Performance Evaluation of Ad-hoc Networks for Supporting Wireless Multimedia

There are two distinct approaches for enabling wireless mobile computers to communicate with each other. The first is to utilize the existing cellular network infrastructure originally developed for voice communications. The other approach is to let users who wish to communicate with each other form an ad-hoc network network and collaborate among themselves to deliver data packets from a source to its destination possibly via one or more intermediate nodes.

This form of networking, although limited in range by the individual node's transmission range, has several advantages when compared to traditional cellular systems including on-demand setup, fault tolerance, unconstrained connectivity. A mobile ad hoc network is an autonomous system of mobile routers connected by wireless links. The routers are free to move randomly and organize themselves arbitrarily. Thus, the network's wireless topology may change rapidly and unpredictably. Such a network may operate in a stand-alone fashion, or may be connected to the larger Internet. Studies conducted so far on protocol performance and other communications aspects in wireless ad-hoc networking have been based on analyses of simulation results. Our goal is to provide an actual implementation of a mobile ad-hoc network by making use of open wireless LAN standards like IEEE 802.11, TCP/IP protocol suite. This is done through a viability study of how an ad-hoc network can be implemented using several LAN segments each of which is interconnected using standard protocols for bridges and routers. This ad-hoc network should eventually be able to function as a virtual private network(VPN). By implementing a VPN, the performance of applications such as audio-video conferencing, multicast applications such as shared whiteboard, network audio and video conferencing tools will be tested.
Once we have a working ad-hoc network we can extend its functionalities to a MAN environment. The different LAN segments in the VPN will be tested for their interoperability over public networks including telephone modem-based, Internet, X.25(emulated over Ethernet).

People

  • Amiya Bhattacharya
  • Nilanjan Banerjee
  • Wook Choi
  • Sundar Ramachandran

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