How to Implement Mesh Communication in NS2

To implement the Mesh Communication in Network Simulator 2 (NS2), we have to configure a wireless mesh network using the ns2’s tools and libraries. It is usually encompasses several nodes can dynamically dispatch data for other nodes. The provided set up will help you to accomplish it in ns2:

Step-by-Step Implementation:

  1. Install NS2 and Verify Installation
  • Make certain that you have NS2 installed on your system. If not, you can download and install it by following the installation guide for your operating system (Linux is most commonly used for NS2).
  • Execute the given command in the terminal to verify if NS2 is installed:

ns

  • This should open the NS2 interpreter if installed appropriately.
  1. Set Up the Environment

Before initiating the simulation, configure the essential libraries and environment settings:

  • NS2 should back wireless communication. In particular, make sure the wireless libraries and protocols for ad-hoc routing like AODV, DSR, or any mesh-related protocol are present.
  1. Create a TCL Script

State the simulation setup by using the NS2’s TCL scripts. Here’s a basic skeleton of a TCL script for configuring a wireless mesh network:

# Define a new simulator object

set ns [new Simulator]

# Open a trace file to save simulation results

set tracefile [open out.tr w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

# Open a NAM file to visualize the simulation

set namfile [open out.nam w]

$ns namtrace-all $namfile

# Define the topology parameters

set num_nodes 10

set sim_time 100

set x_dim 500

set y_dim 500

# Create a topology

set topo [new Topography]

$topo load_flatgrid $x_dim $y_dim

# Define the channel, propagation model, and network interface type

set chan_1_ [new Channel/WirelessChannel]

set prop [new Propagation/TwoRayGround]

set netif [new Phy/WirelessPhy]

set mac [new Mac/802_11]

set ll [new LL]

set ant [new Antenna/OmniAntenna]

set ifq [new Queue/DropTail/PriQueue]

set ifqlen 50

set bw 2Mb

set delay 20ms

# Create a node configuration

$ns node-config -adhocRouting AODV \

-llType $ll \

-macType $mac \

-ifqType $ifq \

-ifqLen $ifqlen \

-antType $ant \

-propType $prop \

-phyType $netif \

-channelType $chan_1_ \

-topoInstance $topo \

-agentTrace ON \

-routerTrace ON \

-macTrace ON \

-movementTrace OFF

# Create the nodes

for {set i 0} {$i < $num_nodes} {incr i} {

set node($i) [$ns node]

}

# Create the mesh topology (optional: set static positions or mobility)

$node(0) set X_ 100

$node(0) set Y_ 100

$node(0) set Z_ 0

$node(1) set X_ 200

$node(1) set Y_ 100

$node(1) set Z_ 0

# Add other nodes similarly

# You can set mobility for the nodes if necessary

# Define traffic between the nodes using TCP or CBR

set tcp [new Agent/TCP]

set sink [new Agent/TCPSink]

$ns attach-agent $node(0) $tcp

$ns attach-agent $node(1) $sink

$ns connect $tcp $sink

set ftp [new Application/FTP]

$ftp attach-agent $tcp

$ftp start

# Schedule the simulation end

$ns at $sim_time “finish”

# Define the finish procedure

proc finish {} {

global ns tracefile namfile

$ns flush-trace

close $tracefile

close $namfile

exec nam out.nam &

exit 0

}

# Run the simulation

$ns run

  1. Explanation of Key Components
  • Node Configuration: The node-config set up node properties, like the routing protocol (AODV in this case), MAC layer, physical layer, etc. A mesh network often performs with protocols like AODV, OLSR, or any mesh-based routing protocol.
  • Node Creation and Placement: The nodes are designed and placed in certain locations on the 2D grid. For mobility support, you can launch node movement over time.
  • Traffic Configuration: The script uses TCP traffic amongst two nodes, however you can also use UDP or CBR (Constant Bit Rate) traffic. You can replicates communication amidst all mesh nodes by linking multiple node sets.
  1. Run the Simulation

Store the script as mesh.tcl and execute the simulation using:

ns mesh.tcl

After running, NS2 will create a trace file (out.tr) and a NAM file (out.nam). You can visualize the network topology and interaction using Network Animator (NAM):

nam out.nam

  1. Visualizing and Analyzing the Results

Assess network metrics like throughput, delay, packet loss and so on by using the trace file (out.tr). You can also extend the simulation with more refined traffic patterns and network configurations.

  1. Advanced Topics
  • Mobility: Replicate a dynamic mesh network by including mobility.
  • Performance Metrics: Assess the performance of your mesh network using tools to extract data from the trace files.
  • Routing Protocols: Use various mesh routing protocols like OLSR or tailor a new protocol.

This technique will walk you through the whole implementation process of Mesh communication including their examples and their advanced feature attachments using ns2 tool. We will also offer the extra information on any other topology related communications, if needed.

If you’re unsure about how to implement mesh communication using the NS2 tool, feel free to reach out to the ns2project.com team for personalized help.