The vIOS device works more accessible than an actual device. So, you can use a smooth Layer 2 Switch, letting you explore more advanced switching stuff in virtual environments. This virtual device works with the GNS3 emulator program. Plus, you can set up virtual LANs with Spanning Tree. For instance, with the Virtual IOS-Layer 2 image, you can make VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks). It helps you use Cisco’s actual Layer 2 switches. To make sure the network stays strong, you can turn on protocols like HSRP or VRRP. For instance, you can make sure only allowed people can use a port in a company network. If you want to control who can use a port based on MAC addresses, you can turn on Port Security. So, it means users can simulate data streaming from a single location to multiple points.
The L2 image also knows how to do multicast.
With QoS support, you can set up which data packets are most important in GNS3.
