boson.com

Boson sells its IT and certification training through its own online shop, and you can buy either a single product or a bundle. The right choice depends on what you are preparing for: if you need to practice configuring Cisco equipment, NetSim is the closest match; if you need to test yourself under exam conditions, ExSim-Max practice exams are the relevant product; if you want cloud-hosted hands-on labs or video instruction, those are separate offerings. Boson also provides free tools and a product FAQ so you can evaluate before paying.

What Boson actually sells

From the site's product navigation, the catalog breaks down into these categories:

Boson frames these as "outstanding as stand-alone learning tools" that work together when paired. That is the key buying logic: each product covers a different part of exam preparation, and bundles exist for people who want more than one.

Choosing by what you need to do

• Configure and troubleshoot Cisco devices → NetSim, because the site describes it as simulating Cisco's hardware and software for certification training.
• Rehearse the exam itself → ExSim-Max, described as simulating the full exam experience.
• Work in a real hosted environment → Practice Labs, which the site says uses pre-configured hardware hosted in the cloud with a step-by-step guide.
• Learn from video → Video Training Bundles, described as comprehensive tutorial video training with expert instruction.
• Teach or run a class → Courseware and Instructor-Led Training, listed as designed for instructors as well as individuals.

Narrowing by vendor or career track

Boson organizes content by both certification vendor and career direction, so you can filter before browsing products:

• Vendors: Cisco, CompTIA, Ethical Hacking, Microsoft, ISC2, AWS, ISACA, PMI
• Careers: Networking, Cloud Technologies, Cybersecurity, Project Management

If you already know your target certification, start from the vendor list. If you know the job role but not the exam, start from the career list.

Buying paths on the site

Two entry points matter:

1. Shop All Products — the full catalog, where you can browse individual products and bundles.
2. Checkout — the site links to https://boson.com/checkout/ for completing a purchase.

There is also a Product FAQs section and a Free Tools section. The free tools (Subnet Calculator, Networking Tool, Verbose Tech Vocabulary Game) cost nothing to use and let you sample Boson's style before committing to a paid product. The FAQ is the place to check product-specific details such as what a given simulator or exam covers.

Individual vs. organizational purchase

Boson splits its solutions by buyer type, which affects which page you should be on:

• Individual Certification Program — for one person buying for their own certification.
• Organizations — with separate tracks for Student Training, Employee Training, Military Personnel, and Government Employees.

If your employer or institution is paying, the organizational tracks are the relevant starting point rather than the individual shop.

What to verify before you buy

The site does not publish prices, licensing terms, or access durations in the material available here, so confirm those at checkout or through the Product FAQs. Before purchasing, check:

• Which certification or exam the product maps to (use the vendor and career filters).
• Whether the product is a stand-alone tool or part of a bundle you would rather buy together.
• Whether you qualify for an organizational track (student, military, government, employee) instead of the individual program.

Boson's own positioning is that the products work as stand-alone tools but are meant to be paired for full coverage — so if you are preparing for one exam, decide first whether you need simulation, exam practice, hosted labs, or video, then check whether a bundle covers more than one of those at better value.

Boson NetSim is a network simulator that emulates Cisco hardware and software so you can build and configure network topologies on a computer instead of on physical lab equipment. It sits in Boson's "Essential Learning" product line and is aimed at certification training — most directly for Cisco exams, though Boson also publishes training material for CompTIA, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2, ISACA, PMI, and ethical hacking topics. If you're studying for a Cisco certification and don't have access to a rack of routers and switches, NetSim is the tool Boson positions for that job.

What NetSim actually does

According to Boson's own product description, NetSim "simulates Cisco's hardware and software and is designed for certification training." In practice that means:

• You get a simulated environment containing Cisco device types (routers, switches, and the like) that you can cable together into topologies.
• You configure those devices through a simulated command-line interface, the same way you would on real gear.
• You can break things on purpose and practice troubleshooting without risking production hardware or buying equipment.

The value is repetition. Certification exams test whether you can recall commands and reason about configuration under pressure, and that comes from doing it many times. A simulator lets you reset a lab and run it again in seconds.

Who it's for

NetSim fits a fairly specific learner:

Boson also notes the simulator is "written by subject-matter experts," which matters mainly for whether the lab scenarios match what the exams actually test.

How it fits with Boson's other products

Boson sells several distinct things, and it's easy to confuse them:

• NetSim — the network simulator described above. Hands-on configuration practice.
• ExSim-Max Practice Exams — exam simulation, "designed to simulate the full exam experience." This tests knowledge; NetSim builds it.
• Practice Labs / Virtual IT Labs — pre-configured hardware hosted in the cloud with a step-by-step guide, for developing practical skills.
• Video Training and Courseware — tutorial instruction and instructor-led material.
• Free Tools — a subnet calculator, a networking tool, and a "Verbose Tech Vocabulary Game," available without buying a bundle.

Boson's own framing is that these work "outstanding as stand-alone learning tools" but that paired together they cover "everything you need to succeed." A common combination is NetSim for hands-on practice plus ExSim-Max to check whether you're actually ready.

What you can realistically do with it

A typical study loop looks like this:

1. Pick a lab scenario tied to the exam objective you're working on.
2. Build or load the topology in the simulator.
3. Configure the devices from the command line until the network behaves as specified.
4. Verify with show commands and connectivity tests.
5. Reset and repeat, or deliberately misconfigure something and practice finding the fault.

Steps 3 through 5 are where the learning happens. Reading about OSPF or VLAN trunking doesn't stick the way typing the commands and watching a link come up does.

Before you buy

Two things worth checking on the site itself, since they change:

• Which certifications and exam versions your chosen NetSim covers. Boson organizes products by vendor and career track, so confirm the version maps to the exam you're sitting.
• Pricing and licensing. Boson routes purchases through its checkout page, and it also sells organization-level training for students, employees, military personnel, and government employees. If you're buying for a team or a classroom, the individual product page may not be the right entry point.

NetSim is a practice environment, not a course. It won't teach you networking from zero — you still need study material to know what to configure and why. What it removes is the hardware barrier between you and the repetition that makes CLI knowledge stick.

Boson ExSim-Max practice exams and Practice Labs serve two different training goals. ExSim-Max is a set of subject-matter-expert-written practice exams designed to simulate the full exam experience, so you use it to test whether you're ready to pass. Practice Labs gives you pre-configured hardware hosted in the cloud with a step-by-step guide, so you use it to build hands-on configuration and troubleshooting skills. They can be used separately, but pairing them covers both knowledge checking and practical skill development.

The core distinction

The simplest way to think about it: ExSim-Max answers "do I know this well enough to pass?" Practice Labs answers "can I actually do this on the equipment?"

When to choose ExSim-Max

Choose ExSim-Max if your main gap is exam confidence. It's built to mirror the real exam, so it works as a readiness check rather than a teaching tool. Typical use:

1. Finish your study material for a certification.
2. Take an ExSim-Max practice exam under exam-like conditions.
3. Review the questions you missed to find weak domains.
4. Repeat until your scores are consistently where you want them.

The value here is diagnostic. It tells you where you stand, not how to configure a device.

When to choose Practice Labs

Choose Practice Labs if your gap is hands-on ability. The labs run on pre-configured hardware hosted in the cloud, so you don't need your own gear or a local lab setup. Each lab comes with a step-by-step guide, which means you're walked through tasks rather than left to figure out the environment from scratch.

This suits people who can answer questions about a technology but freeze when asked to actually configure it — a common split between theoretical knowledge and operational skill.

Using both together

Boson positions its products as working "outstanding as stand-alone learning tools" and, when "paired together—everything you need to succeed." For a certification path, a practical sequence is:

1. Learn the material through courseware or video training.
2. Practice hands-on with Practice Labs to build real configuration skill.
3. Verify readiness with ExSim-Max practice exams.
4. Fill gaps by returning to labs or study material for weak areas the exams exposed.

This order matters: labs build the skill, and practice exams confirm it. Doing only practice exams can leave you able to answer questions without being able to perform tasks; doing only labs can leave you skilled but unsure whether you're ready for the exam format.

A quick way to decide

• If you keep second-guessing whether you're ready to book the exam → start with ExSim-Max.
• If you understand the concepts but can't configure them → start with Practice Labs.
• If you're early in a certification path → use both, labs first for skill, exams after for verification.

Both are part of Boson's broader IT and certification training catalog, which also includes NetSim (a network simulator for Cisco hardware and software), instructor-led training, courseware, and video training. Which one you reach for depends on whether the problem you're solving is knowledge verification or hands-on capability.

Boson offers three free tools for IT learners: a Subnet Calculator, a Networking Tool, and the Verbose Tech Vocabulary Game. They sit alongside Boson's paid training products (NetSim, Practice Labs, ExSim-Max practice exams, video training, and bundles) on the same site, so you can use them as low-commitment practice aids while deciding whether to buy anything. They suit anyone studying networking or working toward IT certifications who wants quick, no-cost reinforcement of concepts.

The three free tools

Boson groups these under "Free Tools" in its product navigation, which also lists the Subnet Calculator, Networking Tool, and Verbose Tech Vocabulary Game by name.

How they fit into a study routine

These tools are positioned as stand-alone learning aids rather than full courses. A practical way to use them:

1. Start with the Subnet Calculator while you're learning subnetting. Enter an address and mask, and use the output to check your own hand calculations — the value is in verifying your work, not skipping the math.
2. Use the Networking Tool as a reference during hands-on practice, so you're not leaving your study session to hunt for basic networking answers.
3. Play the Verbose Tech Vocabulary Game in short sessions to keep terminology fresh, especially for acronym-heavy certifications.

Because the free tools appear in the same catalog as Boson's paid offerings, they double as a preview of the site's teaching style before you commit to a paid product.

What the free tools are not

The free tools are not substitutes for Boson's paid training. The paid side covers:

• NetSim — simulates Cisco hardware and software for certification training
• Practice Labs / Virtual IT Labs — cloud-hosted, pre-configured hardware with step-by-step guides
• ExSim-Max — practice exams written by subject-matter experts and designed to simulate the full exam experience
• Video Training and Bundles — tutorial video training and combined product packages

If your goal is full exam simulation or hands-on lab environments, the free tools won't get you there; they're for targeted practice and concept reinforcement.

Who should use them

• Certification candidates in networking and IT who want extra reps on subnetting and vocabulary without paying.
• Self-taught learners who need a quick reference tool during study sessions.
• Anyone evaluating Boson who wants to try something before buying a course, lab, or practice exam.

If you already know subnetting cold and want exam-condition practice, skip straight to the paid practice exams and labs instead.

Boson.com is an IT and certification training website. It sells self-study tools and instructor-led materials for people preparing for vendor certifications in networking, cloud, cybersecurity, and project management. It is aimed at individual certification candidates as well as organizations training students, employees, military personnel, and government staff.

What Boson offers

Boson's catalog is organized around a few product types, each covering a different part of exam preparation:

Boson also publishes free tools: a subnet calculator, a networking tool, and a "Verbose" tech vocabulary game.

Which certifications and vendors it covers

The site lists vendor categories including Cisco, CompTIA, Ethical Hacking, Microsoft, ISC2, AWS, ISACA, and PMI. Career areas covered are networking, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and project management.

If your target certification is outside those vendors or subject areas, Boson is unlikely to have a matching product.

Who it is for

Boson splits its audience into two groups:

• Individuals — a certification program for people studying on their own.
• Organizations — separate tracks for student training, employee training, military personnel, and government employees.

The site positions its products as useful either as stand-alone learning tools or paired together.

How to decide whether it fits your study plan

1. Identify your exact certification (vendor and exam code).
2. Check whether Boson lists a product for that vendor and career area.
3. Decide which format you need: hands-on simulation (NetSim, Practice Labs), exam-style question practice (ExSim-Max), or instruction (video, instructor-led, courseware).
4. Consider a bundle if you want more than one format, since the site markets products as complementary.

Two practical notes: the site links to a checkout page, so purchases go through Boson directly, and the free tools (subnet calculator, networking tool, vocabulary game) can be tried without buying anything. Pricing is not stated in the material available here, so check the product pages for current cost before committing.