NetSim Academic
Last updated: Oct 2026
NetSim Academic is a lower-cost option for educational customers who use NetSim for lab experiments and teaching. Do you plan to do network R&D? Then NetSim Standard is the product you should explore. The version comparison table shows the features of each NetSim version.
5 reasons you need NetSim Academic
NetSim saves hundreds of hours in setup, scripting and data parsing. Students get more time for learning, experiments and discovery.
| Feature | NetSim Academic | Open Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lab Setup | GUI-based, drag-and-drop. Dozens of pre-configured experiments are ready to run. | Requires C/Python scripting. You must code and configure each scenario manually. |
| Learning Curve | Students focus on networking concepts from day one. | Students spend much time on the tool's API and environment before they analyze networks. |
| Visualization | The built-in packet animator and dynamic plots show network behavior in real time. | Requires external tools (for example, NetAnim) and often complex post-processing scripts for visualization. |
| Result Analysis | Auto-generated results dashboard with sortable tables and exportable graphs. | Generates text-based trace files. Custom scripts (awk, Python) must parse and analyze them. |
| Documentation | Integrated experiment manuals with theory, procedure and sample results. | Community-managed wikis and documentation. Quality and completeness vary. |
Gaps in traditional network education
Textbooks and physical labs leave these gaps.
Abstract concepts are hard to grasp
From textbooks alone, students find it difficult to visualize protocols such as TCP congestion control, or routing algorithms such as OSPF. Static diagrams do not show their dynamic behavior.
Lab setup is a barrier to learning
Physical labs are expensive, difficult to scale and inflexible for "what-if" scenarios. To set up open-source tools such as ns-3, students must write much C++ or Python script. This uses lab time that they need to learn core concepts.
Network behavior is invisible
Without the right tools, it is difficult to "see" a network in action. Students cannot easily trace the path of a single packet, watch a routing table converge, or find the cause of performance bottlenecks.
Modern network education with NetSim
Turn abstract theory into behavior that students can observe and measure.
Accelerate learning
A large library of pre-built, curriculum-aligned experiments lets students simulate and analyze protocols immediately. They do not spend time on complex setup and scripting.
Visualize and understand
Go beyond theory with a GUI, built-in packet animation and dynamic plots. Make abstract network behavior visible and easy to understand.
Full and current curriculum
Cover your full curriculum in one integrated platform, from basic internetworking and routing to modern Wireless, IoT and LTE networks.
Technologies supported
NetSim Academic includes these simulation technologies.
- Aloha, Slotted Aloha
- Ethernet, Switching
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/p
- RF propagation: pathloss, fading and shadowing
- Routing: RIP, OSPF
- TCP: Old Tahoe, Tahoe, Reno, New Reno, BIC, CUBIC, SACK, Window Scaling
- User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
- VLAN, Firewalls and Access Control Lists, NAT
- MANET: DSR, AODV, ZRP, OLSRv1 (RFC 3626)
- Software Defined Networks (SDN)
- GSM & CDMA
- Internet of Things (IoT) with RPL, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)
- LR-WPAN 802.15.4
- Cognitive Radio: 802.22
- Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced
- Traffic Generator: CBR, Voice, Video, FTP, Database, HTTP, Email
- Virtual Network Stack, Simulation Kernel, Command Line Interface
- Metrics Engine with Packet Trace, Radio Measurements and Plot Generator
35+ inbuilt labs, aligned to top university curricula
Each example lab ships with documentation that covers Motivation, Theory, Network Set-up, Results and Discussion.
Introduction to networking and network simulation
- Introduction to NetSim (PDF, HTML)
- Understand the events involved in NetSim DES in the flow of one packet from a wired node to a wireless node (PDF, HTML)
- Understand the working of basic networking commands: Ping, Route Add/Delete/Print, ACL (PDF, HTML)
- Characteristic curve of throughput versus offered load for a Pure and Slotted ALOHA system (PDF, HTML)
Network performance
Routing and switching
- The OSPF weight setting problem and the performance comparison of OSPF vs. RIP (PDF, HTML)
- Understand the working of OSPF (PDF, HTML)
- The M/D/1 queue (PDF, HTML)
- Understand the working of ARP, and IP forwarding within a LAN and across a router (PDF, HTML)
- Simulate and study the spanning tree protocol (PDF, HTML)
- Understand VLAN operation in L2 and L3 switches (PDF, HTML)
- Understand access and trunk links in VLANs (PDF, HTML)
- Understand public IP address and NAT (PDF, HTML)
Transmission control protocol (TCP)
- Introduction to TCP connection management (PDF, HTML)
- Reliable data transfer with TCP (PDF, HTML)
- Mathematical modelling of TCP throughput performance (PDF, HTML)
- TCP congestion control algorithms (PDF, HTML)
- Understand the working of TCP BIC congestion control, simulate and plot the TCP congestion window (PDF, HTML)
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11
Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor networks
4G LTE
5G NRAvailable only with NetSim Standard
- 5G MIMO and beamforming: a start with MISO and SIMO (PDF, HTML)
- Throughput and fairness of 5G scheduling algorithms in a complex network environment (PDF, HTML)
- Understanding of 5G NR PHY (PDF, HTML)
- Understanding of 5G NR (3GPP) pathloss models (PDF, HTML)
- 5G numerologies and their impact on end-to-end latencies (PDF, HTML)
- Performance of OFDMA SU-MIMO in 5G (PDF, HTML)
- MIMO communication: channel matrix asymptotic analysis (PDF, HTML)
Evaluate NetSim Academic
Do you want an evaluation, or do you have questions about pricing? Contact us.