Networking Simulation (Game?)

[The Napster]

I've been looking for a good networking simulator, and while looking I began wondering to myself if there are any kind of networking simulation games. What I dreamt up in my head would be almost like a Sims style game with a visual of the hardware (Switches, Routers, Workstations, Cableling, etc) that you can place, arrange, and configure for needs of the game such as an office building or something. Would be freakin awesome if you earned money and bought the equipment then maintained it or something. Of course this is just an idea I came up with in my head that I would like to see, but I thought I'd ask you guys if you knew of any kind of simulator game? If not even a game, just a really good simulator wouldn't be bad.

What I am talking about with a simulator is the ability to cable and configure a virtual network. Configuring addresses, subnets, Acls, Firewalls, connecting servers and clients, etc, and then "using" the equipment in order to see if it is configured properly.

I am looking for this because I am eventually going to get my CCNA and have been going through online network courses already. I used one of the Cisco Network simulators in a class and it seemed dated, but good for learning. Just looking for a more modern version of that with more features maybe.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

I was going to talk about how Packet Tracer is as good as it gets and that the only alternative is to get cheap Cisco routers and switches off ebay and craigslist, but I did a quick google search and found this:

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/learning_center/games

Seems interesting. I would imagine that it would be at least somewhat useful. I'm going to have to check some of these games out.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

http://www.gns3.net/

 

[The Napster]

Thanks for the replies. I checked out the cisco games and the aspire download game seems to be almost what I was looking for, but you have to pay to do more than three contracts. I'm going to try the gns3 as well.