GNS3. Rebuilt for 2026.
Browser-native. No local server.
GNS3 has been the standard for 15 years. netplex. is what GNS3 would be if it were designed today — same power, browser-native, no local server confusion, no VMware dependency, no memory leaks after 14 hours.
"90% of the problems that users experience on Windows comes down to one thing: the GNS3 Local server." — GNS3 GitHub pinned issue. The local server vs GNS3 VM question is the most-searched GNS3 topic. netplex. has no local server. There is nothing to configure.
Fifteen years of technical debt.
You've hit all of it.
The local server vs GNS3 VM decision
GNS3 can run as a local server, a remote server, or inside a dedicated GNS3 VM. "These different options are confusing to people, which results in frustration." The recommended answer is always the GNS3 VM, which brings you back to VMware dependency.
VMware / VirtualBox required
To avoid the local server mess, most users end up inside a GNS3 VM running in VMware Workstation, VMware Player or VirtualBox. That means an extra hypervisor to install, configure and maintain on your laptop before your first node even boots.
Memory leak after long sessions
GNS3 starts at ~200 MB RAM and climbs to ~540 MB after 14 hours with devices paused — not even running. Long cert-study sessions eventually require a full restart to reclaim memory. This is a tracked, open issue (GitHub #2213) that has existed for years.
Client ≠ server version → lab won't open
GNS3 requires the client and server to be exactly the same version. Update the client and forget to update the server? Your lab file refuses to open until both match. In a team, keeping every machine in sync is its own maintenance job.
No collaboration or sharing
Sharing a GNS3 lab means exporting a .gns3project file and sending it over email or Slack. The recipient must have matching images, the same GNS3 version, and the same VM setup. There is no shared link, no clone, no real-time co-edit.
Classroom delivery is manual
GNS3 has no built-in multi-user or classroom model. Running 25 students on GNS3 labs means 25 separate installations, 25 separate images, 25 separate VMware setups — and a support queue on the first day of class.
GNS3 vs netplex.
Both free. Very different experience.
| Feature | GNS3 Free / open source |
netplex. tier shown per row |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in browser | No — native desktop app + local server | Yes — full UI in browser |
| Requires local software install | Yes — GNS3 + VMware or VirtualBox | No — nothing on client machines |
| Console access method | Native Telnet / VNC (external app) | Browser-native terminal |
| Multi-user / collaboration | Not supported | Team |
| Topology sharing | Export .gns3project file | Share a link · clone to your account |
| Image pipeline | Manual — download, place, configure | 8-stage automated pipeline |
| Packet capture | Via native Wireshark app | Browser-native · no install |
| REST API | Basic — limited endpoints | Read (Associate) · Read/write (Architect) |
| Terraform + Ansible | No | Architect · beta |
| Link QoS (delay / jitter / loss) | Via OS-level config | Architect |
| Memory use over time | 200 MB → 540 MB (14 hrs paused, known leak) | Fixed overhead per node — no growth |
| Client / server version sync | Must match exactly — mismatch = no open | One deployment — nothing to sync |
| Classroom / student mode | Not built in | Classisolated pods, grading |
| IPv6 labs | Requires manual setup | OSPFv3, BGP4+, SLAAC, SRv6 run natively; dual-stack tooling in development |
| GNS3 .gns3project import | — | Yes — same workflow as .unl import |
| Setup time (first lab running) | VMware + GNS3 + VM setup = 2+ hours | Under 5 minutes |
GNS3 figures sourced from GitHub Issues, community documentation and netpilot.io comparison (June 2026). Memory figures from GitHub Issue #2213.
No local process. No local anything.
GNS3's local server model was designed for a world where everyone ran a local desktop app. netplex. is server-side by design — the whole platform runs on one host, and every user reaches it from a browser.
One server, any browser
Install netplex. once on a dedicated host. Every engineer, student or teammate reaches it from any browser — laptop, tablet, borrowed machine. No installs. No version sync. No VMware.
Memory use is predictable
Each QEMU node gets a fixed RAM allocation. The platform's own overhead doesn't grow with session length. Run a 20-node lab for 72 hours and check back — it'll use exactly what you allocated.
Share labs with a link
Every lab has a shareable URL. Non-users can view the topology live in their browser. Account holders can clone the lab to their own workspace with one click — no file exports, no image matching.
Image pipeline — drop and walk away
Upload an image and the automated pipeline classifies, converts, sets permissions and boot-tests it. The result is a human-readable device name in the palette, not a raw file path.
GNS3 project import
Your .gns3project files import directly — the same workflow as EVE-NG .unl and containerlab YAML. Nodes, links and saved configs all carry across.
Classroom built in
The Class tier gives each student an isolated pod with their own live lab. The teacher can freeze the room, reset all pods to a clean topology, or grade from a snapshot — all from one screen.
Your GNS3 projects come with you.
Same 30-second import as EVE-NG.
Export from GNS3
File → Export portable project. This bundles the topology and any saved configs into a .gns3project file.
Import in netplex.
Labs → Import → GNS3 (.gns3project) and drop the file. Device kind mapping is automatic for common types.
Start your lab
Select all nodes, press Start. Double-click any node to console in. No Telnet client, no SecureCRT — just your browser.
Topology preserved
All node positions, interface assignments and link types carry across from the GNS3 project file.
Configs carry too
Saved startup configurations embedded in the project come across automatically.
EVE-NG and containerlab
Same importer handles .unl and containerlab YAML. Consolidate everything into one platform.
Stop fighting your lab tool.
Focus on the exam.
GNS3 is genuinely powerful — but half the study-guide threads on Reddit are troubleshooting the tool, not the protocol. netplex. gets out of your way: open a browser, build the topology, console in.
- Pre-built lab templates for CCNA, CCNP, CCIE — import and study immediately
- Knowledge Base with 35 step-by-step lab guides built in
- Share your topology with a study group — one link, zero file exports
- Browser-native packet capture — click the link, see the traffic
Ready to leave the
local server behind?
Start on the free Associate tier. Import your first .gns3project. Open a console in your browser. No VMware, no local server, no version sync.
Australian schools get the full platform free — install and teacher training included. Learn more →