A Simulation Environment for enhancing the student experience in advanced networking concepts

Department of Computing, Middle East College, Muscat Sultanate of Oman

azameer@mec.edu.om
imran@mec.edu.om

Abstract

Several subjects in Computer science necessitate practical and realistic classes in addition to supporting the theoretical underpinning taught to the students. In various subjects’ practical exposure & skill is imperative to meet the industry requirements. However, educational establishments can't provide an out-and-out environment for every student to practice. Providing an appropriate Lab for apprentices that bestows desired exposure and feel of a real Network has been a challenging task for every educational establishment. Virtual Labs have been a major milestone and are effectively implemented in numerous colleges and universities throughout the world. In this article, the author is providing a complete setup and functionality of Implementing Virtual Private Networks using virtual Labs to reflect a more realistic and appropriate Networking environment for instructional and educational purposes. Fresh graduates or Diploma holders rarely have practical exposure and experience in deploying and implementing VPNs. Establishing a Virtual Private Network is a cumbersome job, and lack of practical exposure makes it even difficult for a fresher to establish one exclusively for the employer. The Author is providinga guideline for the users so that they can establish Virtual Private Networks using virtual machines. Hencepresenting an environment wherein students can have numerous deployments of VPNs with different features. The students gain the required exposure and develop an understanding of Virtual Private Networks meticulously and pragmatically.