The Ultimate Guide to Download and Prepare EVE-NG Images (2025 Update)

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Treat your image library as a valuable asset. Organize it, back it up, and only download from official sources. A legal lab is a reliable lab—and that is what you need when studying for that CCIE or testing a production configuration change.

Manufacturer Portals: Download from official sites like Cisco Software Central if you have an active support contract.

2. Where to Get Images (Official Sources)

For Cisco Images

1. Cisco VIRL (Virtual Internet Routing Lab): Now evolved into Cisco Modeling Labs (CML). A paid subscription gives you access to legitimate, unlocked images (IOSv, IOS-XRv, CSR1000v, NX-OSv) specifically designed for virtualization.
2. Cisco Download Portal: If you have a SmartNet contract on a physical router (like a ISR 4000), you can download the universal .bin files.

   Ready-to-Go Collections: Third-party sites like Dynamips.io offer organized image packs, though these are unofficial. 3. Uploading and "Fixing" Images

   Next Steps: Check the official EVE-NG Forum "Image Request" section or join the EVE-NG Discord where users share verified MD5 checksums for community images.

   Step 2: Convert ISO to QCOW2

   EVE-NG cannot boot an ISO directly (unless it is a Linux installer). You need to convert the ISO to a hard disk image.