A Hybrid DSDN–Blockchain Framework for Reliable and Secure P2P Streaming: Architecture Design and NS-3 Validation

Peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming networks are widely used for large-scale multimedia delivery, but they continue to face challenges related to reliability, security, and scalability. To address these issues, we propose a hybrid framework that integrates distributed software-defined networking (DSDN) with blockchain to provide a more reliable and secure P2P streaming environment. Based on this proposal, we simulated three scenarios using NS-3: P2P with blockchain only, P2P with DSDN only, and P2P with the combined DSDN–blockchain model. Network performance was evaluated through three key metrics: throughput, latency, and energy consumption. Furthermore, the hybrid model’s security was validated under simulated attack scenarios by integrating Intrusion Detection System and Access Control List (ACL) modules within the DSDN controller and an encryption module for data-in-transit. The experiments were conducted under varying numbers of nodes to assess scalability and consistency. Across all network sizes, the hybrid model consistently outperformed the single-technology scenarios. At 50 nodes, for example, the hybrid approach achieved 8–9 percent higher throughput, 5–6 percent lower latency, and 7–21 percent better energy efficiency compared to blockchain or DSDN alone. Overall, the findings demonstrate that combining DSDN and blockchain yields a P2P streaming network with enhanced performance, making the integration highly beneficial for future multimedia streaming applications.