Place PCs, switches and routers, cable them together, assign IP addresses, then ping between devices to test real connectivity - including subnetting and routing. Includes a built-in subnet calculator and guided troubleshooting scenarios. Save your topology as a shareable project.
Ideal for: Network+ and CCNA-track students who need hands-on practice with topology building, IP addressing, subnetting math and ping-based troubleshooting.
What you'll practice
Place PCs, switches and routers on a canvas and cable them together
Assign IP addresses and subnet masks per device, and configure router interfaces via a real Cisco-style CLI
Ping between devices and get realistic success/timeout results based on cabling, subnetting and routing
Use the built-in subnet calculator, or generate random practice questions and check your own network/broadcast/host-range math
Load guided troubleshooting scenarios (bad subnet mask, unplugged cable, shut-down interface) and test your fix with one click
Save your finished topology as a shareable project
Start practicing
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📋 Lab Instructions
Step-by-step exercises for Packet Tracer Simulator - read them here, then practice live in the tool above.
Getting Started with the Packet Tracer Simulator
Last updated: August 8, 2026
What you're practicing: building a small network, addressing it, and troubleshooting connectivity with ping.
1. Click "Open" to launch the builder -- it starts with 2 PCs and a switch already cabled together.
2. Click a PC to see its config panel and note its IP address and subnet mask.
3. In the ping row at the bottom, pick PC1 as the source, type PC2's IP as the target, and click Ping -- it should succeed since they're on the same subnet and cabled through the switch.
4. Click "+ Add Router", then "+ Add PC" to create a second network segment.
5. Give the new PC a DIFFERENT subnet (e.g. 10.0.0.x/24) and set the router's interface to match it.
6. Click Connect Mode, then click the router and the new PC to cable them, and the router and the switch to link the two segments.
7. Ping from PC1 to the new PC -- it should now succeed by routing through the router.
8. Now try pinging a device that has NO cable path at all, and read the "Request timed out" reason it gives you.
9. Click Save This Topology as a Project once you're happy with your network.
Tip: if a ping fails, work the problem in this order -- is there a cable path at all? Are both devices on the same subnet? If not, is a router actually sitting on the path between them?