What is Network Sketcher Local MCP?
Network Sketcher Local MCP is the MCP edition of Network Sketcher. It wraps the project's engine so an AI coding agent can add devices, links, VLANs and IP addressing through tool calls, then generate SVG or PowerPoint topology diagrams and device tables, all over a local stdio connection with no cloud service.
Network Sketcher Local MCP is one of three editions of Network Sketcher, alongside a browser-based Online edition and a desktop Offline edition. This edition wraps the project's design engine as an MCP server.
An AI coding agent calls tools to add areas, devices, waypoints and connections, then builds combined L1 physical, L2 VLAN and L3 IP topology diagrams plus a device table, without a browser or copy-paste step.
What it changes in your workflow
- A WAN or campus LAN design comes from a conversation with an agent instead of manual drag-and-drop placement.
- Converters from the related Cisco Extension project turn exports from ACI, Meraki, Catalyst Center and similar platforms into commands the agent can run.
- Topology diagrams and device tables export as SVG, PowerPoint and Excel-based data, matching the Offline edition's output formats.
- A master record in the project's own
.nsmformat tracks areas, devices, links, VLANs and IP addressing as the design grows.
Where it runs
| Network Sketcher Local MCP | |
|---|---|
| Where it runs | On your machine, as a Python process |
| Transport | stdio only, no HTTP or SSE |
| Account or key | None, design data stays local |
| Users | Single user per running server |
Who it is for
Best for
- Network engineers who want an agent to draft a multi-site topology from a plain-language description.
- Teams migrating platform exports into diagrams through the project's Cisco Extension converters.
- Anyone who wants Layer 1, 2 and 3 diagrams and a device table generated together from one design session.
Not for
- Designing full web pages with frames and text directly inside Figma, which AIConnect for Figma handles for page layout work.
- Building native WordPress pages in Divi instead of network topology diagrams, the job DiviOps MCP Server does for that platform.
- Running a lint check against a curated visual style for generated UI code, instead of laying out network devices, a job StyleKit MCP Server handles.
Use it with UiChemy
Network Sketcher documents infrastructure, not page layout. For the front end itself, UiChemy's Composer edits Elementor or Gutenberg pages visually, and AI to WordPress imports an existing AI build as an editable page. Click Get Started on uichemy.com.
Connect Network Sketcher Local MCP: AI-Native Network Diagrams to your AI client
git clone https://github.com/cisco-open/network-sketcher/Clone and install
Run git clone https://github.com/cisco-open/network-sketcher/, then cd network-sketcher/network-sketcher_local_mcp and python -m pip install -r requirements_mcp.txt. Python 3.10 or later is required.
Register with Claude Code
Run claude mcp add network-sketcher -- python followed by the full path to ns_mcp_server.py inside your cloned copy. The -- separator keeps the script path from being read as a flag.
Or configure Cursor directly
Add an mcpServers entry named network-sketcher with command python and args pointing at the same ns_mcp_server.py path in your Cursor MCP configuration.
Restart and test
Restart your client, then ask the agent to create a small multi-site WAN design with routers, segments and IP addressing, and to build the default diagrams.
Endpoints and ports
network-sketcher_local_mcp/ns_mcp_server.pyThe script your MCP client launches with python.network-sketcher_online/ns_engine/Local MCP reuses this engine as a library, so the full repository checkout is needed.requirements_mcp.txtPython package list for the Local MCP edition.What you can do with it
- Tool-call network designAn agent places devices, links and VLANs through Tool invocations, with no browser step and no pasted commands.
- Shared engine with the Offline editionLocal MCP reuses the same design engine as the Offline and Online editions, so output stays consistent across all three.
- Multi-layer diagramsOne session can produce Layer 1 physical, Layer 2 VLAN and Layer 3 IP topology diagrams plus a device table.
- Platform import via convertersThe related Cisco Extension project converts exports from ACI, Meraki, Catalyst Center, NetBox and others into commands this server can run.
- Local-only dataDesign data stays on your machine over stdio, with no account, API key or external service involved.
- PowerPoint and Excel exportDiagrams and device data export in the same PowerPoint and Excel-based formats the desktop edition produces.
Tools it exposes
add/modify/delete device, link, waypoint
Core design tools for placing and changing areas, devices, Layer 1 connections and VLAN or IP attributes.
get_workspace_info
Reports the current workspace state, meant to run before design work starts in a session.
get_ai_context
Returns the AI context record describing the current design, for the agent to reason over before changing it.
run_commands
Executes a batch of CLI-style commands, including scripts produced by the Cisco Extension converters.
build_default_outputs
Generates the default L1, L2 and L3 diagrams and device table for the current design in one call.
Frequently asked questions
What is Network Sketcher Local MCP?
It is the MCP edition of Network Sketcher, a Cisco-open network design project. It exposes the design engine as tools so an AI coding agent such as Cursor or Claude Code can build a network topology and generate Layer 1, 2 and 3 diagrams through tool calls instead of a browser or desktop app.
How do I set up Network Sketcher Local MCP?
Clone the repository, install the requirements in network-sketcher_local_mcp with pip, then register the server. For Claude Code, run claude mcp add network-sketcher followed by python and the path to ns_mcp_server.py. Cursor uses an mcpServers entry with the same command and path.
Which AI coding agents work with Network Sketcher Local MCP?
The project documents setup for Cursor and Claude Code and states the server follows the standard MCP specification, so other MCP-compatible agents that can start a local stdio process are expected to work as well.
Does Network Sketcher Local MCP need an internet connection?
No. The server runs locally over stdio and keeps the design record on your machine, with no account or API key involved. The only network-facing edition is Network Sketcher Online, a separate browser-based service that still runs inside your own network rather than a public cloud.
Can it import an existing network from another platform?
Yes, through the separate Network Sketcher Cisco Extension project. Its converters turn exports from platforms such as ACI, Meraki, Catalyst Center, Nexus Dashboard, NetBox and CML into commands that run_commands can execute.
Can the agent view the diagrams it generates?
Not directly. The project notes that LLM clients cannot view binary PPTX or SVG output inside the chat, so a person opens the generated SVG or PowerPoint export to see the result after build_default_outputs runs.
How is Local MCP different from Network Sketcher Online?
Online is a browser-based service where a person copies an AI context into an external LLM and pastes commands back. Local MCP removes that copy-paste step: the agent calls tools directly against a server running on your machine.