Computer Networks - Students Project Course

Teaching with OPNET

"OPNET software adds a new dimension to textbook theory when integrated into the curriculum. OPNET solutions incorporate a high fidelity software model that accurately simulates the behavior of a real-world network. By changing the configuration, link capacity, traffic volumes, and characteristics of this virtual network model, professors and students can accurately predict the impact of these changes on the real network. This capability enables a broad range of studies including: Studying various wired and wireless routing protocols Visualizing TCP/IP mechanisms and variations Understanding LAN/WAN/MAN network architectures Designing reliable wireless networks Implementing efficient network security"

Research with OPNET

"OPNET solutions model communications devices, protocols, technologies, and architectures, and simulate their performance in a dynamic virtual network environment. Integrated code debugging and data analysis features facilitate the design process. OPNET Network R&D solutions enable a broad range of academic research including:

• Evaluating and enhancing wireless protocols i.e., WiMAX, WiFi, UMTS, etc.
• Designing MANET routing protocols
• Studying new power management schemes for sensor networks
• Researching new enhancements to core network technologies i.e., IPv6, MPLS, etc. • Analyzing optical network designs

We are using OPNET for the following topics:

1. University Courses - The OPNET IT Guru is used for Networking courses, as well as a design and diagnostic tool in the final projects

2. Routing Protocols Simulation - The following global statistics will be collated and compared:
• Throughput - number of packets received by a host per second.
• End-to-End Delay - how long it takes for a packet to travel from the source to the destination.
• Utilisation - percentage consumption of a channel bandwidth where 100% equals full usage.
• RIP Traffic Received (bits/sec) - provides the total number of RIP update traffic received by all nodes on the network.
• OSPF Traffic Sent (bits/sec) - total amount of traffic generated by OSPF for all OSPF nodes on the network.
• IGRP Traffic Received (bits/sec) - total number of bits in the IGRP routing updates received by all nodes on the network across all IP interfaces.
• EIGRP Convergence Time (secs) - duration of the convergence of the entire EIGRP network in seconds.
• EIGRP Traffic Received (bits/sec) - total number of bits in all EIGRP messages received by al nodes on the network.
• EIGRP Traffic Sent (bits/sec) - total number of bits in the EIGRP messages sent by all nodes on the network.

3. Advanced LAN/WAN Integration:
• IP routing (Single Area OSPF, EIGRP and RIP version 2);
• Layer 2 switching and VLANs;
• Wide Area Network services (T-1, Frame Relay, ISDN, and Dial On-Demand Routing), and Wide Area Network protocols (HDLC and PPP).
• Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM), a key to designing complex IP networks, and reviews basic network security, using router access lists.