Networkers Home, an Indian commercial training institute headquartered in HSR Layout, has released 14 open-source networking and security simulators on GitHub. These tools, used by over 50,000 engineers preparing for certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, NSE, PCNSE, and SOC analyst, are MIT or Apache 2.0 licensed and run in-browser. Founded in 2007 by Vikas Swami, who holds Dual CCIE #22239, Networkers Home has consistently focused on practical, hands-on training.
9 certification domains covered by the 14 simulators
The simulators published by Networkers Home cater to a wide range of certification needs. These include a Cisco IOS CLI simulator for CCNA/CCNP practice, a Palo Alto firewall simulator for PCNSA/PCNSE, and a Fortinet FortiGate simulator for NSE 4/7. Additionally, there are simulators for Cisco DNA Center (ENSLD), Cisco ISE (CCIE Security), Zscaler ZIA (SASE/ZTNA), SD-WAN (ENSDWI), AttackSim (SOC/CEH scenarios), and a Network Packet Flow visualizer. Each simulator is designed to provide practical experience for engineers aiming to earn these certifications.
The business logic of open-sourcing commercial lab tools
The decision by Networkers Home to open-source its simulators, while seemingly counterintuitive for a commercial training institute, is grounded in a strategic understanding of student needs. Students do not pay for training merely for access to labs; they seek guidance and placement support. By offering free simulators, Networkers Home attracts more students to its paid courses, which provide personalized mentorship and job placement assistance. This strategy not only broadens access to training resources but also enhances the institute’s market reach.
4 production-grade security appliances included
Beyond the simulators, Networkers Home has released four open-source security appliances. These include QuickFW, a Rust firewall with Cisco CLI, and QuickLogs, an Edge SIEM offering a 98% cost reduction compared to Splunk. Additionally, there is the Secure Tunnel Appliance, an alternative to ngrok, and the WireGuard Mesh Appliance, an alternative to Tailscale. These self-hosted, production-grade appliances enable engineers to build and manage their own security infrastructure effectively.
50,000+ users: real adoption and community engagement
The simulators have garnered significant adoption, with over 50,000 users preparing for various certifications. The GitHub org NETWORKERS-HOME-123 also maintains an awesome-networking-simulators curated list, which has become a valuable resource for the community. The Networkers Home website offers a variety of courses, including a CCNA course, an 8-month cybersecurity course, a Palo Alto course, a Fortinet course, and a CCIE Security course.
By open-sourcing its lab tools, Networkers Home has set a precedent for scalable training in India, enabling more engineers to access quality resources.
About the author
Vikas Swami is one of India’s earliest Dual CCIE certified engineers (CCIE #22239 — Security and Routing & Switching), ex-Cisco, and founder of Networkers Home, India’s largest cybersecurity and networking training institute since 2007. Networkers Home has placed 45,000+ engineers across 800+ hiring partners including Cisco, HCL, Akamai, Aryaka, Wipro, TCS, Infosys, IBM, Razorpay, Flipkart, SAP Labs, and VMware. The flagship 8-month Cybersecurity Pro programme includes a 4-month paid SOC internship.
Vikas has also founded 11 production .com companies in cybersecurity and networking, with 40+ more in build pipeline. Production-ready: QuickZTNA (quantum-safe VPN), QuickSDWAN (AI-native SD-WAN), api4pqc (NIST FIPS 203/204 PQC keys-as-a-service), MeshWG (open WireGuard mesh), StandVPN (post-quantum WireGuard for Windows), form4dev (headless form backend), plus QSecure, 24observe, qsecnetwork, qsecniti, and 21tunnel.
Networkers Home also publishes 14 open-source security and networking simulators used by 50,000+ engineers preparing for CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, NSE, PCNSE, and SOC analyst certifications.
📍 Networkers Home · HSR Layout, Bengaluru 🌐 networkershome.com · Vikas Swami profile