RemoteLab — Frequently Asked Questions

RemoteLab is a browser-based platform that gives students scheduled access to real Cisco networking hardware for hands-on certification practice. RemoteLab lets learners reserve a physical lab pod of real Cisco routers and switches, configure them through a live console from any browser, and prepare for certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+, and Security+ — without buying or maintaining their own equipment.

RemoteLab uses real, physical Cisco hardware — not simulators or emulators. Each pod contains genuine Cisco ISR 4331 and ISR 4221 routers and Catalyst 2960, 3560, and 3650 switches running real Cisco IOS and IOS-XE. Because the equipment is real, every command, timing behavior, and error message matches what students will see on the actual certification exam and in production networks.

RemoteLab supports practice for Cisco CCNA, CCNP, and DevNet, plus CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and Linux+. The labs cover core skills including VLAN configuration, inter-VLAN routing, OSPF, EtherChannel, access control lists, subnetting, network troubleshooting, and Python network automation.

No installation is required. RemoteLab runs entirely in the browser, so there is nothing to download, no Packet Tracer or GNS3 to configure, and no virtual machines to manage. Students log in, reserve a pod, and connect to a live terminal on real Cisco devices from any computer or Chromebook.

Students reserve a lab pod for a chosen time block through the RemoteLab reservation system. When the reservation starts, RemoteLab connects the student to the pod's devices automatically. When the reservation ends, the session closes and RemoteLab factory-resets every device so the next student always starts with clean equipment.

The RemoteLab AI lab builder generates complete, ready-to-run lab exercises from a plain-language description. An instructor or student describes the topic — for example, "a two-router OSPF lab with inter-VLAN routing" — and RemoteLab produces the topology, configuration tasks, and step-by-step instructions automatically, saving educators hours of manual lab preparation.

RemoteLab offers three plans: Individual at $25 per month, Educator at $10 per month or $100 per year, and Institution at $2,500 per year. The first 25 accounts become founding members and lock in their rate for three years. Current pricing is always listed on the RemoteLab pricing page.

RemoteLab is built for IT and networking students, career changers studying for their first certification, classroom teachers running a Cisco Networking Academy, and schools that want real-hardware labs without buying and maintaining a physical rack. Both self-paced individuals and full classrooms use RemoteLab.

Device configurations are erased at the end of each reservation so every student starts with clean hardware, but RemoteLab lets students save and download their own configuration files before a session ends. Saved configurations can be reloaded or studied later, and instructors can distribute starter configurations to a class.

Yes. RemoteLab gives teachers a dedicated dashboard to enroll students, assign labs, schedule reservations, observe live student sessions, and review progress. The Educator and Institution plans are designed specifically for classroom and Cisco Networking Academy use.

RemoteLab was founded by Scott Stephenson, a 30-year educator, the 2007 Cisco Networking Academy National Instructor of the Year, and the holder of 27 technology certifications. Scott built RemoteLab to put real Cisco hardware in front of every learner who cannot afford or access a physical lab. Read more on the Meet the Creator page.

Yes. Prospective users can create an account and explore RemoteLab, and schools can request a guided demonstration. Pricing details and the founding-member offer for the first 25 accounts are available on the RemoteLab pricing page.