Cisco DevNet offers free reservable sandboxes with pre-loaded IOSv images.
If you have a CML subscription:
A quick search for “Download Vios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m6.qcow2” will lead you to many suspicious websites offering free downloads. Ignore these. Here is why:
In the world of network virtualization and Cisco Virtual Internet Routing Lab (VIRL) / Cisco Modeling Labs (CML), file names like Vios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m6.qcow2 are the gold standard for testing enterprise-grade routing features.
If you have landed on this page searching for a direct download link, you need to pause and read this guide first. This article will explain exactly what this file is, why you cannot (and should not) download it from unauthorized sources, and how to legally obtain it for your lab environment.
Before downloading, let's decode the filename:
| Part | Meaning | | :--- | :--- | | vios | Cisco IOSv (Virtual IOS for GNS3, EVE-NG, VIRL) | | adventerprisek9 | Feature set (Enterprise with encryption) | | m | Image runs in a small amount of RAM (typically 256-512MB) | | spa | Software Package Architecture | | 159-3.m6 | Version 15.9(3)M6 – a maintenance release | | qcow2 | QEMU Copy-On-Write v2 format (used by QEMU/KVM, GNS3, EVE-NG) |
Use case: Running Cisco IOSv in virtualized environments for CCIE/CCNP labs, network simulation, or testing.
The primary purpose of this image is to virtualize Cisco routers in lab environments. Because it is packaged as a Qcow2 file, it is specifically optimized for use with emulation software.