What do you recommend to practice Cisco labs , Packet tracer or GNS 3 ? why ?

GNS3 is the way to go.Moreover, Switching (earlier there were workarounds available ) which was previosuly unavailable in GNS3 is about to be introduced. Packet Tracer is good for CCNA only. Another option is to try IOU (which is used by Cisco Engineers for Design and Testing), and uses less system resources than GNS3. However, GNS3 comes very handy to Test new requirements / scenarios at work, since it can be used for Juniper Routers and Servers as well. I hope this helps.

People who are new to this  field and they want to clear there concepts and they want to perform some experiments, they is the best place for them.

GNS3  is much better than Packet Tracer, when you want to perform advance level of routing, then GNS3 is the best.

But for new commers, I think Packet Tracer is cool. It has so many features, like we can use routers, switches, PC, Servers, WIFI, IPTV & etc. We can create AAA Server, web server, email server, just to clear the concept. It is a very good tool for the youngsters.

I will suggest Cisco packet tracer.because its resource and study on Cisco materials are available and alos simulation is easy due to its command and most of the user use it.thats why its easy familiar to everyone.SO Cisco packet tracer is the best for simulation.

For beginers (like CCNA studies) Packet Tracer is good but for advanced labs I would suggest GNS3

Because most of the advanced labs and commands are not supported by Packet Tracer.

most definitely GNS3.

hi. bekhouche Liamin

    my recommendation is if u enrolled on ccna thn you should go to packet tracer. if you r ccnp,ccnp secruity guy thn you used gns3 is very helpfull for those guy who studying ccnp and ccnp security.

because most of the practical is to be done on gns3. like router ,switch,asa,pix,ips,ise,identity management, vpn,stp,etherchannel, most of the practical will cover on gns3.

offcourse GNS3, it is far more advance than packet tracer. you can even use it with live devices and it can also has the ability to take you to internet.  also just to share with you cisco is also launching their vrtual lab known as 

packet tracer is cisco's simulator of Cisco IOS and is ideal for practice Labs, but is lacking the support of some cmds.

GNS3 is a hardware and complex network emulator ,Emulation is possible for a long list of router platforms and PIX firewalls. but it has limitations in emulating switches therefor it emulates etherswitch cards integrated in  routers to give us the switch emulation but at the degree of cards supported functionalities.

hence think of using packet tracer first, and in some situations switch to GNS3.

best regards

ghenimi.

Well both GNS3 and Packet Tracer have some advantages and some disadvantages.

Packet Tracer

Packet Tracer is by Cisco and still they are under developing.So many things are yet not supported by Packet Tracer,Some of the disadvantages are:

a. You will see very limited commands supported by Packet Tracer

b. Packet Tracer doesn't support iBGP yet now

c. If you configure OSPF using Packet Tracer you may experience some troubles with LSU update.

However, Packet Tracer is good for beginners and two major advantages are:

a. Packet Tracer is light and doesn't require much resource(CPU and memory)

b. Packet Tracer has some built-in Switch like as2950 and2960.SO you can configure switches

GNS3 

The most advantages of GNS3 are:

a. Robust software and most of the commands are supported.It's like real router/switch almost.

b. For higher/advanced  level configuration whereas you can't use Packet Tracer there you can practice by GNS3 like BGP,OSPF,EIGRP

GNS3 have some disadvantages:

a. It requires much resources(CPU,Memory etc).If you don't choose appropriate IDLE PC settings then your computer CPU will rise up to100% within a minute.It is one of the major disadvantage for GN3

b. By default, you will not get Switch IOS in GNS3.And for other routers you have to download IOS.

c. The configurations will not be saved into startup even if you type 'write memory' or 'copy run stratup'.You can save into a text file or you can use as a project.

However, even GNS3 has one major disadvantage but I still prefer GNS3 because the lab and configuration I need to practice only GNS3 supports it.Packet Tracer is still not developed like as GNS3. 

GNS3 you can find all new tools and you can test router type with out buy it

•   able to support all router commands
• support for all IOS commands is ultimate advantage!

• Simulated topology can be connected to real world.
• You can take packet capture between devices on your lab.
• Gns3 uses emulators and real IOS software so bugs can be reproduced.
• Other devices and vendors are also supported.

ccna  basic  you just go through with the packet tracer 5.2 or5.3 for switching . if you going to advance and havier then use gns3 for complete routing and switching practice .