Free CCNA-Level Labs Online — Practise in Your Browser

Which lab practises which exam topic · published 19 October 2026

The CCNA is passed at a command line. Reading about OSPF teaches you what it is; configuring it, breaking it and finding out why the neighbour never came up teaches you the exam. These labs run in a browser with nothing to install, work on a Chromebook or a tablet, and check every task against the running configuration — so you find out it is wrong before the exam does.

CCNA topics and the labs that practise them

Grouped by the topic areas of the CCNA blueprint. Each link opens the lab in the simulator.

Network access

VLANs, trunks, spanning tree, EtherChannel and wireless.

IP connectivity

Static routes, OSPF and first-hop redundancy.

IP services

NAT, DNS and the services a network exists to carry.

Security fundamentals

Access lists and zones.

IPv6

Addressing and routing a second stack.

Automation and programmability

Facts, templates and configuration drift.

That is 15 of the 1000+ guided labs. The rest go further — MPLS, QoS, SD-WAN, BGP, PPPoE and the CCNP-level labs — and are there when you are ready for them.

How to use them

  1. Read first. The lessons need no account. Read the one for the topic before you open its lab.
  2. Make a free account and open the lab. The tasks are listed beside the topology.
  3. Configure until every task is checked. The check reads the devices' running configuration, so it passes only when the network actually works.
  4. Watch the packets. The built-in analyser has display filters and exports .pcap, so you can see an OSPF hello or a NAT translation rather than take it on trust.
  5. Break it on purpose. Shut an interface, mistype a VLAN, remove a route — then troubleshoot it. That is what the exam's simulation questions ask of you.

What the simulator gives you

Choosing between tools? zNetLaB vs GNS3, EVE-NG and Packet Tracer says where each one is the better pick, including when it is not this one.

Common questions

Can I practise for the CCNA without buying equipment?

Yes. The CCNA tests configuration and troubleshooting, and both can be practised on a simulator. The zNetLaB simulator runs in a browser and models routers, switches, PCs and servers closely enough to configure VLANs, trunks, spanning tree, OSPF, NAT and ACLs and watch the traffic they produce. Physical equipment teaches cabling and console access, which the exam does not test hands-on.

Are these CCNA practice labs really free?

Yes. The lessons need no account at all, and the simulator with all 1000+ guided labs is free to try for 7 days (30 days for the first 100 new accounts), then a low-cost subscription. Paid plans exist only for the separate real-image lab platform, which needs server memory to boot vendor firmware.

Do I need to install Packet Tracer or GNS3?

No. The simulator runs in the browser, including on a Chromebook or a tablet. If your course specifies Packet Tracer, use Packet Tracer for the coursework; these labs are additional practice alongside it.

How do I know when I have finished a lab?

Each guided lab lists its tasks, and each task is checked against the running configuration of the devices, not against the commands you typed. A task is marked done when the network is actually in the state it asks for, so a typo that leaves an interface down is caught.

What should I practise after the CCNA-level labs?

The same simulator holds CCNP-level labs: per-VLAN and MST spanning tree, private VLANs, GRE, policy routing, BGP path selection, OSPFv3, named EIGRP and redistribution. When you want to configure the real operating system, the lab platform boots open-source devices, or your own licensed images uploaded to your account.

Where to start

The lessons are open to everyone. The guided labs list every lab, plans explains what is free and what is not, and the site map lists every page here.

CCNA®, CCNP® and Cisco® are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. zNetLaB is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cisco.