The packet-coders-mcp server enables an LLM to interact with and manage network labs (mock or real EVE-NG), offering tools for device visibility, diagnostics, and guarded configuration.
list_lab_devices — Retrieve the full inventory of lab devices the server can reach, without exposing credentials.
send_command — Execute a read-only show/display command on a specific device; configuration commands are blocked at the tool level.
run_health_check — Run basic health diagnostics on a single device or across the entire lab.
get_ospf_neighbors — Fetch OSPF neighbor state using the correct platform-appropriate command automatically.
get_bgp_summary — Fetch BGP summary state using the correct platform-appropriate command automatically.
configure_device — Push configuration lines to a device with strong safety guardrails: dry-run is enabled by default, and actually applying changes requires dry_run=false plus an out-of-band confirmation code that the model never sees (a human must read it from the server console).
Additional capabilities include operating in mock mode (no physical hardware needed), connecting to a live EVE-NG environment, and compatibility with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Ollama, and vLLM with Open WebUI.
Provides tools to manage Cisco IOS, IOS-XE, and NX-OS network devices via SSH, including sending show commands, running health checks, retrieving OSPF and BGP neighbor states, and pushing configuration changes.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@packet-coders-mcp run a health check on the lab"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
A compact demo MCP server (FastMCP) that lets an LLM safely drive a network lab. Runs in mock mode with no hardware, or against a real EVE-NG lab by swapping one inventory file. Works from Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or a fully local LLM stack (Ollama / vLLM).
Tool | Purpose |
| Show the inventory the server can reach. |
| Run a read-only show command on one device. |
| Health bundle against one device or the whole lab. |
| OSPF neighbor state (right command per platform). |
| BGP summary state (right command per platform). |
| Push config — gated by an out-of-band confirm code (read-only is one flag). |
Spins up the whole stack — chat UI, lab tools, and a local model — with one command.
git clone https://github.com/E-Conners-Lab/Packet-Coders-Demo.git
cd Packet-Coders-Demo
docker compose up # first run pulls images + the qwen3:8b model (a few minutes)Open http://localhost:3000 (no login) → Settings → Integrations → add
http://localhost:8000 as a tool server → set the model's Function Calling → Native →
ask "list the lab devices." Defaults to the mock lab (no hardware needed).
Want… | Do this |
Faster on a Mac (host Ollama, Metal GPU) |
|
The real EVE-NG lab | |
Change port / model / inventory | copy |
Read-only (hide the write tool) |
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Stop everything |
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Port
8000already in use? SetMCPO_PORTin.env. More fixes in docs/troubleshooting.md.
Related MCP server: meraki-dashboard-api
Point any MCP client at the server (start with the mock inventory). Full per-client steps — Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Ollama / vLLM + Open WebUI — are in docs/clients.md.
# Claude Code, from the repo root:
claude mcp add packet-coders-lab \
--env PACKET_CODERS_INVENTORY="$PWD/configs/inventory.mock.yaml" \
-- uv run --project "$PWD" packet-coders-mcpVerify with claude mcp list, then ask it to list_lab_devices.
A demo, not a production change tool. Strongest guardrails:
Writes need an out-of-band code the model never sees — configure_device prints a
one-time code to the server console; a human reads it back, so the model can't self-approve.
Read-only is one flag — PACKET_CODERS_ALLOW_WRITES=false hides the write tool entirely.
Hosts that confirm each call (Claude Desktop / Code) can use their own approval instead —
set PACKET_CODERS_REQUIRE_CONFIRM_CODE=false.
Don't point it at production. Full model: docs/safety.md.
docs/clients.md — connect Claude Code / Desktop / Ollama / vLLM + Open WebUI
docs/real-lab.md — inventory model + EVE-NG setup + keeping creds private
docs/configuration.md — every .env knob + native (no-Docker) run
docs/topology.md — the four-switch reference lab (OSPF + eBGP)
docs/safety.md — full guardrail model
docs/troubleshooting.md — common errors and fixes
uv run --extra dev pytest
uv run --extra dev ruff check .Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.
If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.
MCP server for network documentation, generated by doc2mcp.
An MCP server for deep research or task groups
MCP server providing access to the Scorecard API to evaluate and optimize LLM systems.
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