How to Implement Mesh Topology in ns3

To implement a mesh topology in ns3, we need to create a network in which each node is connected to multiple other nodes. By connecting one node to multiple node the data can be travel to multiple paths which helps to improve the reliability and performance. The following step will guide on how to implement Mesh Topology in ns3.

Steps to Implement a Mesh Topology in ns3

1. Set Up the NS3 Environment:
   • Make sure ns3 is installed and properly configured.
2. Create the Nodes:
   • Create a set of nodes to represent devices in the mesh network.
3. Set Up the Point-to-Point Channels:
   • Use point-to-point helpers to connect each node to multiple other nodes, forming a mesh.
4. Install Network Stack:
   • Install the internet stack on all nodes.
5. Assign IP Addresses:
   • Assign IP addresses to the nodes connected to the point-to-point links.
6. Set Up Applications:
   • Install applications to generate traffic and demonstrate communication between nodes.

Example Code

Here an example script to set up a simple mesh topology in NS3:

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

 

using namespace ns3;

NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE (“MeshTopologyExample”);

int main (int argc, char *argv[])

{

CommandLine cmd;

cmd.Parse (argc, argv);

// Create nodes

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create (6); // Create 6 nodes for the mesh

// Create point-to-point links to form a mesh

PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;

pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute (“DataRate”, StringValue (“100Mbps”));

pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute (“Delay”, TimeValue (NanoSeconds (6560)));

NetDeviceContainer devices;

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.Install (nodes);

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

int subnet = 1;

for (uint32_t i = 0; i < nodes.GetN (); ++i)

{

for (uint32_t j = i + 1; j < nodes.GetN (); ++j)

{

NetDeviceContainer link = pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (i), nodes.Get (j)));

devices.Add (link);

std::ostringstream subnetStream;

subnetStream << “10.1.” << subnet++ << “.0”;

address.SetBase (subnetStream.str ().c_str (), “255.255.255.0”);

address.Assign (link);

}

}

// Enable routing

Ipv4GlobalRoutingHelper::PopulateRoutingTables ();

// Create a UDP server on node 1

UdpServerHelper udpServer (9);

ApplicationContainer serverApp = udpServer.Install (nodes.Get (1));

serverApp.Start (Seconds (1.0));

serverApp.Stop (Seconds (10.0));

// Create a UDP client on node 0

UdpClientHelper udpClient (Ipv4Address (“10.1.1.2”), 9); // Assuming node 1’s IP is 10.1.1.2

udpClient.SetAttribute (“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue (320));

udpClient.SetAttribute (“Interval”, TimeValue (MilliSeconds (50)));

udpClient.SetAttribute (“PacketSize”, UintegerValue (1024));

ApplicationContainer clientApp = udpClient.Install (nodes.Get (0));

clientApp.Start (Seconds (2.0));

clientApp.Stop (Seconds (10.0));

// Enable packet capture

pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll (“mesh-topology”);

// Enable logging

LogComponentEnable (“UdpClient”, LOG_LEVEL_INFO);

LogComponentEnable (“UdpServer”, LOG_LEVEL_INFO);

Simulator::Run ();

Simulator::Destroy ();

return 0;

}

Explanation

1. Setup: The code sets up a mesh topology with six nodes connected by point-to-point links.
2. Point-to-Point Links: Point-to-point links are created to connect each node to multiple other nodes, forming a mesh. The data rate and delay are configured for the links.
3. Network Stack: The internet stack is installed on all nodes.
4. IP Addresses: IP addresses are assigned to the nodes connected to the point-to-point links.
5. Applications: A UDP server is installed on one node (node 1), and a UDP client is installed on another node (node 0) to generate traffic and demonstrate communication.
6. Packet Capture: Packet capture is enabled for the point-to-point links to observe network traffic.
7. Logging: Logging is enabled for the UDP client and server applications to provide detailed output during the simulation.

Running the Simulation

Compile and run the simulation using the following commands in ns3 environment:

./waf configure

./waf build

./waf –run mesh-topology-example

Replace mesh-topology-example with the actual name of the script file.

At last, the Mesh topology is implemented successfully in ns3 by creating a network which connect each node to multiple nodes.

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