Dynamips idlepc value and real network interface

If you are working with Dynamips in Windows, ultimately you will need to address the high processor load it creates. The commands in the server interface are:

idlepc get router name in dynamips config

This will return a list of values between 1 and 10, with one or more flagged with an asterisk. Pick one and save it to the Dynamips config:

idlepc save router name in dynamips config db

Once you do this for each running router, you will see an imediate drop in processor load via Task Manager.

If you need to create or modify the interface between a Dynamips switch and your host, the way to identify the host interface is via C:\Program Files\Dynamips\Network device list.cmd. You will need the line beginning with NIO.

For example, this line output by the cmd, NIO_gen_eth:\Device\NPF_{953F2C44-6A41-4C47-9C34-ADAA33FB8517} would be used in the Dynamips lab .net file you are running.

For example, this snippet in your lab config:

[[ETHSW S1]]
1 = access 1
2 = access 2
3 = access 3
# 3 = dot1q 1
#4 = dot1q 1 NIO_gen_eth:eth0
4 = dot1q 1 NIO_gen_eth:\Device\NPF_{F92B0F04-5464-4EED-92FD-F8890A8091A2}

indicates NIO_gen_eth:\Device\NPF_{F92B0F04-5464-4EED-92FD-F8890A8091A2} will be used as a 802.1Q trunk interface on switchport 4.