A Comparative Analysis of Lab-Based Network Emulation with Field Results for Large-Scale MANETs

Emulation of tactical wireless networks in a laboratory environment provides a cost-effective solution for development tests and serves as a risk reduction for formal operational tests. However, laboratory-based emulation of tactical Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) is particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the underlying environment. Unlike point to-point systems, emulation of MANETs requires the execution of multiple channels in parallel. Furthermore, tactical wireless channels are susceptible to impairments such as fading, Doppler, multipath, and jamming, which further complicates the ability to replicate such environments in a controlled laboratory setting. In this paper, we evaluate a previously developed Digital Wireless Channel Emulator (DWCE) by comparing field test results with data collected in an emulated environment for a 29 node tactical MANET. We present our approach for obtaining relevant metrics from the field and describe our methodology for comparison from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.