ns-3

What ns-3 is

ns-3 is a discrete-event network simulator aimed primarily at research and education. Its simulation core supports a workflow from configuring simulations through collecting and analyzing traces. It supports research on IP and non-IP networks, including wireless work involving Wi-Fi and LTE. A real-time scheduler enables simulation-in-the-loop use cases, including sending and receiving ns-3 packets on real network devices. Direct Code Execution lets users run C or C++ applications or the Linux kernel networking stack within ns-3. It is free software under GNU GPLv2 and is available for Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted deployments. Releases arrive roughly two or three times per year, primarily as compressed source archives. Documentation includes tutorials, installation guidance, model library materials, a reference manual and Doxygen API documentation. The project also lists NetAnim for network animation and Bake for package management in advanced builds. Support channels include mailing lists, Zulip chat and the issue tracker; the project says volunteers maintain it without backing from a specific company.

Who it suits

ns-3 suits people working in networking research or education, particularly those who write simulation scripts or modify and extend libraries. Its listed real-time and code-execution capabilities may also suit simulation-in-the-loop work.

Getting started

1. Visit https://www.nsnam.org/.
2. Choose a supported environment: Linux, macOS, Windows, or self-hosted.
3. Follow the installation guide and obtain a release, primarily distributed as a compressed source archive.
4. Use the tutorials and model library documentation to configure a simulation.
5. Collect and analyze traces, and consult the reference manual or Doxygen API documentation as needed.

Verdict

ns-3 provides simulation, real-time scheduling and code-execution capabilities for networking research and education. Users should be comfortable working with a project whose releases are primarily source archives.