Wireless Mesh Networking

Instructor: Prof. Samir R. Das

Affiliation: Computer Science Department, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York

Duration: 25 hours

Period: May 29 - June 1, 2006

Place: Istituto di Informatica e Telematica, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, room B63, first floor building B, entrance 7

Credits: 6

Contacts: Dott. Marco Conti, Istituto di Informatica e Telematica, Italian National Research Council, Pisa

This activity is part of the Pisa International School on the Next Generation Internet.


Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • What is mesh networking?
  • Why mesh networking?
  • History: packet radio, ad hoc networks.
  • Architectures and applications - last mile networking, community networking, sensor networking, targeted applications.
  • Addressing the digital divide.
  • Routing Issues
  • Core challenges in dynamic routing
  • Issues in wireless and mobile networks
  • Dynamic routing protocols - proactive, reactive and hybrid
  • Location-based routing
  • Designing routing metrics
  • Performance evaluation
  • Link Layer Issues
  • Basics of random access protocols. Random access vs. scheduled access.
  • Carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) and variations.
  • IEEE 802.11 Standard.
  • Association and handoff issues. Integration with routing.
  • Limitations of 802.11 in multihop scenarios.
  • Issue of interference.
  • Performance evaluation.
  • Use of multiple channels - multichannel MAC protocols.
  • Use of multiple radios - channel assignment problem.
  • Cross layer issues: joint channel assignment and routing.
  • Physical Layer Issues
  • Use of directional antenna
  • Transmit power control
  • Cross layer issues: protocols to utilize directional antennas and transmit power control
  • Transport Protocol Issues
  • TCP Basics
  • Impact of wireless transmission errors on TCP performance
  • Issues with multihop networks
  • Issues with mobility
  • Solution approaches
  • Performance evaluation
  • Issues Spanning All Layers
  • Capacity
  • Fairness
  • Security
  • Network management and monitoring
  • Testbeds, Commercial Products and Standards
  • Mesh testbeds in academic and industrial research labs
  • Commercial mesh networking products
  • Building your own testbed
  • Activities in IEEE 802.11s ESS mesh working group
  • Upcoming technology: WiMAX and its potential role