Visual-netsim: Development of an interactive browser based network simulator

Browser based simulators for wireless networks remain an unheard concept. Although wireless networks are utilized in various applications and are providing the backbone for the Internet of Things (IoT), it remains fairly difficult to quickly prototype a visualization. The need for an easily accessible simulator is a necessity, sparked by the alarming growth of sensor networks and the IoT. The development of a reliable and robust large-scale wireless system requires that design concepts are visualized in some digital form, before implementation. Simulations provide a cost effective and feasible method of examining the correctness and scalability of the system before deployment. This work presents a lightweight and interactive topology generator as part of a novel web based network simulator. The simulation framework, to the best of our knowledge, is unlike any other, as it renders and generates graphs in the browser. A simple GUI allows the user to generate isotropic and anisotropic topologies of different shapes, and provides tools that help manipulate complex graphs on client browsers and mobile devices. This tool has its application in several domains including computer network configuration and management, sensor and ad-hoc networks, medical infrastructure, biological and social media visualizations. This application can also facilitate research and education in the related areas.