Download Eve-ng Images -upd- -

Cisco offers FREE trial images for EVE-NG via their software portal (requires Cisco account).

For UPD versions (2026): Subscribe to Cisco CML. It gives you access to IOSv version 17.x (yes, 17.x like physical IOS XE) and vBGP. Export those images directly to EVE-NG.

Alternative: Community shared repositories (e.g., from David Bombal, Evan McCann) – but verify hashes.

Do not use or distribute unlicensed images or links to pirated content.

The community has created Python scripts that scrape vendor demo sites (legitimately) and convert images on the fly. Search for “eve-ng image fetch tool” on GitHub.

Don’t download fresh for every lab rebuild. Create an offline SMB/NFS share:

# On your EVE-NG server
mkdir /opt/unetlab/repo
# Symbolic link to active QEMU folder
ln -s /opt/unetlab/repo/cisco-iosv-17.13.01 /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/

Now you only need to fixpermissions once per repo update. Download Eve-ng Images -UPD-

Conclusion

Downloading and updating EVE-NG images has evolved. The days of hunting broken Google Drive links are over. By using CML/Cisco Modelling Labs as your source, leveraging community updater scripts, and strictly following the virtioa.qcow2 naming convention, you can maintain a production-grade virtual lab that mirrors real-world network stacks.

Next Read: How to Optimize EVE-NG for 50+ Concurrent Nodes using ZFS and LZ4 Compression.

Have an image source we missed? Join the EVE-NG Professionals Slack channel to contribute.

EVE-NG does not provide copyrighted network images (like Cisco IOS or Juniper Junos) directly. Instead, users typically download the EVE-NG Community Edition or Professional Edition platform itself and then manually add images obtained from legal sources, such as Cisco Modeling Labs (CML). Platform Overview

EVE-NG is a clientless network emulation tool that allows engineers to build and test virtual network labs. Cisco offers FREE trial images for EVE-NG via

EVE-NG Pro 6.4 (Current Release): Features a major UI upgrade, security fixes, and advanced capabilities like multi-user support and the ability to suspend/resume link connections.

Community vs. Professional: The Community edition is free and suitable for individual study, while the Professional version (paid) supports multi-tenancy, dynamic interface naming, and role-based access control, making it better for teams. Downloading & Adding Images Image Type Recommended Source / Method Cisco Images

Purchase a CML Personal License ($199/year) to legally download images like IOSv, IOSv-L2, and NX-OS. Linux Images

Download standard Linux ISOs or use ready-to-go image packs for Ubuntu or other distros. Third-Party

Images for Fortigate, Palo Alto, and Juniper are often available via official trial downloads or vendor support portals. User Reviews & Insights

Stability & Support: Some users have reported stability issues with specific VM versions and mixed experiences with official staff interactions over time. Cisco IOSvL2 (15

Hardware Requirements: Running complex images like Nexus 9000v or IOS-XR requires significant resources—often needing 32GB+ of RAM and high-core CPUs.

Ease of Use: Reviewers highlight the "clientless" nature of EVE-NG Pro as a major advantage, as it avoids complex local client configurations typical of older emulators. Comparison: EVE-NG vs. Alternatives

GNS3: Generally better for individual engineers wanting maximum flexibility without upfront costs, though it often requires a local client installation.

Cisco Modeling Labs (CML): The most cost-effective way to get legally licensed Cisco images. While these images are technically only licensed for use inside CML, many engineers use the CML "Refplat" ISO to source images for EVE-NG labs. Linux images - - EVE-NG

If your EVE-NG setup cannot “download” images from within the web UI:

Always check the EVE-NG documentation and image installation notes for vendor-specific requirements.