The purpose of this module is to allow ns-3 to connect to other external applications. This is achieved by providing ns-3 with server (Boost:Asio library) that listens for incoming connections from external applications and sends them events and packets from the simulation in real time. This allows ns-3 communicate with the external world and develop a wide range of applications, such as visualizers, sniffers, or even control applications that can obtain information from the simulation "live".

All components in the Remote Simulator Sever are reusable and built in modular way. Users are expected to create their own versions of the client to fit their needs and programming language of choice. We however, do include a client that can be reused or adapted to serve any application specific purposes.

To demonstrate the usage of the server we included 2 example applications:

• TextVisualizer: A simplified text based visualizer for ns-3. No long setups or problematic library dependencies. Sweet and simple.

• RemoteSniffer: A wireshark extension (plugin) used to obtain packet information directly from ns-3 as the simulation is running (currently only supports lr-wpan packets)

Because these applications are independent to ns-3 they need to be independently compiled. For detailed installation, usage instructions see the documentation (remoteSimulationImpl/doc).

Related Publications: - Coming soon

Copyright (c) 2026 Tokushima University, Japan.

Author: Alberto Gallegos Ramonet