VyOS Powers UCJC’s Hands-On Routing and Cybersecurity Labs Beyond Simulators

Open-source networking platform helps students move beyond simulator limitations with hands-on routing and cybersecurity training on a real network operating system.

POWAY, Calif., June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VyOS Networks today announced a new customer success story featuring Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC), a private university in Spain, and how the university uses VyOS to modernize IT and Telecommunications networking labs with real-world routing and infrastructure-level cybersecurity training.

As UCJC continues to strengthen its technical curriculum, the university has been focused on giving students hands-on experience in real networking environments. Traditional academic simulators can be useful early on, but they become restrictive as students progress toward professional-level scenarios where operational commands, protocol behavior, and realistic configurations matter.

To move beyond those constraints, UCJC adopted VyOS as the foundation for practical routing and cybersecurity training. UCJC is also part of the VyOS for Good program, which supports educational institutions with free access to VyOS software.

“Packet Tracer is useful, but you quickly hit limitations. Commands don’t work, features aren’t fully implemented, and it doesn’t reflect real operational environments,” said José Manuel, Professor, UCJC, Computer Technology, Computer Networks, and Network & Application Cybersecurity.

With VyOS, UCJC enables students to work with realistic routing and network configurations, practice operational commands and protocols found in enterprise networks, and build larger lab topologies without licensing barriers. VyOS runs efficiently in virtual machines, making it practical for classroom labs while still delivering an enterprise-grade operating experience on a Linux-based network OS.

Implementation highlights include:

• Deploying multi-router network topologies in virtual environments
• Configuring routing protocols such as RIP
• Building client-server edge scenarios to simulate enterprise networks
• Capturing and validating network behavior using tools like Wireshark
• Providing direct interaction with a Linux-based network operating system for realistic operations practice
  

By adopting VyOS, UCJC improved lab realism and teaching outcomes, increasing student engagement and enabling larger, more credible topologies on standard academic hardware. The university also expanded its ability to teach infrastructure-level cybersecurity concepts, aligning learning with how real attacks and defenses involve network infrastructure.

“Packet Tracer has limitations. With VyOS, students can face a real router, and that makes all the difference for learning how networks actually work,” José Manuel added.

UCJC and VyOS are exploring continued collaboration around entry-level certification pathways aligned with academic programs, guided lab content designed for structured learning outcomes, and expanded networking and cybersecurity infrastructure scenarios for future courses.

For more information about VyOS for education and training environments, and the VyOS for Good program, contact us at sales@vyos.io.

About VyOS Networks

VyOS Networks is the global leader in open-source networking, delivering secure, scalable, and automated solutions for organizations across bare metal, cloud, and edge environments. Built on Linux and trusted by enterprises, service providers, and integrators worldwide, VyOS provides an enterprise-grade platform that unifies advanced routing, firewall, and VPN capabilities with full control and zero vendor lock-in. Your network, your rules: adaptable, transparent, and future-proof by design, VyOS empowers you to operate with operational simplicity, high performance, continuous innovation, and cost-sustainable scalability.

Media Contacts Yuriy Andamasov Coordinator sentrium.io, vyos.io Email: yuriy@sentrium.io Phone: +34 932206760