Cisco Packet Tracer (part of Cisco Networking Academy) vs. Riverbed Modeler (discontinued)

Cisco Packet Tracer is a very good option for technical educational institutes interested in the field of networking. Instead of setting up a real lab with real equipment that costs thousands of dollars, it can be dispensed with, and using Cisco Packet Tracer as a very good alternative, trainees can practice any time any where.

Incentivized

Metropolitan network modeling is possible, small-large or even huge scale organization network modeling is possible.

Less appropriate for home user network modeling, OPNET should only be used to model large scale solutions. Great industry tool.

Incentivized

• Real time data monitoring
• Packet analysis
• Network geolocation design

Incentivized

• Allows the USE of C++ In Routing protocol of individual switch nodes
• Easy to use, Easy to setup a working network model, allows to even have computers and all sorts of peripherals like IP Printers etc
• You can stress test your network simulation, absolutely fantastic tool, bridges Monte Carlo with visual representations of the network in question
• Great Customer Support
• Good training articles available online, used as a staple in university setting.

Incentivized

• CLI, It would be great if we can use multiple tapes in a single window.
• It is limited to Cisco products only, there is no integration with other companies.
• Improve UI customisation and writing settings.

Incentivized

• Riverbed Modeler needs to improve the scenarios of LAN MAN WAN, as the available scenarios under all of these follow a simple area structure that's not connected to the ISP when it comes to simulation. This generates dummy traffic.
• Riverbed Modeler also needs to work on the selection of result sets so that, as with most designed networks, we can select any result parameter to show. All the parameters are displayed, whether they are relevant or not. It needs to display only relevant result parameters to select.
• The back-end TCP/IP model needs more clarity to expose the structure to some changes.

Incentivized

It is helpful for learning networking and easy to understand. UI was user friendly and can help the people to learn. UI can have more chance for the upgradation

Incentivized

In the comparison with the Cisco Packet Tracer there is no much applications existing. But the UI and application was not up to the mark.

Incentivized

There exist many simulation simulators like NS2, but Riverbed Modeler is one of the simulators which introduces the GUI interface for networking. The platform just changes the scenario of networking, as it makes it so easy to understand and implement. The functionality almost listed every possible network in the world, which is not given by any other tool. Moreover, it is releasing updated versions to match with the latest technology.

Incentivized

• Reduce the cost of expenditures
• Increase flexibility

Incentivized

• It comes with a costly paid license, but simulating the network before actual deployment saves a lot of costs, in case after deployment we feel performance is not good and we need to change. This would waste a lot of money, but Riverbed saves this money.
• Its OPNET GURU academic edition is available free of cost, but with limited functionality, which is good for students in maximum case. This will degrade our sale of Riverbed Modeler.
• A one-time investment in Modeler saves a lot of cost regarding networks, topology, designing, and provides a lifetime license with updates.

Incentivized