Containerlab Free plan 8.9 Visit QuNetSim
github.com
What it is
QuNetSim is a free, MIT-licensed Python framework for developing and testing quantum networking applications and protocols. It includes built-in exercises for qubit teleportation, entanglement distribution, superdense coding, and quantum key distribution. Multi-hop networks use entanglement swapping to create links between distant hosts. You can define routing functions from classical and quantum network states, represented with NetworkX graphs. The event-driven model gives packets sequence numbers and lets them wait for acknowledgements. Host, Protocols, and Network components correspond to application, transport, and network layers. Supported backends include SimulaQron, ProjectQ, and EQSN, with SimulaQron listed as the default; custom network and qubit backends can also be imported. Installation uses pip and includes an example-generating template. Linux, macOS, and Windows setup instructions require Python 3.5 or newer. It is intended for students and instructors, especially newcomers, and is described as educational rather than a full quantum-physics simulator.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- QuNetSim is a Python framework for developing and testing quantum networking applications and protocols.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Intended users
- The documentation describes students and instructors, especially people relatively new to quantum networks, as its intended users.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Security
- GitHub reports that the repository has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- License
- The repository includes an MIT License granting permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies, subject to its stated conditions.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Architecture
- Its Host, Protocols, and Network components represent application, transport, and network layers, respectively.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Backends
- The documentation lists SimulaQron, ProjectQ, and EQSN as supported backends, with SimulaQron as the default.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Custom routing
- Users can write routing functions based on classical and quantum network states; network structures use NetworkX graphs.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Event-driven behavior
- QuNetSim is event-driven, and packets include sequence numbers and can wait for acknowledgements.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Extensible backends
- The backend is modular and users can implement and import their own network and qubit backends.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Installation
- The project documents installation with pip and provides a template script that generates an example.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Maintainer
- The GitHub organization identifies itself as the Theoretical Quantum Systems Design Group and lists Munich.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Multi-hop networks
- The framework supports multi-hop quantum networks and uses entanglement swapping to generate entanglement between distant hosts.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Operating systems
- The installation guide provides instructions for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows and requires Python 3.5 or greater for its platform-specific setup instructions.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Quantum tasks
- Built-in tasks include qubit teleportation, entanglement distribution, superdense coding, and quantum key distribution.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
- Simulation limitation
- The project says it is an educational tool and is not designed to accurately simulate quantum physics or serve as a full quantum network simulator.Read 4 Oct 2026 · tqsd.github.io
Plans and prices
QuNetSim Free MIT-licensed software · installable via pip Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Free MIT-licensed software
- Built-in quantum networking tasks
- Supports multi-hop entanglement swapping
- Custom routing and backends
- Event-driven packet acknowledgements
Limits
- Not a full quantum network simulator
- Requires Python 3.5 or newer
- No published security advisories or policy
Who it suits
QuNetSim suits students, instructors, and developers learning or prototyping quantum-network protocols. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, or a self-hosted setup.
Verdict
QuNetSim provides a structured way to build quantum-network applications, with several protocol tasks and configurable backends. Its educational scope should be clear before using it for physically accurate simulation.
Where Specifiction places it
- Network Simulation Software#22 of 317.5
