To simulate the Local Area Network (LAN) protocols using OPNET, we require to setting up Ethernet-based interaction in a network of interconnected devices that containing protocols such as Ethernet, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). LAN replications are optimal intended for experimenting data flow, network segmentation, and broadcast behavior within enterprise otherwise campus network settings. Here’s a simple procedure to simulate LAN protocols in OPNET:
Steps to Simulate LAN Protocols projects in OPNET
- Initialize the Project and Define Network Topology
- Create a New Project: Initially, we make a new project in OPNET then choose an enterprise network topology or LAN.
- Define Network Layout: Make a topology along with switches, routers, and end devices such as servers, workstations, printers. Deliberate a hierarchical outline with core, distribution, and access layers, for a complex network.
- Add and Configure LAN Devices
- Place Switches and End Devices: Make subnets for diverse departments or functional areas that replicating a normal enterprise LAN. Configure switches to associate several end devices.
- Assign IP Addresses and Subnets: Allocate subnet masks and single IP addresses for every device, which permitting to monitor the protocol operations in subnets and handle the network traffic.
- Enable LAN Protocols on Switches and Routers
- Configure Ethernet on Switch Ports: Use Ethernet to configure every switch port that selecting from Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, or 10 Gigabit Ethernet depends on the needed bandwidth.
- Enable Spanning Tree Protocol (STP):
- STP Configuration: In the network, facilitate STP on switches to avoid loops. We can configure STP metrics such as bridge priority that allowing certain switches, performing like the root bridge.
- RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol): If the network needs quicker convergence then from topology changes, facilitate RSTP for rapider recovery.
- Set Up VLANs (Virtual LANs):
- VLAN Creation: Make VLANs to segment the network using function or department like Sales, HR, IT. Allocate the switch ports to certain VLANs for traffic separation.
- VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP): Set up VTP if we require handling the VLAN data through several switches then making sure that consistency in VLAN set up.
- Enable ARP (Address Resolution Protocol):
- Set up ARP on end devices permitting IP-to-MAC address resolution in every subnet. Experiment how devices refresh or request new addresses resolutions to configure ARP cache timeouts.
- Define Traffic Models
- Application Traffic: Configure data traffic replicating real-world applications like HTTP, FTP, VoIP, and Video Streaming.
- Traffic Patterns:
- Intra-VLAN Traffic: In the similar VLAN, make traffic flows experimenting separated traffic management in every segment.
- Inter-VLAN Traffic (using a router or Layer 3 switch): Configure traffic flows among diverse VLANs to examine how inter-VLAN switching or routing handle the cross-VLAN interaction.
- Broadcast and Multicast Traffic: Monitor the behaviour of protocol through the network like how ARP requests are managed, for configure broadcast or multicast traffic.
- Simulation Parameters and Scenario Setup
- Set Simulation Duration: Select a simulation time that more sufficient to monitor the network stabilization, ARP caching, STP convergence, and VLAN behavior.
- Create Multiple Scenarios:
- Traffic Load Variations: To experiment the performance of LAN protocol under high load like how STP manages the failover under maximized traffic or VLAN segmentation efficiency.
- Topology Changes (for STP): Launch link failures or port modifications on switches experimenting STP’s re-convergence time and then estimate the network stability.
- VLAN Membership Changes: Change VLAN Trunking or VLAN assignments, monitoring how the network manages the dynamic segmentation.
- Define Performance Metrics and Data Collection
- Key Metrics for LAN Protocols:
- Packet Delivery Ratio: Through the LAN, we can assess the successful delivery of packets to compute the network reliability.
- End-to-End Delay: Monitor the duration for packets to move through the LAN, which providing insight within latency.
- Switching Delay: Observe delays are launched using switches that particularly within networks along with several STP and VLANs.
- Routing and Inter-VLAN Delay: In the routing inter-VLAN traffic, estimate the delays especially if utilizing a Layer 3 switch or router.
- Broadcast Traffic Load: Observe the broadcast load made by ARP as well as other protocols monitoring the effect on network bandwidth.
- STP Convergence Time: Estimate the duration for STP meets after a topology modification to deliberate the network’s resilience to link failures.
- Data Collection Setup: Record parameters such as packet delivery, delay, STP convergence time, and broadcast load utilizing OPNET’s data collection tools.
- Run the Simulation and Analyze Results
- Execute the Simulation: Now, execute the replication then monitor the LAN protocol’s performance like how STP prevents the loops, VLANs segment traffic, and ARP resolves addresses in the network.
- Analyze Results: Make plots for parameters like packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and STP convergence time using OPNET’s analysis tools. Measure the behaviour of protocol, particularly depends on the diverse traffic loads and topology changes.
We have proficiently applied a simulation technique to simulate and examine the Local Area Network (LAN) Protocols projects using OPNET tool. With more elaborate details to follow in the upcoming manual. LAN Protocols Projects Using OPNET tool simulation are carried out by our team , if you are expecting best results always prefer our experts for tailored assistnace.
