How to Implement Network Interoperability B5G in NS2

To implement the Network Interoperability in Beyond 5G (B5G) in ns2, we have to replicate the interaction amongst various kinds of networks like 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi and capably other future wireless mechanisms. The concept of interoperability refers to the capability of these various network kinds to interact effortlessly, permitting user devices to swap amongst them depends on the specific criteria (such as quality of service, signal strength, or bandwidth availability).

In Beyond 5G (B5G) networks, this is vital for establishing ubiquitous connectivity, low latency, and high consistency across multiple environments and technologies. NS2 is habitually used for 4G, Wi-Fi, and basic wireless networks, however you can extend it to simulate characteristics of B5G by generating multiple network layers, stating mobility scenarios, and enabling dynamic switching amongst network variants.

Steps to Implement Network Interoperability in B5G using NS2

  1. Set Up NS2 Environment

Make sure that you have NS2 installed and configured. If NS2 is not installed, follow the steps below:

wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/nsnam/files/latest/download -O ns-allinone-2.35.tar.gz

tar -xzvf ns-allinone-2.35.tar.gz

cd ns-allinone-2.35

./install

  1. Understand the Components for Interoperability in B5G

B5G networks intent to integrate various network types such as:

  • 5G Networks: Offering ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC).
  • 4G LTE Networks: Used as a fallback for areas without 5G coverage.
  • Wi-Fi Networks: Can offload traffic from 4G/5G networks.
  • Core Network: The core network accountable for routing traffic amongst access networks (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi).

Establish interoperability by simulating numerous networks (like 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi), and enable devices to dynamically switch amidst them in terms of performance criteria.

  1. Design the Topology for B5G Interoperability

You will need to build a topology that includes:

  • A 5G base station with high-speed links and low latency.
  • A 4G LTE base station for fallback coverage.
  • Wi-Fi access points for offloading traffic.
  • User devices that can travel amongst these networks.

3.1. Create the Base Stations and Access Points

# Create a simulator object

set ns [new Simulator]

# Open the NAM trace file

set nf [open out.nam w]

$ns namtrace-all $nf

# 5G Base Station

set gnb [$ns node]      ;# gNB represents the 5G base station

# 4G LTE Base Station

set enb [$ns node]      ;# eNB represents the 4G LTE base station

# Wi-Fi Access Points

set wifi1 [$ns node]

set wifi2 [$ns node]

# User Devices (UEs)

set ue1 [$ns node]

set ue2 [$ns node]

# Core Network Node

set core [$ns node]

# Define Links

# Connect base stations and access points to the core network

$ns duplex-link $gnb $core 10Gb 1ms DropTail   ;# 5G to core network

$ns duplex-link $enb $core 1Gb 5ms DropTail    ;# 4G LTE to core network

$ns duplex-link $wifi1 $core 100Mb 10ms DropTail ;# Wi-Fi to core network

$ns duplex-link $wifi2 $core 100Mb 10ms DropTail

# Define user devices connecting to different networks (dynamic switching will follow)

$ns duplex-link $ue1 $gnb 1Gb 2ms DropTail  ;# UE1 connected to 5G

$ns duplex-link $ue2 $wifi1 100Mb 5ms DropTail  ;# UE2 connected to Wi-Fi

This configuration includes:

  • gNB: A 5G base station.
  • eNB: A 4G LTE base station.
  • Wi-Fi access points (wifi1 and wifi2).
  • UEs (User Equipment) linked to many networks.
  • Core network: Serving as the centralized point for routing traffic between various networks.
  1. Simulate Dynamic Interoperability

The essence of B5G interoperability is to enable user devices to change between numerous networks dynamically in terms of parameters like signal strength, available bandwidth, or QoS demands.

4.1. Create Traffic for Different Networks

Simulate actual utilization techniques like video streaming, web browsing or IoT communications by producing traffic for each of the networks using TCP or UDP agents.

Example OTcl Script for Traffic Generation:

# Create TCP traffic for UE1 over 5G

set tcp1 [new Agent/TCP]

$ns attach-agent $ue1 $tcp1

set sink1 [new Agent/TCPSink]

$ns attach-agent $core $sink1

$ns connect $tcp1 $sink1

# Generate high-bandwidth traffic (e.g., video streaming) for UE1

set cbr1 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr1 attach-agent $tcp1

$cbr1 set packetSize_ 1000   ;# Set packet size to 1000 bytes

$cbr1 set rate_ 100Mb        ;# High bandwidth for 5G

$ns at 1.0 “$cbr1 start”

# Create UDP traffic for UE2 over Wi-Fi

set udp2 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $ue2 $udp2

set sink2 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $core $sink2

$ns connect $udp2 $sink2

# Generate lower-bandwidth traffic for UE2

set cbr2 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr2 attach-agent $udp2

$cbr2 set packetSize_ 500    ;# Set packet size to 500 bytes

$cbr2 set rate_ 20Mb         ;# Moderate bandwidth for Wi-Fi

$ns at 2.0 “$cbr2 start”

  1. Dynamic Network Switching Based on Interoperability Criteria

We can apply a condition that activates the user device to switch amongst networks like when signal strength drops or network jamming happens to simulate dynamic switching amidst networks.

5.1 Simulate Dynamic Switching

For example, if UE1 is linked to the 5G network, it can dynamically alter to the 4G LTE network when 5G signal quality reduces.

# At time 5.0 seconds, simulate a drop in 5G signal strength and switch UE1 to 4G LTE

$ns at 5.0 “$ns duplex-link-delete $ue1 $gnb”   ;# Disconnect from 5G

$ns at 5.0 “$ns duplex-link $ue1 $enb 100Mb 5ms DropTail”  ;# Reconnect to 4G LTE

This instance shows how the user device UE1 dynamically swaps from 5G to 4G LTE, replicating a real-world interoperability situations where devices move amongst different network types depends on quality or existence.

  1. Enable Trace Files and Visualization

Enable trace file generation to visualize the activities of the networks and dynamic switching by using NAM (Network Animator).

6.1 Enable Trace Files:

# Create a trace file to record the simulation

set tracefile [open “out.tr” w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

6.2 Run and Visualize the Simulation:

Run the simulation and visualize it using NAM:

ns your_script.tcl

nam out.nam

This grants you to monitor traffic flow and the dynamic changing between different networks.

  1. Analyze Performance

Evaluate the performance of the B5G network interoperability after the simulation is done, by computing:

  • Throughput: How much data is successfully transferred through each network.
  • Latency: End-to-end delay for each type of traffic (5G, 4G, Wi-Fi).
  • Packet Loss: Estimate how many packets are lost during network switching or because of blockage.

You can extract these metrics from the trace file using tools like AWK or Python scripts.

  1. Future Enhancements

You can optimize the simulation by including:

  1. Mobility: Replicate user mobility amongst various networks.
  2. Handover Mechanisms: Execute handover algorithms for seamless network switching.
  3. Quality of Service (QoS): Prioritize traffic for vital services like URLLC by simulating QoS mechanisms.
  4. Advanced Network Slicing: Depends on various service demands, we have to allocate resources simply by executing network slicing.

In conclusion, you can improve your knowledge towards the implementation of Network Interoperability in above 5G networks using the ns2 tool and has the details on how to analyze the results, how to extend the features in order to optimize it. Nevertheless, we can also offer you any details regarding this manual.

To achieve interoperability in Beyond 5G (B5G) using the NS2 tool, you may seek assistance from our experts, who will provide you with comprehensive details regarding your project’s performance.