PT Anywhere offers a network simulation environment via a web interface that can be accessed from any web browser or as a widget inside an interactive eBook. PT Anywhere is based on the Packet Tracer network simulator for Windows and Linux developed by the Cisco Networking Academy.
Rather than replicate Packet Tracer’s functionality in a web application, PT Anywhere provides its basic functionality from a minimalistic interface that can be adapted to different learning contexts and purposes. PT Anywhere is available as a widget that can be embedded inside an online course, a Learning Management System like Moodle, or an interactive eBook.
PT Anywhere has been jointly developed by the Open University and Cisco in the context of the projects FORGE and Open Networking Lab. Cisco recognises the potential of PT Anywhere as a novel learning tool, building on top of and extending both the capabilities and audience reach of the Packet Tracer software. Nuno Guarda, Head of Corporate Affairs for Cisco in the United Kingdom and Ireland, sees PT Anywhere as a “significant strategic development” and states that “while we currently reach over a million students using Packet Tracer, the potential for the iPad and possibly HTML5 brings a new and very exciting dimension.”
PT Anywhere has played a vital role in remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been featured in the UK government’s Digital Skills Toolkit, which is offering essential digital skills to job seekers.
The open source code of PT Anywhere is available on Github. You can learn how to install it in your own server here.
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