NeTS-ProWiN: Implementation Techniques for Last-Mile Wireless Mesh Networks

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

NeTS-NR: Implementation Techniques for Last-Mile Wireless Mesh Networks Tzi-Cker Chiueh, SUNY at Stony Brook Award 0435373 Abstract The explosive growth of IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has prompted a rethinking of how metropolitan-area mobile wireless network services should be designed and implemented. Specifically the cost-effectiveness of 3G cellular networks is being called into question owing to their gargantuan initial licensing cost. In contrast, wireless mesh networks (WMN) that leverage 802.11-based WLAN hardware or the emerging 802.16 wireless broadband access standard (WiMAX) do not incur any licensing fees because they operate in the unlicensed spectrum. Moreover, the hardware/software components of wireless mesh networks are relatively inexpensive since their success in consumer and enterprise market segments creates economies of scale and significantly brings down the manufacturing and development cost. This project is developing, implementing, and evaluating a novel wireless mesh network architecture called Hyacinth that is specifically designed to support last-mile broadband Internet access. Hyacinth features several unique innovations that are not present in other WMNs. First, Hyacinth significantly increases the aggregate throughput of a WMN by supporting multiple WLAN interfaces per WMN node, each operating at a distinct radio channel. Second, Hyacinth supports a host-transparent network-layer handoff scheme that preserves continuity of network applications as end hosts move across different subnets, without requiring any modifications to end hosts. Third, Hyacinth improves the aggregate throughput of each WMN node by equipping each WMN node with an array of access points and dynamically balancing their load. Fourth, Hyacinth's routing protocol has built sufficient redundancy into route updates such that compromised nodes that lie can be detected and isolated.