Many users are coming to expect ubiquitous access to bandwidth-intensive and delay-sensitive Internet-based applications, such as audio/video streaming and file sharing. Unfortunately, traditional access solutions, such as cellular networks and WiFi hot-spots, fail to meet this growing demand because they cannot provide large coverage and high-throughput access simultaneously. Multi-hop wireless mesh networking is a promising new technology that can help fill this void. Wireless mesh networks are inexpensive to build, easy to deploy, and can operate reliably in harsh environments.
This PhD dissertation proposes a comprehensive network architecture to realize modular and scalable, and easily manageable wireless mesh networks. This architecture offers solutions to several key challenges in building such networks. Some of the challenges include capacity scaling to support increasing user demand, high-throughput routing within the network, self-configuration to simplify network management, and robust network monitoring support. This talk will first provide an overview of this architecture and then focus on two of its main architectural components. The first is a novel modular router architecture that allows flexible and scalable multi-radio mesh networks to be constructed. The second is the design of a spectrum management solution that configures a multi-radio network so that high capacity routes are available within the network.
Committee:
Kevin Almeroth (co-chair)
Elizabeth Belding-Royer (co-chair)
Jerry Gibson