IMUNES vs ns-3

IMUNES is a free multiprotocol emulator and simulator for general-purpose IP network experiments on FreeBSD and Linux. The project says a single physical machine can run hundreds to thousands of virtual nodes. Its GUI helps create and configure nodes and links, and each node has its own IPv4, IPv6, IPsec, socket and firewall configuration and address space. Link controls can introduce delay, bit errors, duplication and bandwidth limits. Standard UNIX APIs are preserved, so BSD and Linux binaries can run unmodified. On Linux it uses Docker for virtual nodes; on FreeBSD it uses jails and netgraph. The project says experiments can be instantiated in seconds and use hardware resources efficiently. Downloads include public source repositories, examples, security scenarios, manuals and VMware and VirtualBox images. Linux use requires kernel version 3.10 or newer and the Docker daemon; the README also instructs users to run experiments as root. The listed latest image is IMUNES-FreeBSD-14.3-RELEASE (BETA), a 4GB amd64 OVA. The project describes JSON configuration and live changes to nodes, interfaces and links during a running experiment.

ns-3 is a free, discrete-event network simulator for research and education. It supports simulations of IP and non-IP networks, including wireless work involving Wi-Fi and LTE, and provides a workflow from configuring a simulation through collecting and analyzing traces. A real-time scheduler supports simulation-in-the-loop use, including sending and receiving ns-3 packets on real network devices. Its Direct Code Execution framework can run C or C++ applications or the Linux kernel networking stack within ns-3.

The project is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted use, with desktop deployment listed. It is free software under GNU GPLv2, priced at free. Releases arrive roughly two or three times each year, mainly as compressed source archives. Documentation includes tutorials, installation guidance, model library material, a reference manual, and Doxygen API documentation. NetAnim and Bake are listed as related tools. Support channels include mailing lists, Zulip chat, and the issue tracker; the project says volunteers maintain it without company backing.