Namespace nodes: instant, image-free network endpoints
Not every node needs a container image or a VM disk. Namespace nodes are bare Linux network namespaces running directly on the host kernel - a full IP stack (addresses, routes, iptables/nftables) with sub-millisecond startup and zero image to pull, upload, or manage.
Open Library → Namespace. No pull box, no upload area - just drag one from the device palette straight onto the canvas. Links wire in as veth pairs, hot-attachable even while the lab is running.
Namespace nodes are the cheapest thing on the canvas - use them for pure L3 endpoints (a ping source, a route target) where you don't need a real userland. For anything that needs actual applications or a shell with installed tools, use Docker; for full vendor firmware, QEMU. See "What netplex. can run: the runtimes" for the full comparison.