runs as a self-hosted server — both put infrastructure on you. NetPilot is fully cloud-hosted: there is no install and no server to maintain. You describe or import a topology and the lab runs on NetPilot's cloud, accessed entirely from your browser. (Enterprise teams can also run NetPilot on-prem — see below.)
Yes. NetPilot is a fully cloud-hosted network lab that needs no server, no VM, and no installation — labs run on NetPilot's cloud infrastructure and you just open a browser. The AI agent designs the topology and generates per-vendor configs, so there is no manual wiring or YAML to write either. CloudMyLab is hosted EVE-NG (manual lab building, custom quote); GitHub Codespaces is DIY Docker plus ContainerLab — NetPilot is the productized cloud-native, AI-native option.
NetPilot runs real network operating systems, not simulations. Nokia SR Linux, FRR, and a multi-purpose Linux host are built in; Cisco (IOL), Juniper (cRPD), Arista (cEOS), Palo Alto, and Fortinet run via bring-your-own-image — you upload the image once and NetPilot automatically builds and bakes it in, with none of the multi-step manual build GNS3 or EVE-NG require; SONiC and other custom NOS images are built for you on the enterprise plan. That's 9+ network operating systems today and growing. Every device exposes a real CLI over SSH, and Enterprise plans build any custom vendor or NOS you bring.
GNS3 and EVE-NG have web clients but both still require a self-hosted server (locally or via a host like CloudMyLab). CloudMyLab is managed EVE-NG — you still build every lab by hand. ContainerLab is CLI plus YAML on your own Docker host. NetPilot is the cloud-native, AI-native option: browser-based with no self-hosted server, the agent generates topology and configs in about two minutes across 9+ vendors, with real NOS CLIs over SSH. Best fit for engineers who want an online lab without installing or managing any infrastructure.
Cisco DevNet Sandbox offers free, reservable labs on official Cisco gear — a great fit if you only need Cisco and can work within a reservation window. The difference: DevNet sandboxes are Cisco-only and pre-built (you reserve an existing topology rather than design your own), and the always-on ones can be busy. NetPilot is multi-vendor (Nokia SR Linux built in; Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and more via bring-your-own-image), on-demand with no reservation queue, and AI-built — describe the exact topology you need and get it in about two minutes, then tear it down. Use DevNet for official Cisco-only practice; use NetPilot when you need multi-vendor, a custom topology, or your own production-mirror lab.
Yes. You can start on the free tier with no credit card — describe a topology and get a working multi-vendor lab in the browser. Pro is available for individual engineers, and Enterprise adds on-prem deployment, SSO, dedicated infrastructure, and custom image builds.
Yes. The default product is cloud-hosted (self-serve in about two minutes), and the enterprise plan also includes a self-hosted / on-prem deployment for teams with compliance, data-residency, or air-gapped requirements. On-prem is available via Contact Sales.
NetPilot's free tier gives you hands-on, multi-vendor networking practice labs in the browser — no install, no hardware, no credit card. Describe the scenario you want to practice ("a 3-router OSPF lab," "BGP with route reflectors," "a leaf-spine VXLAN fabric") and the AI builds a working topology on real network-OS CLIs in about two minutes, so you practice on the real thing — not a simplified simulator. Nokia SR Linux, FRR, and Linux are free and built in; bring your own Cisco, Juniper, or Arista image for vendor-specific practice. Spin a lab up, break it, and tear it down as often as you like.
NetPilot is a free online network lab that runs real network operating systems rather than a simulation — the distinction matters when you're practicing or validating. A simulator (like Cisco Packet Tracer) approximates device behavior; NetPilot runs the actual NOS as containers, so the CLI, configs, and protocol behavior match production. Start free in the browser, describe a topology in plain English, and SSH into real CLIs in about two minutes — no install, no VM, no server. If you specifically need a lightweight simulator for early CCNA basics, Cisco Packet Tracer is the free school-standard tool; for real-NOS practice online, NetPilot's free tier is the closer match.

Explore NetPilot

Network Engineering Agent

The agent your engineers run — it designs, builds, and validates the lab from your prompt.

AI Network Emulator

How the AI agent designs and deploys labs end to end.

Network Research Lab

On-demand multi-vendor topologies for R&D and protocol work.

GNS3 Alternative

AI-built topologies online — no VM, no install.

EVE-NG Alternative

Cloud multi-vendor labs with no server to stand up.

CloudMyLab Alternative

Productized cloud + AI, no manual lab building.

Further reading

Network Lab as a Service (2026)

Tier-ranked comparison of online lab platforms.

Best Network Emulator in 2026

Honest, tier-ranked comparison of the field.

Network Simulation Software Guide

The complete tier-ranked guide for 2026.

GNS3 vs EVE-NG vs ContainerLab

How the self-hosted emulators stack up in 2026.

Can AI Build a Network Lab?

Yes — here is exactly how it works, end to end.

Best AI Tools for Network Engineers (2026)

Tier-ranked: where each AI tool fits the workflow.

What Is ContainerLab?

The 2026 guide — YAML topologies, kinds, and when to skip the setup.

IPv6 Multi-Vendor Lab

Dual-stack OSPFv3 + BGP across Cisco, Juniper, and Arista.

MPLS L3VPN Lab

PE/CE, VPNv4 route reflectors, and customer VRFs, step by step.

Your network lab is one browser tab away

Stop installing tools and maintaining servers. Open your browser and spin up a real multi-vendor lab — free to start.

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