Cisco Packet Tracer is very good solution.

Packet Tracer is great solution, there is also GNS3 which is an open source network simulator

It depends actually on which performances you want to highlight, and the nature of your network whether you assume as fixed network or full wireless or heterogeneous !!

Thanks for your responses.

home network contains sensors and connected peripherals like : rifregirators, windows, lights...etc. I don't think that packet tracer propose this type of network elements???

QualNet is for mobile ad hoc networks not home networks! :(

The home networks that you are describing seems like internet of things to me. For this type of simulation, you can checkout some simulators that are provided by University of Padova, here: http://telecom.dei.unipd.it/pages/read/90/

Also, you can check SensLab with Contiki OS or TinyOS.

Try GNS3 if you have a powerful computer (except for catalyst switches) or you can perform everything you want with Packet Tracer, free cisco product.

Defiantly, Cisco Packet Tracer is very good solution for Home Networks

You can checkout the following tutorials:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3vxpbjli18&list=PLF8pXSPN2L_oSB28Snl103QghCngPotdl