ns-3 is a discrete-event network simulator, targeted primarily for research and educational use. ns-3 is free software, licensed under the GNU GPLv2 license, and is publicly available for research, development, and use.
The goal of the ns-3 project is to develop a preferred, open simulation environment for networking research: it should be aligned with the simulation needs of modern networking research and should encourage community contribution, peer review, and validation of the software.
NS 2是一种针对网络技术的源代码公开的、免费的软件模拟平台,研究人员使用它可以很容易的进行网络技术的开发,而且发展到今天,它所包含的模块非常丰富,几乎涉及到了网络技术的所有方面。
NS 2(Network Simulator, version 2)是一种面向对象的网络仿真器,本质上是一个离散事件模拟器。由UC Berkeley开发而成。它本身有一个虚拟时钟,所有的仿真都由离散事件驱动的。目前NS2可以用于仿真各种不同的IP网,已经实现的一些仿真有:网络传输协议,比如TCP和UDP;业务源流量产生器,比如FTP, Telnet, Web CBR和VBR;路由队列管理机制,比如Droptail , RED和CBQ;路由算法,比如Dijkstra等。NS2也为进行局域网的仿真而实现了多播以及一些MAC 子层协议。