A user-space virtualization lab for postgraduate networking education and research in WMN, MANET, and WSN

Practical experimentation is essential for postgraduate education and research in Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs), Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Existing approaches, however, present complementary limitations: network simulators simplify real-world behavior, whereas kernel-level protocol development requires extensive systems expertise and is unsuitable for most educational environments. This paper presents a user-space networking laboratory framework that enables protocol implementation, modification, and evaluation on real hardware without requiring kernel modifications. The framework reimplements the upper layers of the TCP/IP stack in Python and operates as an application-layer overlay by encapsulating protocol messages within UDP, providing a transparent and modular environment for networking experimentation. A case study based on the OLSR routing protocol is used to demonstrate the framework through a reproducible five-node Raspberry Pi testbed. Structured laboratory exercises and four representative application scenarios—substation automation, smart factories, medical IoT, and intelligent transportation—are employed to evaluate communication behavior under diverse traffic patterns. Experimental results obtained from repeated measurements show stable communication performance with low latency variation, packet delivery ratios exceeding 95%, and modest computational overhead, demonstrating the suitability of the framework for postgraduate laboratory experimentation and rapid protocol prototyping. A comparative analysis with established educational platforms and user-space networking frameworks further highlights the framework’s distinctive contribution in combining protocol transparency, real-hardware experimentation, implementation accessibility, and structured laboratory workflows within a unified educational environment. Although the current evaluation focuses on a small-scale testbed, the proposed framework provides a practical foundation for networking education, research training, and future protocol development.