The most common and recommended way to get modern, legal images (like IOSv, IOSv-L2, and ASAv) is by purchasing a personal license for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) Cisco Software Central:
High-performance virtual images extracted from CML/VIRL. These are the most stable for modern labs. Dynamips (Legacy): download cisco ios image file for gns3
To legally download Cisco IOS image files for GNS3, you must obtain them directly from Cisco, as these files are copyrighted and not provided for free by GNS3 Spiceworks Community Official Sources for Cisco Images Cisco Modeling Labs (CML): The most common and recommended way to get
If you have an active service contract (SmartNet) for specific hardware, you can download files directly from the Cisco Software Download Physical Hardware: GNS3 Documentation for a step-by-step guide on importing
Follow the wizard to set the RAM and Slot requirements, then click Further Exploration Learn how to set up Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) to legally access the latest networking images. GNS3 Documentation for a step-by-step guide on importing legacy router images. Explore the differences between Dynamips and QEMU