Magma Core Network Simulation

Overview

This project demonstrates a simulated Magma Core network where a laptop node accesses the internet through Magma services. The setup models key Magma core components and validates end-to-end connectivity using a simulated wireless network.

The topology can be implemented in Cisco Packet Tracer (CPT). If CPT limitations are encountered, GNS3 is recommended as an alternative simulation environment.

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Network Topology

Architecture Diagram

                    ┌─────────────────────┐
                    │   Internet Cloud    │
                    └──────────┬──────────┘
                               │
                    ┌──────────▼──────────┐
                    │       VM2           │
                    │  NMS + Orc8r        │
                    │  (Orchestrator)     │
                    └──────────┬──────────┘
                               │
                               │ Ethernet
                               │
                    ┌──────────▼──────────┐
                    │       VM1           │
                    │   AGW (Access       │
                    │    Gateway)         │
                    │   [NAT Enabled]     │
                    └──────────┬──────────┘
                               │
                               │ Wi-Fi
                          ~~~~│~~~~
                         /    │    \
                        /     │     \
                       /      │      \
                      /       │       \
                ┌────▼────────▼────────▼───┐
                │        VM3               │
                │       Laptop             │
                │   (End User Device)      │
                └──────────────────────────┘

Traffic Flow

┌────────┐         ┌─────┐         ┌─────────┐         ┌──────────┐
│ Laptop │ ─WiFi──>│ AGW │ ─ETH───>│ Orc8r   │ ─────> │ Internet │
│  (VM3) │         │(VM1)│         │  (VM2)  │         │          │
└────────┘         └─────┘         └─────────┘         └──────────┘
    │                 │                  │
    └─── Request ────>│                  │
                      │─── Route ───────>│
                      │<── Response ─────│
    │<── Reply ───────│                  │

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Virtual Machines / Nodes

Node	Component	Description
VM1	AGW (Access Gateway)	Acts as the access gateway for user traffic. Provides Wi-Fi connectivity and NAT routing
VM2	NMS + Orc8r	Hosts the Network Management System and Orchestrator. Manages the Magma Core network
VM3	Laptop	End-user device powered by Magma-provided internet. Connects via Wi-Fi

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Objective

Create a network where:

• The laptop receives internet access through Magma Core
• Traffic flows: Laptop → AGW → Orc8r/NMS
• End-to-end connectivity is verified

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Implementation Using Cisco Packet Tracer (CPT)

Steps

1. Create Devices

Add three nodes:

• Router/Server (VM1 – AGW)
• Server (VM2 – NMS + Orc8r)
• Laptop (VM3)

2. Configure Network Interfaces

AGW (VM1)
├── Interface: GigabitEthernet0/0
│   └── IP: 192.168.1.1/24 (Connected to Orc8r)
└── Interface: Wireless0
    └── IP: 10.0.0.1/24 (Wi-Fi Network)

Orc8r (VM2)
└── Interface: GigabitEthernet0/0
    └── IP: 192.168.1.2/24 (Connected to AGW)

Laptop (VM3)
└── Wireless Adapter
    └── IP: 10.0.0.100/24 (DHCP or Static)

• Connect AGW and Orc8r using Ethernet links
• Enable routing between VM1 and VM2
• Assign static IP addresses

3. Wi-Fi Configuration

• Enable wireless access on AGW
• Configure SSID (e.g., MagmaCore-WiFi)
• Set security (WPA2-PSK recommended)
• Connect the Laptop to this Wi-Fi network

4. Internet Simulation

• Configure NAT on AGW
• Route laptop traffic through AGW to Orc8r
• Verify IP assignment via DHCP or static configuration

Sample NAT Configuration:

ip nat inside source list 1 interface GigabitEthernet0/0 overload
access-list 1 permit 10.0.0.0 0.0.0.255

5. Verification

Test connectivity:

# From Laptop (VM3)
ping 10.0.0.1        # Ping AGW
ping 192.168.1.2     # Ping Orc8r (if routed)
traceroute 8.8.8.8   # Verify routing path

Expected Results:

• Laptop → AGW: Success
• Laptop → Orc8r: Success
• Internet access simulation via routing

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Alternative: Using GNS3 (Recommended)

If CPT does not fully support Magma-like behavior, use GNS3 to:

• Run actual Linux VMs or Docker containers
• Deploy Magma Core services more realistically
• Bridge the laptop node to Magma Core via NAT or cloud interface

Advantages of GNS3

Feature	Benefit
Linux Support	Run actual Magma services on Ubuntu/Debian VMs
Docker Integration	Deploy containerized Magma components
Realistic Routing	Support for complex NAT, tunneling, and routing protocols
Cloud Integration	Bridge to real internet or cloud services
Flexibility	Closer to real Magma Core deployment scenarios

GNS3 Setup Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           GNS3 Environment                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                             │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐   │
│  │  Docker  │  │  Linux   │  │  Client  │   │
│  │   AGW    │──│  Orc8r   │──│  Laptop  │   │
│  │Container │  │    VM    │  │   VM     │   │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘   │
│       │              │              │       │
│       └──────────────┴──────────────┘       │
│                    │                        │
│         ┌──────────▼──────────┐             │
│         │   NAT/Cloud Node    │             │
│         │  (Internet Bridge)  │             │
│         └─────────────────────┘             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Expected Outcome

• ✅ Laptop successfully connects to the Magma-provided Wi-Fi
• ✅ Traffic flows through: AGW → Orc8r
• ✅ Network topology functions as a basic Magma Core simulation
• ✅ End-to-end connectivity verified via ping and traceroute

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IP Addressing Scheme

Network Segment          | IP Range           | Purpose
-------------------------|--------------------|---------------------------
Orc8r ↔ AGW Link         | 192.168.1.0/24     | Backend management network
AGW ↔ Laptop (Wi-Fi)     | 10.0.0.0/24        | User access network
Internet Simulation      | NAT (Public IPs)   | Simulated external network

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Notes

⚠️ Important Considerations:

• This setup is intended for educational and simulation purposes
• It does not represent a production-grade Magma deployment
• GNS3 is preferred for advanced experimentation
• For production deployments, refer to the official Magma documentation

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
Laptop cannot connect to Wi-Fi	Check SSID and security settings on AGW
No internet on laptop	Verify NAT configuration and routing tables
Cannot ping Orc8r from laptop	Check routing between 10.0.0.0/24 and 192.168.1.0/24
CPT limitations	Switch to GNS3 for better compatibility

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References

• Magma Core Official Documentation
• Cisco Packet Tracer Documentation
• GNS3 Documentation

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License

This is for educational purpose only

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Contributing

Contributions and improvements are welcome! Please submit issues or pull requests to enhance this simulation guide.

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Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 2026