Network Simulation Experiments Manual (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking)

Networking technologies and concepts are often difficult to explain, even through careful description and well thought out examples. One method for making this information "stick" is to create an environment where networking professionals and students can visualize how networks work by utilizing a software tool that simulates the functions within a network. The tool provides a virtual environment for an assortment of desirable features such as modeling a network based on specified criteria and predicting its performance.

The Network Simulation Experiments Manual takes this instructional tool a step further and provides detailed experiments on core networking topologies for use in this simulation environment. Various scenarios are presented within each topology: Review questions, suggested readings, a lab report, and exercises accompanying each assignment. The manual also comes with directions for downloading the free and easy-to-install OPNET IT Guru Academic Edition software. This software provides a virtual environment for modeling, analyzing, and predicting the performance of IT infrastructures, including applications, servers, and networking technologies. Prepared by Professor Emad Aboelela of the Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, the experiments in the manual are closely tied to the organization of Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, Fifth Edition and, when used together, serve as a complete tool for understanding how and why computer networks function as they do.

*Updated and expanded by an instructor who has used OPNET simulation tools in his classroom for numerous demonstrations and real-world scenarios. 

* Software download based on an award-winning product made by OPNET Technologies, Inc., whose software is used by thousands of commercial and government organizations worldwide, and by over 500 universities.

*Useful experimentation for professionals in the workplace who are interested in learning and demonstrating the capability of evaluating different commercial networking products, i.e., Cisco routers.

*Covers the core networking topologies and includes assignments on Switched LANs, Network Design, CSMA, RIP, TCP, Queuing Disciplines, Web Caching, etc.

A practical tool for the networking professional; allowing the reader to experiment, creating innovatitive networks!

Dr. Emad Aboelela received his Ph.D in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami (Florida); M.Sc. and B.Sc in Computer Science and Automatic Control from the College of Engineering at Alexandria University (Egypt). Currently he is an Associate Professor at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. He was a faculty member at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for six years and at Southern Connecticut State University for two years. Dr. Aboelela is a senior member of both IEEE and ACM. He received the Distinguished Professor of the Year Award in 2009 and the Award of Academic Merit in 1998.

University of Taibah, Saudi Arabia

Preface

Introduction

Laboratory 01 - CSMA

Laboratory 02 - Wireless Local Area Networks

Laboratory 03 - Switched LANs

Laboratory 04 - VLAN: Virtual Local Area Networks

Laboratory 05 - Network Design

Laboratory 06 - Routing Information Protocol

Laboratory 07 - OSPF: Open Shortest Path First

Laboratory 08 - BGP: Border Gateway Protocol

Laboratory 09 - Mobile Wireless Network

Laboratory 10 - TCP: Transmission Control Protocol

Laboratory 11 - Queuing Disciplines

Laboratory 12 - RSVP: Resource Reservation Protocol

Laboratory 13- Firewalls and VPN

Laboratory 14 - Applications

Laboratory 15- Web Caching and Data Compression

Appendix A--Token Ring

Appendix B-- ATM