... And The Pitfalls

• The choice of a simulation environment can constrain the types of practical exercises and discourage creativity.

• The wrong choice of network simulator can seriously impede a student's learning, and dissuade experimentation.

• Purpose written simulators have constrained domains - transport-layer protocol testbeds do not actually ''transmit'' the data frames.

• Very few students are enthused by simulations whose role is to verify or develop statistical models.

• Students can perceive a simulation as mickey-mouse - "... but that would never happen".

• Too much control/variation in a simulation can overwhelm a student - practical work must be clearly specified.