VELNET (Virtual Environment for Learning Networking)

The problems of providing a real, physical specialist laboratory to teach computer networking such as, the lack of funding and physical space and the risks and threats to the network environment and infrastructure, can be solved by the use of a virtual learning environment. Velnet is such a virtual learning environment that we have developed and used successfully. Velnet consists of one or more host machines and operating systems, commercial virtual machine software, virtual machines and their operating systems, a virtual network connecting the virtual machines, and remote desktop display software. In order to be able to present more computernetworking concepts and to improve on our original version of Velnet we have been developing a virtual reality overlay. This virtual reality overlay allows students to build virtual networking topologies in a virtual lab. This paper describes Velnet our virtual environment for learning networking and the virtual reality overlay under development.