How EstiNet Network Simulator Can Help You Design and Test New Network Protocols and Algorithms
EstiNet Network Simulator: A Comprehensive Guide
If you are interested in network research, development, or education, you may have heard of EstiNet Network Simulator, a powerful tool that can help you create and run realistic network simulations and emulations. But what exactly is EstiNet Network Simulator, how does it work, and what can it do for you? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, as we provide you with a comprehensive guide on EstiNet Network Simulator.
EstiNet Network Simulator
What is EstiNet Network Simulator?
EstiNet Network Simulator is a software product developed by EstiNet Technologies Inc., a company based in Taiwan that specializes in network simulation and emulation solutions. EstiNet Network Simulator is based on the NCTUns (National Chiao Tung University network simulator) project, which was initiated by Professor Shie-Yuan Wang in 1999. NCTUns was an open-source network simulator that won several awards for its innovative design and performance. In 2010, NCTUns was commercialized as EstiNet Network Simulator, with added features and support.
The history and features of EstiNet Network Simulator
EstiNet Network Simulator has evolved from NCTUns over the years, incorporating new technologies and functionalities to meet the changing needs of network research and development. Some of the main features of EstiNet Network Simulator are:
It can simulate various types of networks, such as wired, wireless, mobile, vehicular, optical, satellite, sensor, ad hoc, peer-to-peer, cloud, data center, software-defined, etc.
It can support various network protocols, such as TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, LTE, Bluetooth, ZigBee, MPLS, OSPF, BGP, RIP, etc.
It can emulate real-world network traffic patterns and scenarios, such as web browsing, video streaming, online gaming, VoIP, FTP, email, etc.
It can switch from simulation mode to emulation mode seamlessly, allowing users to connect real devices or applications to the simulated network.
It can provide accurate and detailed network performance measurements and analysis tools, such as throughput, delay, jitter, packet loss, routing table, flow table, etc.
It can run on Linux platforms with low hardware requirements and high scalability.
The benefits and applications of EstiNet Network Simulator
EstiNet Network Simulator can offer many benefits and applications for different users and purposes. Some of the main benefits and applications are:
It can help network researchers to design and test new network protocols or algorithms in a controlled and reproducible environment.
It can help network developers to prototype and evaluate new network products or services in a cost-effective and time-efficient way.
It can help network educators to teach and demonstrate network concepts or principles in an interactive and visual way.
- It can help network students to learn and practice network skills or techniques in a realistic and hands-on way.
It can help network enthusiasts to explore and experiment with network technologies or scenarios in a fun and easy way.
How to install and use EstiNet Network Simulator?
EstiNet Network Simulator is a software product that can be installed and used on Linux platforms, such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, etc. In this section, we will show you how to install and use EstiNet Network Simulator on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, which is one of the most popular and recommended Linux distributions for EstiNet Network Simulator.
The system requirements and installation steps for EstiNet Network Simulator
Before installing EstiNet Network Simulator, you need to make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements for running the software. According to the official website of EstiNet Network Simulator, the minimum system requirements are:
A 64-bit CPU with at least 2 cores and 2 GHz frequency
At least 4 GB of RAM
At least 10 GB of free disk space
A graphics card that supports OpenGL 2.0 or higher
A network interface card that supports promiscuous mode
An internet connection for downloading and activating the software
If your system meets these requirements, you can proceed to install EstiNet Network Simulator by following these steps:
Download the latest version of EstiNet Network Simulator from the download page. You will need to register an account and provide some basic information to get the download link.
Extract the downloaded file to a folder of your choice. You will see a file named estinet-11.0.run, which is the installer file.
Open a terminal window and navigate to the folder where you extracted the file. You can use the cd command to change directories.
Run the installer file by typing sudo ./estinet-11.0.run and pressing Enter. You will need to enter your password and accept the license agreement to continue.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation process. You can choose the default settings or customize them according to your preferences.
After the installation is finished, you will see a message saying "Installation completed successfully". You can close the terminal window and restart your system.
The user interface and basic operations of EstiNet Network Simulator
After installing EstiNet Network Simulator, you can launch it by clicking on its icon on the desktop or in the applications menu. You will see a splash screen with the logo and version of EstiNet Network Simulator, followed by a main window with a user interface that consists of several components, such as:
A menu bar that contains various menus, such as File, Edit, View, Tools, Help, etc.
A tool bar that contains various buttons, such as New, Open, Save, Run, Stop, etc.
A status bar that shows some information, such as simulation time, simulation mode, simulation speed, etc.
A project explorer that shows the files and folders of your current project.
A network editor that allows you to design and edit your network topology graphically.
A property editor that allows you to configure and modify the properties of your network components or protocols.
A console window that shows some messages or outputs from your simulation or emulation.
A log window that shows some logs or errors from your simulation or emulation.
Some of the basic operations that you can perform with EstiNet Network Simulator are:
Create a new project by clicking on File > New Project or pressing Ctrl+N. You will need to enter a name and a location for your project.
Open an existing project by clicking on File > Open Project or pressing Ctrl+O. You will need to select a project file (.enp) from your system.
Save your current project by clicking on File > Save Project or pressing Ctrl+S. You can also save your project as another name or location by clicking on File > Save Project As.
- Run your simulation by clicking on Run > Start Simulation or pressing F5. You will see your network components and protocols in action, and you can adjust the simulation speed or pause the simulation as needed.
Stop your simulation by clicking on Run > Stop Simulation or pressing F6. You will see the simulation results and statistics in the console window or the log window.
Switch to emulation mode by clicking on Run > Switch to Emulation Mode or pressing F7. You will need to configure some settings, such as the network interface card, the IP address, the subnet mask, etc.
Connect real devices or applications to your emulated network by using the appropriate cables or protocols. You will see the real traffic flowing through your emulated network, and you can monitor or analyze it as needed.
Switch back to simulation mode by clicking on Run > Switch to Simulation Mode or pressing F8. You will need to disconnect any real devices or applications from your emulated network before switching back.
How to create and run network simulations with EstiNet Network Simulator?
One of the main features of EstiNet Network Simulator is that it allows you to create and run network simulations with various components and protocols. In this section, we will show you how to create and run a simple network simulation with EstiNet Network Simulator, using a basic example of a client-server network.
The network components and protocols supported by EstiNet Network Simulator
EstiNet Network Simulator supports a wide range of network components and protocols that you can use to create your network simulations. Some of the main network components and protocols are:
Network Component
Description
Host
A device that can send or receive data, such as a computer, a smartphone, a tablet, etc.
Router
A device that can forward data between different networks, based on routing protocols and tables.
Switch
A device that can forward data within the same network, based on MAC addresses and tables.
Hub
A device that can broadcast data within the same network, without any filtering or forwarding.
Link
A connection that can transfer data between two devices, such as a cable, a wireless channel, an optical fiber, etc.
TCP/IP
A protocol suite that defines how data is transmitted and received over the internet, using four layers: application, transport, network, and link.
Ethernet
A protocol that defines how data is transmitted and received over a wired link, using MAC addresses and frames.
Wi-Fi
A protocol that defines how data is transmitted and received over a wireless link, using SSIDs and frames.
HTTP
A protocol that defines how data is requested and delivered over the web, using URLs and messages.
FTP
A protocol that defines how data is transferred and managed over the internet, using commands and data connections.
A protocol that defines how data is sent and received as electronic messages, using SMTP, POP3, IMAP, etc.
These are just some examples of the network components and protocols that EstiNet Network Simulator supports. You can find more information and details about them in the user manual or the online documentation of EstiNet Network Simulator.
The network topology and configuration options of EstiNet Network Simulator
EstiNet Network Simulator allows you to create your network topology graphically, by dragging and dropping the network components from the component library to the network editor. You can also connect the network components by drawing links between them. You can adjust the position and size of the network components and links as needed.
EstiNet Network Simulator also allows you to configure the properties of your network components and protocols, by selecting them and editing their parameters in the property editor. You can change the name, IP address, MAC address, bandwidth, delay, packet loss rate, etc. of your network components. You can also change the settings, options, flags, timers, etc. of your network protocols.
For example, to create a simple client-server network with EstiNet Network Simulator, you can follow these steps:
Drag and drop a host component from the component library to the network editor. This will be your client device.
Drag and drop another host component from the component library to the network editor. This will be your server device.
Drag and drop a switch component from the component library to the network editor. This will be your network device.
Draw a link between the client device and the switch device. This will be your wired connection.
Draw another link between the server device and the switch device. This will be another wired connection.
Select the client device and edit its properties in the property editor. You can change its name to Client, its IP address to 192.168.1.100, its subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, etc.
Select the server device and edit its properties in the property editor. You can change its name to Server, its IP address to 192.168.1.200, its subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, etc.
Select the switch device and edit its properties in the property editor. You can change its name to Switch, its MAC address table size to 8, its learning mode to on, etc.
Select the link between the client device and the switch device and edit its properties in the property editor. You can change its name to Link1, its bandwidth to 100 Mbps, its delay to 10 ms, etc.
Select the link between the server device and the switch device and edit its properties in the property editor. You can change its name to Link2, its bandwidth to 100 Mbps, its delay to 10 ms, etc.
The network performance and analysis tools of EstiNet Network Simulator
EstiNet Network Simulator provides various tools for measuring and analyzing your network performance during or after your simulation or emulation. Some of these tools are:
A packet sniffer that can capture and display the packets that are sent or received by your network components or protocols.
A packet analyzer that can decode and analyze the packets that are captured by the packet sniffer.
A traffic generator that can generate synthetic or realistic traffic patterns for your network components or protocols.
A traffic monitor that can monitor and display the traffic statistics for your network components or protocols.
A flow monitor that can monitor and display the flow statistics for your network components or protocols.
A routing table monitor that can monitor and display the routing tables for your network components or protocols.
A flow table monitor that can monitor and display the flow tables for your network components or protocols.
These tools can help you evaluate and compare different network scenarios or configurations, identify and troubleshoot network problems or issues, optimize and improve network performance or efficiency, etc.
For example, to measure and analyze the network performance of your simple client-server network with EstiNet Network Simulator, you can follow these steps:
Run your simulation by clicking on Run > Start Simulation or pressing F5.
Open a packet sniffer by clicking on Tools > Packet Sniffer or pressing Ctrl+P.
Select the network interface that you want to capture packets from, such as Link1 or Link2.
Click on the Start button to start capturing packets. You will see the packets that are sent or received by the selected network interface in the packet sniffer window.
Open a packet analyzer by clicking on Tools > Packet Analyzer or pressing Ctrl+A.
Select a packet that you want to analyze from the packet sniffer window and drag it to the packet analyzer window. You will see the details of the packet, such as the source and destination addresses, the protocol type, the header and payload fields, etc.
Open a traffic generator by clicking on Tools > Traffic Generator or pressing Ctrl+T.
Select a network component that you want to generate traffic for, such as Client or Server.
Click on the Add button to add a traffic profile. You will need to enter some parameters, such as the protocol type, the source and destination addresses, the data rate, the packet size, etc.
Click on the Start button to start generating traffic. You will see the traffic that is generated by the selected network component in the traffic generator window.
Open a traffic monitor by clicking on Tools > Traffic Monitor or pressing Ctrl+M.
Select a network component that you want to monitor traffic for, such as Client or Server.
Click on the Start button to start monitoring traffic. You will see the traffic statistics for the selected network component in the traffic monitor window, such as the throughput, delay, jitter, packet loss rate, etc.
How to switch from simulation mode to emulation mode with EstiNet Network Simulator?
Another main feature of EstiNet Network Simulator is that it allows you to switch from simulation mode to emulation mode seamlessly, without stopping or restarting your simulation. Emulation mode is a mode that enables you to connect real devices or applications to your simulated network, and vice versa. This way, you can test or evaluate your network in a more realistic and dynamic way.
The difference between simulation mode and emulation mode
The difference between simulation mode and emulation mode is that in simulation mode, all the network components and protocols are simulated by EstiNet Network Simulator, using software models and algorithms. In emulation mode, some of the network components or protocols are emulated by EstiNet Network Simulator, using real hardware devices or applications. For example, in simulation mode, you can simulate a web server and a web client using HTTP protocol. In emulation mode, you can emulate a web server using a real web server application, such as Apache or Nginx, and a web client using a real web browser application, such as Chrome or Firefox.
The steps to switch from simulation mode to emulation mode
To switch from simulation mode to emulation mode with EstiNet Network Simulator, you need to follow these steps:
Run your simulation by clicking on Run > Start Simulation or pressing F5.
Select a network component that you want to switch to emulation mode, such as Client or Server.
Click on Run > Switch to Emulation Mode or press F7. You will see a dialog box asking you to configure some settings for emulation mode.
Select a network interface card (NIC) that you want to use for emulation mode. The NIC must support promiscuous mode and must be connected to your real network.
Enter an IP address and a subnet mask for your NIC. The IP address and subnet mask must match your real network settings.
Click on OK to confirm your settings and switch to emulation mode. You will see a message saying "Switching to emulation mode successfully".
The advantages and limitations of emulation mode
Emulation mode can offer some advantages over simulation mode, such as:
It can provide more realistic and accurate results, as it uses real devices or applications instead of software models or algorithms.
It can support more network protocols or scenarios, as it can use any existing devices or applications that support those protocols or scenarios.
It can facilitate more interaction and feedback, as it can involve real users or testers in the network experiment or evaluation.
However, emulation mode also has some limitations compared to simulation mode, such as:
It can require more hardware resources and setup time, as it needs real devices or applications that are compatible and available for emulation.
It can introduce more noise and interference, as it depends on the real network conditions and en