Using OPNET to teach students computer networking subject

Abstract

Teaching introductory networking poses a challenge ,It is difficult to teach data communications because it require complex, stochastic processes which are not visible to students and hard for them to understands .The traditional way to teaching data communications consists of lectures, where the Queing’s theoretical, mathematical basis is presented, and laboratory sessions where students are taught how to program a communications protocol in the hope that this will enable them to better understand the communication process or connect actual network which is very expensive and time consuming. These ways are not ideal because a verbal or text-based description does not convey the process of data communications adequately. Having students do programming an assignment is very time consuming and hence many students are unable to get beyond the mechanics of programming to a full understanding of the communication process. This paper show laboratory exercises for use with data communication and networking courses. All laboratories are developed in OPNET Modeler 9.1 simulation environment which is a network simulator that offers the tools for model design, simulation, data mining and analysis.