Student Guide

Document Version: 2020-12-09

www.netdevgroup.com

NETLAB+ is a registered trademark of Network Development Group, Inc.

VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. Cisco, IOS, Cisco IOS, Networking Academy, CCNA, and CCNP are registered

trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.

This guide documents features available in NETLAB+ VE version 20.5.0

and later.

     
Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition 
 
12/9/2020  Copyright © 2020 Network Development Group, Inc.  www.netdevgroup.com    Page 1 
Contents 
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 
Initial Login .................................................................................................................. 4 
1  Change Password During Initial Login .................................................................. 5 
2  Change E-mail Address During Initial Login ......................................................... 8 
3  Change Date and Time Settings During Initial Login ............................................ 8 
MyNETLAB Interface ................................................................................................. 10 
1  Modify User Settings .......................................................................................... 10 
1.1  Change Password ........................................................................................ 12 
1.2  Change E-mail ............................................................................................. 13 
1.3  Change Date and Time Settings .................................................................. 13 
2  Logout ................................................................................................................. 15 
Schedule Lab Reservations ....................................................................................... 16 
1  Schedule a Lab for Yourself or for Your Team ................................................... 17 
2  Select a Class ...................................................................................................... 18 
3  See a List of Labs ................................................................................................ 19 
4  Preview Lab Content .......................................................................................... 19 
5  Enter the Pod Scheduler..................................................................................... 21 
6  Explore Pod Scheduler Features ........................................................................ 22 
7  Select a Reservation Time .................................................................................. 23 
8  See the Lab Reservation Displayed on the MyNETLAB Page ............................. 26 
Enter a Lab Session ................................................................................................... 27 
1  Explore the Tabbed Sections of the Lab Access Interface ................................. 28 
1.1  Topology Tab ............................................................................................... 29 
1.2  Content Tab................................................................................................. 30 
1.3  Status Tab .................................................................................................... 33 
2  Access a Device .................................................................................................. 34 
2.1  Copy Selected Text ...................................................................................... 36 
2.2  Paste to Terminal ........................................................................................ 37 
2.3  Undock and Dock Device Windows ............................................................ 40 
2.4  Password Recovery ..................................................................................... 42 
2.5  Terminal Settings ........................................................................................ 44 
3  Pod-wide Device Automation ............................................................................ 48 
4  Screenshots of Remote PCs ................................................................................ 49 
5  Display Sizing Options for Remote PCs .............................................................. 51 
6  Extend a Reservation .......................................................................................... 52 
7  Switch to a Different Lab Exercise ...................................................................... 54 
8  End a Reservation ............................................................................................... 55 
View Completed Labs................................................................................................ 57 
1.1  Lab History and Screenshots ....................................................................... 59 
Manage Configuration Files ...................................................................................... 63 
1  Configuration File Management Outside of a Lab Reservation ......................... 63 
1.1  Viewing and Editing Configuration Files ..................................................... 65 
1.2  Creating Folders and Files ........................................................................... 66 
1.3  Deleting Folders and Files ........................................................................... 68 
1.4  Configuration History .................................................................................. 68 
2  Configuration File Usage During Lab Reservations ............................................ 71 

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.2.1 Saving Configuration Files During a Lab Reservation ................................. 72

6.2.2 Loading Configuration Files During a Lab Reservation ............................... 73

6.2.3 Erasing the Configuration on a Device During a Lab Reservation .............. 82

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

Introduction

This is the NETLAB+ Student Guide for the virtual edition of NETLAB+. The first section

will take you through the initial login process, including changing your initial password

and your user settings.

We will also take a look at the MyNETLAB interface and how to make changes to the

user settings made during your initial login.

Step-by-step instructions for scheduling a lab reservation are provided. We will show

you how to access the scheduling feature on the MyNETLAB page, select a lab from the

lab listing, and the features of the Pod Scheduler.

Finally, we will explore the lab access interface and provide guidance on performing a

lab session and accessing lab devices.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

1 Initial Login

Your instructor or NETLAB+ Administrator will provide you with the URL or IP address of

the NETLAB+ system you will use, along with a username and password.

1. To access the login page, open a web browser and type in the URL or IP address

of the NETLAB+ system. Using the most recent available version of the browser

you select is recommended. NETLAB+ has been tested with the web browsers

listed in the table below.

Browser

Minimum Version

Support/Experience

Google Chrome

54.0

* * * * *

Mozilla Firefox

46.0

* * * *

Apple Safari (MAC only)

11.0.3

* * * *

Microsoft Edge

40.15063.674.0

* *

Microsoft Internet Explorer

No longer supported

Cookies and JavaScript must be enabled in your browser. The latest

information on supported web browsers is available from Help >

Supported Web Browsers when signed in to a NETLAB+ account.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. Enter your Username and Password into the fields in the login box and

then click the Login button. The graphics on the page may be different from the

example shown below. You will be prompted to change your initial password;

see the next section for details.

1.1 Change Password During Initial Login

During your first login, you will be required to change your password after you

successfully provide your username and initial password. NETLAB+ enforces strong

passwords.

Passwords must meet the following requirements:

▪ Not found in the common dictionary and not too simple

▪ 7 or more ASCII characters

▪ Contain both numbers and letters

One strategy you may find helpful in selecting a new password is to combine a word

together with numbers. For example, you could not use the word “airplane”, but you

could use “airplane789”. You may not reuse your initial password.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

1. Enter your selection into the New Password field.

2. Enter the password once again in the Retype New Password field and then click

Submit.

An error message will be displayed if the password entered does not

meet the requirements. The message will indicate why the password

was unacceptable.

Notice the Help button. You can click the Help button on this and other

NETLAB+ pages to display information to assist you in entering

information and making selections. To hide the help information, click

the button again.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

Examples of typical password errors:

• The error message shown below indicates that the password entered did not

meet the minimum length requirement.

• The error message shown below indicates that the new password entered is a

simple word found in the common dictionary and therefore not eligible to be a

password on the system.

• If the values in the two password fields do not match, an error message will be

displayed, similar to the one shown below.

Make note of your new password, you will need it each time you log

into the NETLAB+ system.

If you receive an error, correct the information in the fields as needed

and click Submit again.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

1.2 Change E-mail Address During Initial Login

The next field you will be prompted to enter is your E-mail Address. This field may

already contain a value if an e-mail address was entered at the time your account was

created. You may edit the e-mail address if needed. Entering an e-mail address is

optional.

• Update the E-mail Address field as desired and click Submit. The e-mail address

must be in a valid format (example, [email protected]); otherwise, an error

message will be displayed.

1.3 Change Date and Time Settings During Initial Login

Next, you will select your local time zone and your preferences for dates, times, and

calendars. These settings are especially important to ensure that information is

displayed accurately when using the scheduler.

When traveling, you can change your time zone to match the local

time.

If you receive an error, correct the information as needed and click

Submit again.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

1. Select the Time Zone where you are located. NETLAB+ will adjust for Daylight

Savings Time.

2. Choose the Date Display Format you prefer. This is the style that dates will be

displayed (for example, YYYY-MM-DD).

3. Select the Time Display Format. Time may be displayed in 12-hour (AM/PM)

format or 24-hour format.

4. Select the First Day of the Week to be shown in the scheduling calendar. Sunday

is the default.

5. When you are finished making any necessary modifications, click Submit.

6. As noted in the message displayed, these settings may be changed as needed.

Click Understood.

7. The MyNETLAB page will be displayed.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2 MyNETLAB Interface

After a successful login, the MyNETLAB page will be displayed. Any scheduled lab

reservations will be displayed here. If this is your first time logging into the system, it is

likely that there are no scheduled lab reservations to display (unless a lab reservation

has been made by your instructor).

2.1 Modify User Settings

The settings you made during your initial login may be modified any time, as needed.

• To access the Settings page, click your username in the top-right corner and

select Settings.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

The Settings page will display your current user settings.

The Change Password, Change Email, and Settings buttons may be selected to update

the information displayed.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2.1.1 Change Password

1. Click the Change Password button on the Settings page to display the Change

Password page.

Passwords must meet the following requirements:

• Not found in the common dictionary and not too simple

• 7 or more ASCII characters

• Contain both numbers and letters

2. Enter your selection into the New Password field.

3. Enter the password once again in the Retype New Password field.

4. To proceed with updating your password, select the Submit button. You will

return to the MyNETLAB page. (Or, if you decide that you do not want to change

your password, you may select the Cancel button to return to the MyNETLAB

page with your password remaining unchanged.)

If you receive an error, correct the information in the fields as needed

and click Submit again.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2.1.2 Change E-mail

1. Click the Change E-mail button on the Settings page to display the Change E-mail

Address page. Entering an e-mail address is optional.

2. Update the E-mail Address field as desired. Click Submit to save changes and

return to the MyNETLAB page. (Or, select Cancel to return with no changes

made). The e-mail address must be in a valid format (example,

[email protected]); otherwise, an error message will be displayed.

2.1.3 Change Date and Time Settings

1. Click the Settings button on the Settings page to display the Date and Time

Settings page. These settings are especially important to ensure that information

is displayed accurately when using the scheduler.

When traveling, you can change your time zone to match the local

time.

If you receive an error, correct the information in the fields as needed

and click Submit again.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. Select the Time Zone where you are located. NETLAB+ will adjust for Daylight

Savings Time.

3. Choose the Date Display Format you prefer. This is the style that dates will be

displayed (for example, YYYY-MM-DD).

4. Select the Time Display Format. Time may be displayed in 12-hour (AM/PM)

format or 24-hour format.

5. Set the First Day of the Week to be shown in the scheduling calendar.

6. When you are finished making modifications, click Submit. The MyNETLAB page

will be displayed. (Or, to return to the MyNETLAB page without saving changes,

click Cancel.)

Recall that you can display help information for guidance on updating

the values on a page by clicking the Help button. The Date and Time

Settings page is shown below, with help displayed.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2.2 Logout

The Logout link is used for logging out of the NETLAB+ system.

1. Click your username in the top-right corner of the MyNETLAB page and select

Logout.

2. A confirmation message will display, select the button if you want to Login Again

and return to the login screen.

Logging out of the system is particularly important when using a shared

computer, to prevent others from gaining access to your account.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3 Schedule Lab Reservations

This section provides step-by-step instructions for scheduling a lab reservation using the

virtual edition of NETLAB+. We will show you how to access the scheduling feature on

the MyNETLAB page, select a lab from the lab listing, and the features of the Pod

Scheduler.

To schedule a lab reservation, log in to NETLAB+, and select the New Lab Reservation

button on the MyNETLAB page.

Alternatively, you may select the Schedule option on the MyNETLAB page. You will have

the option to schedule a lab for yourself or to share as a team.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.1 Schedule a Lab for Yourself or for Your Team

You may choose to schedule a lab for yourself or to share as a team that you have been

assigned to by your instructor.

• If you choose the Schedule Lab for Myself option, access to the lab reservation

will be available only to you and the lead instructor of your class.

• If you choose the Schedule Lab for My Team option, access to the lab

reservation will be available to all members that have been assigned to your

team and the lead instructor of your class.

As a student, you may only make team reservations if you have been

assigned to a team by your instructor AND your instructor has granted

access to your class to allow students to schedule team reservations

themselves.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.2 Select a Class

If you are enrolled in more than one class, you will select the class from the list of

Available Classes.

If you are a member of one class only, the Available Classes page will

not be displayed. Instead, the list of labs (see next section) will be

displayed immediately.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.3 See a List of Labs

A list of the labs associated with the class will be displayed. In this example, the student

is enrolled in an NDG Ethical Hacking class.

3.4 Preview Lab Content

To see a preview of the instructional material associated with a lab, select Preview Lab

on the Action dropdown at the end of the lab list row.

You may search for a lab by entering a value in the search box in the

upper-right corner.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

The content will be displayed. The options available to zoom the view, download, and

print the content will vary, depending on your browser settings. Click Dismiss when you

are finished previewing the content.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.5 Enter the Pod Scheduler

To schedule a lab session, click the Lab Name.

The scheduler may also be accessed by selecting Schedule Lab on the Action dropdown

at the end of the lab list row.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.6 Explore Pod Scheduler Features

The Pod Scheduler will be displayed, allowing you to schedule a lab reservation for the

selected lab.

Pod Scheduler Features:

• Calendar: Use the calendar in the upper-left corner to select the date for the

reservation by clicking on the date of your choice. You may scroll from month to

month by selecting the and buttons. Select the button to reset the

selected day to today’s date.

• Selected Day: The day selected on the calendar is shown here. It is initially set to

today’s date but can be modified by making a new selection on the calendar.

• Current Time: Displays the current time, according to your time zone settings.

The time may be displayed using 12-hour or 24-hour time, depending on your

settings.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

• Schedule Table: The columns of the table show the pods available to you for

scheduling the selected lab. The number of pods available will depend upon the

number and type of pods that have been installed on your NETLAB+ system.

Consult your instructor or NETLAB+ Administrator if you have questions about

the pods available to you. The rows of the table show reservation times. The

solid red line indicates the current time.

3.7 Select a Reservation Time

1. To select a lab reservation time, scroll the table as needed to display available

time-slots. The time-slots below the red line (current time), may be selected if

available.

If you want to start your lab reservation now, select the time-slot

immediately below the red line.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. Select a lab reservation time on a pod by clicking the appropriate box for the

time-slot. Details of the lab reservation are displayed. Review the reservation

details, including changing the End Time if needed (see picture below), and then

click Submit.

Keep in mind that the last 10 minutes of a lab reservation is used for

system cleanup and reset. As shown in the example above, the Length

of Reservation for a 1-hour timeslot is 50 minutes.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

The End Time may be modified by clicking the End Time field and selecting a new

time on the popup calendar (subject to pod availability and whether the Time

Limit is set to be enforced for the class).

3. A confirmation message will display. Select OK to return to the MyNETLAB page.

As a student, your ability to change the End Time of your lab

reservation may be restricted by lab reservation time limits set by your

instructor and/or NETLAB+ administrator.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3.8 See the Lab Reservation Displayed on the MyNETLAB Page

The reservation is now shown in the list of Lab Reservations.

Reservations you make for yourself will be listed and accessible to you

and the instructor of your class. If you make a team reservation, the

reservation will be listed and accessible to all team members and your

instructor.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4 Enter a Lab Session

At the scheduled time of a lab reservation, the Enter Lab button will display. Select the

button to enter the lab and display the lab access interface.

You may see the Initializing POD indicator displayed on the page at the beginning of

your session. This indicates that NETLAB+ is in the process of initializing the lab devices

in the pod to prepare them for use. Allow the initialization to proceed.

Click Dismiss only if you prefer to interrupt the process and return to

the MyNETLAB page.

It may be necessary to refresh your browser screen to display the Enter

Lab button at the scheduled time.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.1 Explore the Tabbed Sections of the Lab Access Interface

The lab access interface is divided into several tabbed sections. The Topology, Content,

and Status tabs provide access to NETLAB+'s functions. Additional tabs provide access to

the devices in the pod (devices included in pods vary).

As you perform different actions throughout your lab session in any of the tabbed

sections, you will see Lab Notifications displayed in the right corner, below the Time

Remaining Indicator. Most messages are set to display only briefly.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.1.1 Topology Tab

The Topology tab displays the lab topology, including the IP addressing scheme and

physical or logical connections.

In this example, the topology diagram shows two devices: a SAN and a Linux machine.

Clicking on the icon of a device on the topology diagram will change the

active tab to the tab for the selected device (accessing a device is

discussed below).

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.1.2 Content Tab

The Content tab displays the lab content, the instructional material associated with the

lab.

You may see options to rotate the display of the content, download, and print. The

options available will vary, depending on your choice of browser and your browser

settings.

If the content is not displayed on the Content tab, please refer to the

section below for configuration guidance.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

To adjust your view of the content, you may see buttons to toggle the content display

between Fit to Width/Fit to Display and Zoom in/Zoom out. (These options will vary,

depending on your browser selection and browser settings.)

4.1.2.1 Configure the Browser to Display Content

If your browser is not configured to view PDF files inside the browser, the content will

not be displayed. Instead, you will see a message similar to the screen shown below.

You may launch the PDF in a separate window by clicking the link. But, if you would like

to configure your browser to display the PDF, you may do so by following the steps

below. For this example, we will configure the Firefox browser. The steps required to

configure your browser will vary, depending on your selection of browser and browser

settings.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

1. Open the Firefox menu and select Options, which will open in a new browser tab.

2. Scroll down the Options page and locate the Applications section. Select the

Content Type of Portable Document Format (PDF) and set the Action to Preview

in Firefox.

3. Select the browser tab to return to your NETLAB+ lab session. It may be

necessary to reload the browser page and re-select the Content tab. The content

should now be displayed.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.1.3 Status Tab

The status of all devices in the pod is displayed on the Status tab.

NETLAB+ provides several options for managing devices (options available vary by

device), which may be accessed by clicking on the Action dropdown:

• Send CTRL+ALT+DEL: Simulate the action of pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on the

device.

• Undock: Access to the device is made available in a separate, floating window,

allowing you to position and arrange windows to suit your needs. (for details,

see the Undock and Dock Device Windows section.

• Actual Size, Scale Display: Options to adjust the size of the output displayed in

the window, relative to the size of the viewer window.

• Power on, Power Off: Options to toggle the power of the device.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2 Access a Device

In this section, we will illustrate the process of accessing one of the devices in the pod,

starting from the Topology tab. For this example, we will use a Multi-purpose Academy

Pod (MAP).

1. Access the R1 router by clicking the icon on the topology diagram or by clicking

on the R1 device tab.

2. The active tab will change to the R1 tab, and the R1 router will be displayed in

the viewer. You may interact with the device as if you were accessing it directly,

including entering credentials (typically provided in content) and entering

commands.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. As we saw in the Status Tab, NETLAB+ provides several options for managing

devices, which may also be accessed by clicking on the currently selected device

name tab (R1, in this example).

Options available on specific devices may vary; typical choices for routers (as in

this example) include:

• Send Break Key: Simulate the action of the Break Key sequence on the

device.

• Copy Selected Text: Copy selected text to the clipboard. See the Copy

Selected Text subsection below.

• Paste to Terminal: Paste configuration text to a device's terminal (see Paste

to Terminal).

• Undock: Access to the device is made available in a separate, floating

window, allowing you to position and arrange windows to suit your needs

(see the Undock and Dock Device Windows subsection below).

• Password Recovery: Unlock the console and enable passwords on a device.

See the Password Recovery subsection below.

• Erase, Load, and Save Configurations: If you are accessing console-based

devices such as Cisco routers, switches, and firewalls, you will see additional

options to erase, load, and save configurations.

• Power on, Power Off: Options to toggle the power of the device.

• Settings: Custom terminal styles allow you to select the background color,

text color, and font size for your device. Styles are saved and used in all

future labs using the same pod type. Please see the Terminal Settings section

below for details.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2.1 Copy Selected Text

To copy text from the terminal to the clipboard, perform the following steps.

1. Select the text by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse

pointer to highlight the text.

2. Click the Copy Selected Text option on the device tab.

3. Notice a lab notification message will briefly display, confirming the selected text

was copied to the clipboard. You may paste the text to the application of your

choice. To paste into a typical Windows application, use CTRL+V or Right-click >

Paste. Your options for pasting may vary, depending on your system selections

and settings.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2.2 Paste to Terminal

The Paste to Terminal option is used in order to paste configuration text to a device's

terminal.

1. Click the Paste To Terminal option on the device tab.

Using the Paste to Terminal option is recommended to avoid issues of

over-running the text buffer that could occur if you were to paste

directly from the clipboard.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The Paste Configuration Text window will appear. You may paste configuration

text copied from the application of your choice. To paste from the clipboard,

Windows users can typically use CTRL+V or Right-click > Paste. Your options for

pasting may vary, depending on your system selections and settings. While the

text window is not designed to be a fully functioning text editor, the basic utility

to type and edit configuration text in the window is provided.

3. Click Paste to paste the text you placed in the window to the device's terminal.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4. Lab notifications will be displayed, indicating that the configuration text was

pasted to the device by the user. The terminal will show the resulting output.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2.3 Undock and Dock Device Windows

You may find it helpful when organizing your workspace to have the terminal windows

for several devices arranged so that you may conveniently view and easily access all of

them. You may Undock any lab device to have the terminal displayed in its own window.

1. From the lab device tab (R1, in this example), select the option to Undock the

device display.

2. The R1 device tab indicates the device is currently undocked and displayed in its

own window. You may move and resize the R1 window to suit your needs.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. Select the option to undock the R2 device. Notice the background color of R2 is

different from R1, allowing you to distinguish between the windows easily.

4. To dock the terminal display back to the device tab, select the Dock option on

the device window.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2.4 Password Recovery

The password recovery option will attempt to remove the console and enable

passwords from the device.

1. Select the Password Recovery option on the device tab.

2. Select Yes to confirm that you want to unlock the passwords for the device.

During Instructor-led training sessions, the option to perform password

recovery may be executed by the instructor, but not by students.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. A lab notification message will be displayed, indicating that password recovery

has been requested.

Lab notification messages are displayed to all users sharing the

reservation (such as, for instructor-led training).

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.2.5 Terminal Settings

Customize the appearance of your device’s terminal by selecting settings for background

color, text color, and font size.

1. Select the Settings option on the device tab.

Changing the background and font colors to your own custom

selections can help you easily differentiate between multiple device

windows. You may set your font size to what works best for you to read

and use efficiently.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The Terminal Settings popup window will be displayed. To change the

background color of the terminal, click the rectangle displaying the current

background color.

3. A color selection window will appear. You may select a basic or custom color for

the background of your CLI viewer. In this example, we will select one of the

basic colors. After selecting a color, click OK.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4. To change the text color, click the rectangle displaying the current text color.

5. A color selection window will appear; you may select a basic or custom text color

and then click OK.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6. To change the font size, click the dropdown showing the current font size and

select the font size of your choice.

7. To apply your selections and exit the Terminals Settings window, click Apply.

Your settings will be saved and used for future reservations using the same type

of pod. You may return to the default settings by selecting Defaults on the

terminal settings window.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.3 Pod-wide Device Automation

Lab reservations using pods with lab devices (console-based devices such as Cisco

routers, switches, and firewall devices) include the Pod menu option on the lab interface.

The pod options allow all the configurations of all lab devices in the pod to be erased,

loaded, or saved at once.

1. Select the Pod menu option on the lab interface.

2. Select an option to either Erase, Load, or Save the configurations of all of the lab

devices in the pod. Please see the Manage Configuration Files section for details

on using and managing configuration files.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.4 Screenshots of Remote PCs

In this section, we will demonstrate the Screenshot feature, which allows users to take

screenshots of remote PCs in the topology during a lab session. These screenshots are

included in the lab history where you can View Completed Labs.

To take a screenshot, perform the following steps:

1. Click on the tab for the remote pc (PC A, in this example) and select the Take

Screenshot option.

You may be directed by your instructor to take screenshots of your

progress during a lab reservation or you may want to take screenshots

for your own reference. The screenshots will be available to view

through the Completed Labs function, available from the View menu

option. See the View Completed Labs section for details.

The Screenshot feature is available to users only if it has been enabled

at the community level by the NETLAB+ administrator. For each class in

a community where the screenshot feature has been enabled, the

maximum number of screenshots that students may take in a single lab

is set by the Administrator or Lead Instructor. If this value has been set

to 0, it effectively disables the screenshot feature for a class.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The screenshot popup page will appear, showing the screenshot that you have

captured. Adding a brief description in the optional Notes field is recommended.

Click Submit.

3. A lab notification will briefly appear, showing that the screenshot was completed

successfully. You may continue to take screenshots of the remote PCs

throughout your lab session. The screenshots will be included as part of the lab

history, available to view from the View menu option. See the View Completed

Labs section for details.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.5 Display Sizing Options for Remote PCs

Resize Display is particularly helpful to use after entering full-screen mode (select F11 if

using Windows) since it will enable you to make use of the entire screen’s “real estate”

as the working area.

Be aware that in some cases (depending on the selected OS and other

VM settings), the Resize Display option will not function until the user

has first performed their initial login to the VM, as per the instructions

provided in the lab content.

If available on your system, Resize Display functions only for individual

lab reservations (student or instructor); it is not available during

instructor-led training or team reservations.

Options for adjusting the display for remote PCs include Actual Size

and Scale Display to adjust the size of the output displayed in the

window, relative to the size of the viewer window. The options

available to you may also include the Resize Display option. Availability

of this option depends on several factors, including configuration

settings selected by your NETLAB+ Administrator.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.6 Extend a Reservation

The option to extend a reservation allows the user to request 30 additional minutes of

lab time. The request to extend a reservation may be made by the user when the Time

Remaining in the lab interface shows 15 minutes or less.

To request a reservation extension, perform the following steps:

4. If a reservation extension is available, the option to Request More Time will

appear when the time remaining in the lab interface shows 15 minutes or less.

In some cases, a lab reservation extension will not be available due to

restrictions. Please refer to the restrictions listed below that affect the

availability of lab reservation extensions.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

Alternatively, the option to request more time is available by selecting

Reservation > Request More Time.

5. A confirmation message will indicate the lab reservation has been extended.

Click Dismiss.

Restrictions for All Users

• An extension cannot be made before T-00:15 on the displayed Time Remaining.

This is about 26 minutes from the blocked end time and 16 minutes of the usable

time remaining.

• The next 30-minute time slot must not be already scheduled by another

reservation.

• The extension cannot exceed the maximum pods in use limit and/or proactive

resource awareness settings that have been set by the NETLAB+ Administrator.

Restrictions for Students and Teams

• The number of extensions that a student or team can request is limited by

community and class settings.

• For backward setting compatibility, communities and classes do not allow

extensions to be made by students or teams by default.

o The Administrator must specifically allow extensions for students and

teams per community.

o The instructor must specifically allow extensions for students and teams

per class.

• A learner may not extend an ILT reservation. Only a lead instructor can extend an

ILT reservation.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4.7 Switch to a Different Lab Exercise

If you have completed all the activity associated with the current lab exercise, you may

choose to continue your session using a different lab exercise.

1. Click Reservation on the top menu bar and select the option to Change Exercise.

2. A list of lab exercises associated with the class will be displayed. Select a lab

exercise by clicking the lab name.

In some cases, the option to change the lab exercise will not be

available. This option will only be available if the class setting to use

multiple labs in the same reservation has been enabled by the lead

instructor.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. A message will confirm that the lab exercise has been switched. Click OK.

4.8 End a Reservation

When a lab reservation time expires, all connections will be dropped. A reservation may

also be ended prior to the scheduled time.

1. Select Reservation at the top of the page and click End Reservation Now.

2. Respond Yes to the prompt if you are finished with the pod. (Or, select No to

return to the pod.)

During Instructor-led training sessions, the option to end the

reservation may be executed by the instructor, but not by students.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. A message will display, indicating the reservation has ended. A similar message is

displayed if the reservation ends at the scheduled end time. Notice the lab

notification messages in the background, indicating device configurations are

being saved. The lab session will end immediately. Select OK, and your display

will return to the MyNETLAB page.

The scheduler will be updated to include any unused time increments of thirty minutes

or more to be available for reservations.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

5 View Completed Labs

To review details of the lab reservations you have completed in NETLAB+, perform the

following steps.

1. From the MyNETLAB home page, click the View option and select Completed

Labs.

2. A list of the labs you have completed is displayed. You may sort the data in

ascending/descending order by clicking any of the header fields. In the example

below, the data is sorted by Exercise. You have the option of exporting this data

by selecting Export.

Unattended labs are not included in the list of completed labs.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. The data has been exported to a file, lab_usage.csv. Locate the file in your

computer's downloads folder (the folder name may vary depending on your

preferences and settings). The file can be viewed with a spreadsheet program or

text editor.

4. To see more detail of any reservation on the Lab Usage list, click any of the detail

rows. We’ll discuss lab history in the next section. Click Dismiss to return to the

previous page.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

5.1.1 Lab History and Screenshots

In the previous section, we discussed how to view a list of labs you have completed. We

will now take a look at lab history details.

1. To see the lab history for a reservation listed, click on a reservation detail row.

2. The Lab History Summary tab will be displayed, showing details specific to the

reservation.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. If the lab topology includes lab devices (physical devices, such as routers and

switches), you will find details of your interaction with those devices on the

Devices tab. The display options are listed below. Click Dismiss to return to the

lab list (it may be necessary to scroll down if you are on the Devices tab).

Display Options on the Devices Tab

• Command Index: A listing of the commands entered during the lab.

• Session Logs: A log of the activity occurring on the selected device.

• Final Configs: The configuration file saved by NETLAB+ at the end of the lab

session for the selected device.

• User Configs: Configuration files saved by the user during the lab session for

the selected device.

Here, the Command Index has been selected.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

In the example below, the Final Configs for device R3 are displayed.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4. If the lab topology includes PCs, click on the PCs tab to view any screenshots of

remote PCs that were captured during the lab session. If more than one PC is

included in the topology, select a device on the dropdown (for example, PC A is

selected below). Thumbnail images are displayed at the bottom of the page.

Click on any thumbnail to display the screenshot. You may also scroll through the

screenshots using the button controls below the thumbnails.

In the picture below, notice the timestamps under the thumbnails.

These indicate the point at which the image was taken as hours,

minutes, and seconds from the beginning of lab.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6 Manage Configuration Files

The File Manager is used to view, add, change, or delete configuration files

and folders. NETLAB+ can upload and download configuration files to

console-based devices such as routers, switches, and firewall devices in the

lab. These files are stored in the NETLAB+ file system. The NETLAB+ file manager

provides access to files and folders.

• Files contain the actual device configurations.

• Folders may contain other folders and configuration files. Folders may be either

class (shared) folders or account (specific to the user) folders.

o The files in the class-shared folder may be accessed by the students

enrolled in the class. Students may view files, copy files, and load devices

with configuration files and folders. Students do not have access to add,

edit, or delete items in the class-shared folder.

o Account folders may be accessed by the user or by the NETLAB+

Administrator.

6.1 Configuration File Management Outside of a Lab Reservation

Using the File Manager, you can create and edit configuration files and folders. You may

find it useful to create a configuration file outside of a lab reservation when you want to

practice your router commands or create files to use in later sessions. These files can be

created/edited whether or not you have access to a router pod. These configuration

files can be saved and later applied to one or more routers in the topology during a lab

session.

1. From the MyNETLAB home page, click the View option and select Configuration

Files.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. A list of folders will be displayed. Notice the list includes an account folder and a

class folder for each class in which you are enrolled. In the subsections below,

we will show examples of editing a configuration file and creating configuration

files and folders.

The default list display is All Files. You may change the display option

to filter the list to show User Files or Class Files only.

Students may view files, copy files, and load devices with configuration

files and folders. Students do not have access to add, edit, or delete

items in the class-shared folder. As a student, you may create and edit

files in your account folder.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.1.1 Viewing and Editing Configuration Files

Configuration files may be viewed and edited outside of a lab reservation. Your file can

be saved and later applied to one or more lab devices in the topology during a lab

session. For the purpose of this example, we assume that the configuration files and

folders referenced have been created during a recent lab session (see Saving

Configuration Files During a Lab Reservation).

1. Select the Lab 2.5.1.2 Device Configs folder and then click the R1 file to open it.

2. The R1 file is displayed. For this example, we will not only view the file but also

edit it. Click the Edit button.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. Click inside the window and edit the file as desired. Select Save to save the

modified version.

6.1.2 Creating Folders and Files

Configuration files and folders may be created outside of a lab reservation. Your files

can be saved and later applied to one or more lab devices in the topology during a lab

session.

1. In this example, we will be creating a folder and configuration file in Test User's

account folder. To create a subfolder for your file, select Create Folder, enter a

folder name, and then select Create.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The Lab 1 folder will be displayed in the folder list. Click the folder name to

select it as the current folder.

3. Select the Create File button, enter a file name, and then click Create.

4. After entering CLI commands, select Save to store the configuration file.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.1.3 Deleting Folders and Files

To delete a file or folder in the current directory, click the Action dropdown and select

Delete.

6.1.4 Configuration History

Configuration files for all lab devices in a topology are saved automatically by NETLAB+

at the end of a lab reservation, creating a saved "history". The files are stored in a folder

named for the lab exercise. You may view these configuration files outside of a lab

reservation.

1. From the MyNETLAB home page, click the Manage option and select

Configuration History.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The History Manager will be displayed. Select the account folder.

3. You will see Config Group folders that contain configuration files that were

automatically saved by NETLAB+ at the end of each lab reservation. Select a

folder by clicking on the name. In this example, we select the folder from a

reservation completed on 2018-06-20, lab exercise 2.6.1.2 (CCNA Security).

The contents of the page will vary. You may see configuration files that

were saved for individual devices. The list may also include folders for

other classes and accounts.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4. The configuration files saved at the end of the lab reservation for each device in

the lab topology are listed (file type is Final Lab Config). You may View any file by

selecting the option on the Action dropdown.

5. The configuration file is displayed. When you are finished viewing the file, click

Dismiss.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.2 Configuration File Usage During Lab Reservations

In the subsections below, we will show how to save, load, and erase configuration files

during a lab reservation. To illustrate these processes, we have created a lab reservation

on a Multi-purpose Academy Pod (MAP). The MAP includes 3 routers and 3 switches.

This section assumes some basic knowledge of how to Schedule Lab

Reservations and Enter a Lab Session.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.2.1 Saving Configuration Files During a Lab Reservation

When saving a configuration, NETLAB+ captures the output from the 'show running' or

equivalent commands.

1. To save a configuration file during a lab reservation, select the device (R1 in this

example). Click the R1 button again to display the dropdown menu and select

the option to Save Configuration.

2. You have the option to create a subfolder for your file(s), which can be helpful in

keeping your files organized. Here, we'll create a folder for device configuration

files for this lab by selecting Create Folder, entering a folder name, and then

selecting Create.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

3. Click the name of the new folder to select it as the current folder. Select the

option to Save Here. The popup box will show the default file name as R1 since

we are saving the configuration of the R1 device. Click Create. The file will be

saved in the Lab 2.6.1.2 Device Configs folder.

6.2.2 Loading Configuration Files During a Lab Reservation

When loading a configuration into a device, NETLAB+ will enter configuration mode and

send each line of the configuration file as if you had typed it manually.

1. To load a configuration file during a lab reservation, select the device (R1 in this

example). Click the R1 button again to display the dropdown menu and select

the option to Load Configuration.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

2. The Load Device popup window will be displayed. You may choose to replace the

existing configuration or merge commands with the existing configuration on the

device. For this example, we will choose Replace the existing configuration with

a new configuration and click the Select button.

3. Confirm your choice to replace the existing configuration on the device by

selecting Yes.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

4. Select the source location of the configuration file. For this example, we will

select History, which will allow us to use a configuration file saved from a

previous lab session.

5. Select the account folder by clicking the folder name.

Configuration files for all lab devices in a topology are saved

automatically by NETLAB+ at the end of each lab reservation. The files

are stored in a folder named for the lab exercise. These folders may be

accessed by selecting to load configurations from History, as shown

below.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6. The Select File page will be displayed. You will see Config Group folders that

contain configuration files that were automatically saved by NETLAB+ during

previous lab reservations. Select a folder by clicking on the name. In this example,

we select the folder from a reservation completed on 2018-06-14, lab exercise

2.6.1.2 (CCNA Security).

7. The configuration files saved at the end of the lab reservation for each device in

the lab topology are listed (file type is Final Lab Config). You may View any file by

selecting the option on the Action dropdown.

The contents of the Select File page will vary. You may see

configuration files that were saved for individual devices. The list may

also include folders for other classes and accounts.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

8. The configuration file is displayed. You may choose to load this file on the device

by clicking the Select button.

9. You will see the configuration loading. Keyboard input will be disabled while the

automation is in progress.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

10. Next, we will load a configuration file into device R2. To load a configuration file

during a lab reservation, select the device (R2 in this example). Click the R2

button again to display the dropdown menu and select the option to Load

Configuration.

11. To load a configuration file without erasing the current configuration on a device,

select the option to Merge commands with the existing configurations.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

12. Confirm your intention to modify the existing configuration by clicking the Yes

button.

13. For this example, we will use a file that was saved during a previous lab

reservation. Select the option to load a configuration from the File System.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

14. The Select File page will be displayed. The list of files/folders includes class and

account folders. Select a folder by clicking on the folder name.

15. The class folder in this example contains a file that was previously saved by the

class instructor. To view the file, click the file name.

The contents of the Select File page will vary. You may see

configuration files that were saved for individual devices. The list may

also include folders for other classes and accounts.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

16. The configuration file will be displayed. Click Select to load the file.

17. You will see the configuration loading. Keyboard input will be disabled while the

automation is in progress.

Student Guide NETLAB+ Virtual Edition

6.2.3 Erasing the Configuration on a Device During a Lab Reservation

1. To erase the configuration on a device during a lab reservation, select the device

(R1 in this example). Click the R1 button again to display the dropdown menu

and select the option to Erase Configuration.

2. A warning message will be displayed. Select Yes to confirm that you want to

erase the configuration.