Analysis and Utilizing of the Error Models in Teaching Wireless Network

Abstract

Wireless network course often proves to be a quite challenging subject to teach in a meaningful way, because many students appear to find the subject rather dry and technical, and thus quite boring. ns-3 (Network Simulator version 3) can construct a network environment to help teacher in computer network teaching. It displays more benefits than the traditional ways. Because it is an open source software, it also can be used freely and make the network simulation easy, furthermore, the result of the network simulation can be analyzed with different software tools. In this paper, the authors have prepared some interesting error model simulations in teaching wireless network to provide the students of wireless network with a hands-on learning experience. They focus on the error model of WLAN in ns-3 which can be used in the teaching of network course, introducing and analyzing the related theories about the error models used in ns-3 physical layer, so as to help researchers and students to understand and utilize the error models in ns-3 smoothly. In addition, several error model simulation experiments are carried out. The effectiveness of these simulations has been evaluated by both students and teaching team. The feedback from students indicates that using error models simulations in teaching wireless network is successful.