ViRo - The online support tool for IP network oriented courses

Education of IT technology experts is not limited to providing theoretical knowledge, rather, it should also facilitate obtaining practical hands-on experience. It is advantageous to provide these practical experience opportunities with the help of supporting tools available not only during main classroom exercises but also through other voluntary activities beyond the student laboratory exercises. The article provides the feature analysis of a new didactical supporting tool, the Virtual Router (ViRo). ViRo shall be used to leverage and enhance the delivery of university study topics in the field of networking technologies and computer networks. The tool will allow students to deepen their practical configuration skills in designing and management of computer networks and network elements in an online internet-accessible environment.