Effects of network parameters on the performance of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have been widely investigated. However, there are certain issues related to the hardware implementation and internal parameters of the nodes present in the network that effect performance dramatically. In this work a source routed wireless network is implemented in VHDL. Basic modules in the design are mobile ad hoc nodes and a switch that emulates the wireless channel and controls the connectivity between nodes. By varying hardware parameters of the nodes under different network conditions performance of the overall system is measured and simulation results are presented.