Using the INET Framework¶

Installation¶

There are several ways to install the INET Framework:

Let the OMNeT++ IDE download and install it for you. This is the easiest way. Just accept the offer to install INET in the dialog that comes up when you first start the IDE, or choose Help ‣ Install Simulation Models any time later.
From INET Framework web site, http://inet.omnetpp.org. The IDE always installs the last stable version compatible with your version of OMNeT++. If you need some other version, they are available for download from the web site. Installation instructions are also provided there.
From GitHub. If you have experience with git, clone the INET Framework project (inet-framework/inet), check out the revision of your choice, and follow the INSTALL file in the project root.

Installing INET Extensions¶

If you plan to make use of INET extensions (e.g. Veins or SimuLTE), follow the installation instructions provided with them.

In the absence of specific instructions, the following procedure usually works:

First, check if the project root contains a file named .project.
If it does, then the project can be imported into the IDE (use File ‣ Import ‣ General ‣ Existing Project into workspace). Make sure that the project is recognized as an OMNeT++ project (the Project Properties dialog contains a page titled OMNeT++), and it lists the INET project as dependency (check the Project References page in the Project Properties dialog).
If there is no .project file, you can create an empty OMNeT++ project using the New OMNeT++ Project wizard in File ‣ New, add the INET project as dependency using the Project References page in the Project Properties dialog, and copy the source files into the project.

Getting Familiar with INET¶

The INET Framework builds upon OMNeT++, and uses the same concept: modules that communicate by message passing. Hosts, routers, switches and other network devices are represented by OMNeT++ compound modules. These compound modules are assembled from simple modules that represent protocols, applications, and other functional units. A network is again an OMNeT++ compound module that contains host, router and other modules.

Modules are organized into a directory structure that roughly follows OSI layers:

src/inet/applications/ – traffic generators and application models
src/inet/transportlayer/ – transport layer protocols
src/inet/networklayer/ – network layer protocols and accessories
src/inet/linklayer/ – link layer protocols and accessories
src/inet/physicallayer/ – physical layer models
src/inet/routing/ – routing protocols (internet and ad hoc)
src/inet/mobility/ – mobility models
src/inet/power/ – energy consumption modeling
src/inet/environment/ – model of the physical environment
src/inet/node/ – preassembled network node models
src/inet/visualizer/ – visualization components (2D and 3D)
src/inet/common/ – miscellaneous utility components

The OMNeT++ NED language uses hierarchical packages names. Packages correspond to directories under src/, so e.g. the src/inet/transportlayer/tcp directory corresponds to the inet.transportlayer.tcp NED package.

For modularity, the INET Framework has about 80 project features (parts of the codebase that can be disabled as a unit) defined. Not all project features are enabled in the default setup after installation. You can review the list of available project features in the Project ‣ Project Features… dialog in the IDE. If you want to know more about project features, refer to the OMNeT++ User Guide.