Eng 3553 Networking

Lab #1
Overview
In a shared Ethernet network, end systems are typically connected together using a hub.
The hub retransmits any incoming frames on all outgoing lines creating a single
broadcast domain for all the devices. Within this domain, the Carrier Sense Multiple
Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) MAC protocol is used to determine which
node may transmit at any given time and to resolve collisions if two or more nodes
transmit at the same time.
Objective
- Familiarization with OPNET
- Designing Networks
- View simulation results
Procedure:
Go to
Start -> All Programs -> OPNET IT Guru Academic Edition 9.1 -> OPNET
IT Guru Academic Edition
This runs OPNET
File -> New
Project Name: Lab1
Scenario Name: Lowflow
Create Empty Scenario
Office
100x100 meters
Select Technologies
Ethernet
Links
Finish
We have now setup an OPNET scenario that will allow us to design a small office
network and test it under different conditions. For each different condition we will have
to create a different scenario or reconfigure our current.
OPNET now presents us with different objects we can use to design our network. We will
close this window.

Go to
Topology -> Rapid Confguration
Star
Center Node -> ethernet16_hub
Periphery Node -> Ethernet station
Link -> 10BaseT
Number -> 12
OK
What OPNET has done is created our little network of up to 12 computers connected to a
central hub. This should be visible on the screen.

Right click on the hub and select

View Node Description
This tells us the capabilities of the device we have created. Close this window.
Right click on the hub and select
Set Name
Set the name of the hub to something descriptive.
Right click on one of the peripheral devices
Select similar nodes
This will select all of the peripheral devices
Right click on one of the peripheral devices
Edit Attributes
Check the box at the bottom of this dialogue box
Apply Changes to Selected objects
Expand the Traffic Generation and set
On State Time = constant and 1000 sec
Off State Time = constant and 0 sec
Expand the Packet Generation and set

Interarrival Time = exponential and .004

Packet Size = constant and 100 bytes
This will have every station (computer) generate 100 bytes of traffic every 4 ms. The
resulting traffic for each computer will be
100bytes * 8 bits/byte * 1packet/.004sec. = 200 Kbps
Now we have set up our network and we have configured the amount of traffic that will
be generated. Now we need to configure our simulation.
Simulation -> Choose Individual Statistics
Expand Global Statistics, Ethernet, Traffic Sink, and Traffic Source
Check
Delay
Traffic Received (bits/sec)
Traffic Sent (bits/sec)
Expand Node Statistics
Check
Collision Count
Load (bits/sec)
Traffic Forwarded (bits/sec)
Traffic Received (bits/sec)
Utilization
Now we told OPNET what statistics it should log during our simulation. Now we can run
our simulation
Simulation->Configure Discrete Event Simulation
Change
Duration = 20 sec.
Run
The simulation will now run.
Once the simulation is finished we close this window and now select

Results->View Results
Expand Office Network and the hub and Ethernet and then check Utilization. This
shows us the percentage utilization of the hub. Also, check the Collision box and see how
many collisions are taking place in this scenario. Make a note of these values or possibly
print these graphs.
Click Show at the bottom and another window with the graphs pops up then go to the
main window and
File->Print Graphs

Next, we will duplicate our scenario and make some changes.

Scenario->Duplicate scenario
Give the new scenario a name.
Right click on one of the Ethernet stations and Select Similar nodes. Right click again
and View Statistics. Check Apply changes to all selected objects then expand Traffic
Generation and Packet Generation.
Change
Interval Time = .001 sec.
Now we can re-simulate
Simulation-> Configure Discrete Event Simulation
Then
Results->View Results
Again we will look at Utilization and Collisions. Print or note values.
This time Right click on one of the links. Select Similar Links. Right click on the link
again and Edit Attributes.
Change
Model = 100baseT
Now we can re-simulate

Simulation-> Configure Discrete Event Simulation

Then
Results->View Statistics
Again we will look at Utilization and Collisions. Print or note values.

Question
1. Create several duplicate scenarios and modify the interarrival times for all the Ethernet
stations to 0.0008 and 0.005, respectively. Rerun the simulation, and record the
utilization and the Traffic Received (bit/sec) statistic for each scenario. Find the
interarrival time for which the maximum throughput is achieved. How are the two
statistics related?