2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Computer networks form the backbone of the digital world in modern life, enabling global communication
and access to information. Despite their importance, students often struggle to bridge the gap between
theoretical concepts and practical applications, leading to gaps in understanding and confidence. To address
this challenge, Packelytics, an interactive laboratory tool, has been developed as an interactive tool that
enables students to design, implement and test networking protocols across the OSI layers. Packelytics
allows students to explore protocol behavior, troubleshoot issues, and deepen their comprehension of
fundamental networking principles.

The first component of Packelytics is a Software Development Environment (SDE) that enables students
to design and implement protocol logics. This environment provides a set of uniquely structured lab
instructions covering protocols across the OSI layers, an integrated code editor for writing and saving
protocol code accompanied by interactive animations to visualize packet traffic flow under each protocol.
The second component is a Hardware Testbench Rig (HTR) that enables students to construct diverse
physical network topologies to examine customized test cases. Their designed protocols can then be tested
on these network topologies. Protocols developed in SDE can then be deployed and validated on the HTR
configurations, bridging the gap between simulated and real-world networking scenarios.

Through structured lab activities, students explore and engage with modern networking protocols such as
TCP and ARP while developing valuable debugging and problem-solving skills. By integrating both
software and hardware components, Packelytics bridges the gap between theoretical instruction and
practical experimentation, offering a scalable, engaging, and experiential approach to teaching computer
networking in engineering education.

Packelytics has been piloted with two groups of students: Group A, with no prior background in computer
networking, and Group B, who had previously completed a fundamental course. Survey results from both
groups demonstrated significant gains in learning outcomes and conceptual understanding. Based on this
feedback, Packelytics is being refined and enhanced, with plans for further evaluation in a third-year
computer networking course.