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CLI Open source 25 installs/mo

ns-3 for Mac

Discrete-event network simulator

Quick answer: ns-3 is a networking tool for macOS. Install it with brew install ns-3. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-only licence. It has 25 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What ns-3 is

ns-3 is a networking tool for macOS: discrete-event network simulator.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-only licence.

How to install ns-3

  1. Open Terminal (press ⌘ + Space and type “Terminal”).
  2. If Homebrew is not installed yet, run the installer below once.
  3. Run brew install ns-3.

Homebrew installer, if you need it:

Prefer a graphical installer? Download it from the official site. MacPicks never hosts or mirrors binaries — the Homebrew command always pulls from the vendor's own release.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I install ns-3 on Mac?

Run brew install ns-3 in Terminal. This requires Homebrew; if you do not have it, install it first with the command below.

Is ns-3 open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the GPL-2.0-only licence.

Does ns-3 run on Apple silicon?

Homebrew publishes this formula for macOS. If upstream does not ship an Apple silicon build, Rosetta 2 handles the Intel binary.

How popular is ns-3?

It was installed 25 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #6024 in this catalogue.

What version of ns-3 is current?

The latest packaged version is 3.49.