How to Start Network Encryption Projects Using NS3

To start a network encryption project using NS3 has contains to replicate the encrypted interaction among nodes, examining the influence over network performance and security. While NS3 doesn’t support directly encryption functions then we can be integrated the external encryption libraries or execute custom applications replicating the encrypted data transmission. We mentioned below is basic steps to configuring and executing network encryption projects in NS3.

Steps to Start Network Encryption Projects in NS3

  1. Define Project Objectives and Scope
  • Identify Encryption Use Cases:
    • End-to-End Encryption: We encode data among the client-server pairs to learn the influence over performance.
    • VPN or Encrypted Tunnels: Design secure tunnels such as IPsec or TLS to defend the information over segments.
    • Authentication and Key Exchange: We execute the crucial exchange protocols like RSA, Diffie-Hellman to protect interaction channels.
    • Comparing Encryption Algorithms: Measure the performance variances among encryption algorithms such as AES, RSA, and ECC.
  • Define Key Performance Metrics:
    • Throughput and Latency: We assess how encryption impacts the data rates and response times.
    • CPU and Memory Usage: Monitor the resource usage on nodes to execute encryption and decryption.
    • Packet Overhead: Measure the increase within packet size because of encryption headers and metadata.
    • Security Level: We examine the intensity of encryption by way of replicating interception or sniffing attempts.
  1. Install and Set Up NS3
  • Download NS3: Go to official NS3 site to download the new version of it on the computer.
  • Install NS3: We adhere to installation guidelines and execute an example scripts to verify configuration.
  • External Encryption Libraries: If we require incorporating encryption functions within custom applications, install the encryption libraries such as OpenSSL or Crypto++.
  1. Design the Network Topology
  • Select a Network Layout:
    • Client-Server Topology: For simple encrypted interaction to utilize point-to-point connections among the clients and a central server.
    • Multi-Client to Server: Configure several clients associating to a single server, mimicking encrypted traffic over numerous connections.
    • VPN Simulation: Design secure links among the segments to make encrypted tunnels over an untrusted network.
  • Configure Nodes and Devices:
    • Configure clients, servers, and routers using NodeContainer.
    • For direct connections, we can utilize PointToPointHelper or CsmaHelper for more complex and multi-node configurations.
  1. Implement Encryption in NS3

While NS3 doesn’t offer the built-in encryption, custom applications or external libraries are needed.

  • Payload Encryption and Decryption:
    • Implement applications, which encode data before transmitting and decrypt data depends on receiving.
    • Execute the encryption and decryption in NS3 applications to utilize an encryption library like OpenSSL.
  • Simulating Encrypted Protocols:
    • To design the more overhead of TLS/SSL headers for protocols such as HTTPS or IPsec, encrypt data on the application layer.
    • Replicate the encryption-related metadata to denote the additional bytes are added to packets using custom headers.
  • Custom Packet Headers:
    • We should make custom NS3 packet headers, signifying encrypted metadata like those utilized within VPN or IPsec connections.
    • Describe encryption-related fields such as algorithm ID, key ID using NS3’s Header class.
  1. Implement Key Exchange and Authentication
  • Symmetric Key Exchange:
    • We utilize a shared secret or execute a Diffie-Hellman key exchange among the nodes.
    • The symmetric key can be utilized to encrypt and decrypt traffic during the session when swapped.
  • Asymmetric Key Exchange:
    • Mimic RSA or ECC to exchange keys among the nodes on the interaction begin.
    • Encode the symmetric session key for more security to utilize the swapped public-private key pair.
  • Authentication:
    • Execute the digital signatures or certificate-based authentication, confirming node identities.
    • Before launching encrypted connections, replicate the signing and checking certificates utilising external libraries.
  1. Simulate Encrypted Traffic
  • Encrypted Applications:
    • Make applications, which encode data at the transmitting side and decrypt it on the receiving side. For instance:
      • For encrypted request-response interaction to utilize UdpEcho.
      • OnOffApplication for continuous encrypted streams, to replicate a VPN or secure VoIP connection.
  • Payload Encryption Workflow:
    • Before appending transport and network-layer headers, encode the application-layer payload.
    • Based on the receipt, we decrypt the payload and obtain application information.
  1. Define and Measure Performance Metrics
  • Throughput and Latency:
    • We need to estimate the data transfer rates and packet delays including encryption that are allowed.
    • We equate with non-encrypted interaction, knowing the effect of encryption on network performance.
  • CPU and Memory Usage:
    • Monitor resource usage at nodes to execute the encryption and decryption, measuring the overhead performance.
  • Packet Size and Overhead:
    • Examine the increase within packet size by reason of encryption headers or metadata.
  • Effectiveness Against Simulated Interception:
    • We replicate the interception attempts and confirm that encrypted traffic avoids unauthorized data access.
  1. Simulate and Analyze Results
  • Run Simulations:
    • Experiment diverse encryption algorithms, key sizes, and sets up to estimate its influence over performance.
    • We equate the outcomes over several network topologies and traffic patterns.
  • Data Collection and Analysis:
    • Accumulate throughput, latency, packet size, and any other related parameters utilising NS3’s tracing tools.
    • Transfer captured packets to use Wireshark for inspection or Python for statistical analysis.
  • Visualization and Reporting:
    • Envision the latency, throughput, and packet size trends to utilize tools such as Matplotlib.
    • Make logs in depth encryption influence over the performance, resource usage, and effectiveness versus unauthorized access.

Example Code Outline for Encrypted Communication in NS3

Here’s a simple example structure to replicate encrypted data transmission to utilize NS3 and an external encryption library (e.g., OpenSSL).

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

#include <openssl/aes.h> // Example for external encryption library

using namespace ns3;

class EncryptedApplication : public Application {

public:

EncryptedApplication() {}

virtual ~EncryptedApplication() {}

void Setup(Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address, std::string hiddenMessage, uint32_t packetSize, DataRate dataRate) {

m_socket = socket;

m_peer = address;

m_hiddenMessage = hiddenMessage;

m_packetSize = packetSize;

m_dataRate = dataRate;

m_currentBit = 0;

}

private:

virtual void StartApplication(void) override {

m_socket->Connect(m_peer);

SendPacket();

}

void SendPacket() {

std::string ciphertext = EncryptData(m_hiddenMessage);

Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>((uint8_t*)ciphertext.c_str(), ciphertext.size());

m_socket->Send(packet);

ScheduleTx();

}

std::string EncryptData(const std::string &data) {

AES_KEY encryptKey;

AES_set_encrypt_key((const unsigned char *)”1234567890123456″, 128, &encryptKey);

unsigned char encrypted[1024];

AES_encrypt((const unsigned char *)data.c_str(), encrypted, &encryptKey);

return std::string((char *)encrypted, data.size());

}

void ScheduleTx() {

Time tNext(Seconds(m_packetSize * 8 / static_cast<double>(m_dataRate.GetBitRate())));

m_sendEvent = Simulator::Schedule(tNext, &EncryptedApplication::SendPacket, this);

}

Ptr<Socket> m_socket;

Address m_peer;

std::string m_hiddenMessage;

uint32_t m_packetSize;

DataRate m_dataRate;

uint32_t m_currentBit;

EventId m_sendEvent;

};

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create(2);

PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;

pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“5Mbps”));

pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));

NetDeviceContainer devices = pointToPoint.Install(nodes);

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.Install(nodes);

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign(devices);

Ptr<Socket> srcSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(0), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Ptr<Socket> dstSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(1), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Address sinkAddress(InetSocketAddress(interfaces.GetAddress(1), 8080));

Ptr<EncryptedApplication> app = CreateObject<EncryptedApplication>();

app->Setup(srcSocket, sinkAddress, “Confidential Message”, 1024, DataRate(“5Mbps”));

nodes.Get(0)->AddApplication(app);

app->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));

app->SetStopTime(Seconds(10.0));

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

Throughout this process, we comprehensively learnt the simulation method with relevant coding for Network Encryption Projects that were configured and executed in NS3 tool along with we will be offered advanced insights on this topic as required.

The team at phdprojects.org is working on Network Encryption Projects using the NS3 tool. We focus on improving network performance and security, providing you with accurate results. Let us help you set up your configuration effectively, along with a clear explanation.