One of the first hurdles in building a virtual lab with EVE-NG (Emulated Virtual Environment - Next Generation) is finding and installing the correct images. Unlike some all-in-one solutions, EVE-NG requires you to bring your own operating systems (Cisco, Juniper, Windows, Linux, etc.).
This guide will walk you through exactly where to find these images and how to install them properly.
Searching for “Download EVE-NG images” is the natural first step for any engineer building a virtual lab. But the secret is that EVE-NG does not host the images—it simply runs them.
The workflow is: Vendor → License → RAW Image → Upload → Convert → Permissions → Run.
By following the legal and structured approach outlined in this guide, you will build a stable, professional, and copyright-compliant EVE-NG lab. Start by registering for free trials at Cisco DevNet, Juniper vLabs, or Arista.com. Then, use the step-by-step upload guide above. Within an hour, you will have a fully functioning virtual network.
Remember to run fixpermissions after every image upload, and always verify the disk naming convention for your specific node type.
Do you have a specific image that won’t boot? Describe the error in the EVE-NG community forums, and include the output of /opt/unetlab/wrappers/qemu_wrapper -v for the best help.
You're looking for help with downloading Eve-ng images. Download-- Eve-ng Images
Eve-ng (Emulated Virtual Environment - Next Generation) is a popular platform for network emulation and simulation. Here are some steps to download Eve-ng images:
Official Source: The official Eve-ng website provides a wide range of images for download. You can visit the Eve-ng Downloads page to access the available images.
Image Types: Eve-ng offers various image types, including:
Downloading Images: To download Eve-ng images:
Alternative Sources: If you're unable to find the images you need on the official Eve-ng website, you can also try:
Tips and Reminders:
It sounds like you're looking for a feature to streamline getting EVE-NG images, which can be one of the most frustrating parts of setting up your lab. How to Download & Install EVE-NG Images: The
The most important thing to know is that EVE-NG does not provide copyrighted vendor images (like Cisco, Juniper, or Palo Alto) directly due to legal restrictions. You have to source them yourself and then "load" them into the system. 1. The Official (Legal) Way
To stay legal, most engineers use a Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) subscription.
The Feature: You pay for CML (around $200/year), which gives you legal access to download a bundle of "VIRL" images.
How to use: You download the .vmdk or .qcow2 files from your Cisco account and then manually upload them to your EVE-NG server. 2. Third-Party "Full Pack" Features
Some third-party providers (like Dynamips) offer a more "all-in-one" feature where they sell pre-built image collections.
The Convenience: These collections often come already named and organized, so you don't have to worry about the strict EVE-NG naming conventions.
Installation: You typically use a tool like WinSCP or FileZilla to drag-and-drop these folders into /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/. 3. Key Technical Steps (The "Fix Permissions" Feature) Do you have a specific image that won’t boot
Once you've downloaded and uploaded an image, it won't work immediately. You must run a specific "fix permissions" script within the EVE-NG command line: Linux images - - EVE-NG
SSH into your EVE-NG server (Ubuntu bare metal or VM).
cd /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/
# Create a folder named exactly after the device template.
mkdir viosl2-152
cd viosl2-152
Once you master the art of downloading EVE-NG images, you will accumulate many gigabytes of data. Follow these tips:
/opt/unetlab/addons/qemu to it.qemu-img convert -c to create compressed qcow2 images (saves ~50% space)./opt/unetlab/addons/ folder is the most valuable part of your setup. Back it up weekly.There is an unofficial but widely trusted repository maintained by EVE-NG users on the official forums. You must search for EVE-NG Community Cookbook or the EVE-NG Images Repository link inside the EVE-NG Community Slack channel.
The EVE-NG community maintains "cookbooks"—collections of working image names and virtualization settings. Search GitHub for: eve-ng cookbook images. These tell you the exact folder name and virtual hardware requirements (CPU type, serial vs. virtio, etc.).
Once successfully imported, the images generally perform excellently within the EVE-NG environment.
Many users ask for "Download EVE-NG Images" specifically for Cisco Switching. IOL is faster than QEMU and uses less RAM.
How to get IOL images:
You need three files: i86bi-linux-l2-adventerprisek9-15.2d.bin (L2 Switch), i86bi-linux-l3-adventerprisek9-15.4.1T.bin (L3 Router), and a license file (iourc).