ITR: Community Wireless Networks for Last-Mile Broadband Interconnectivity: An Experimental Research Program

“最后一英里”宽带问题可以说是电信业长期面临的最重要的技术经济挑战。草根社区无线网络作为一种将社区用户连接到最近的宽带线路的有趣范例正在世界各地兴起。社区无线网络（CWNs）与移动自组织无线网络（manet）和传统的基于ip的互联网（例如：OSPF/IS-IS/BGP路由网络）有许多明显不同的特征。他们还可以利用各种低成本的功能，大大简化配置，提高有效的网络容量。我们的项目主要侧重于利用由于这些差异而可能实现的设计自由。技术优点：pi为社区无线网络（CWN）概念提出了一个广泛的实验研究计划。该研究将在纽约州特洛伊建立一个可运营的中等规模社区网络（RPI校园周围1英里半径内多达100个节点）的背景下进行，并与宾夕法尼亚州哈里斯堡的一家商用802.11接入网络提供商合作（见附件的支持信）。pi将我们提出的研究分为以下几个部分：首先，在物理/链路层，我们关注自动配置和网络容量最大化的问题。pi建议混合使用便宜的802.11b， 802.11a和802.11g链路，利用街道的方向性，家庭的GPS（纬度/经度）位置，以及备用通道的可用性（例如：电话线或用于远程自动配置的915 Mhz ISM频段无线电）来简化节点的设置。建议的硬件/软件设计与实际部署相结合是我们建议的独特之处。其次，在路由层，pi将开发一个广泛的框架和机制，使用现有的路由协议（例如：OSPF， BGP-4， MANET协议，如DSR等）进行有效的显式/多路径路由。在此框架内，pi将研究许多混合地理和拓扑信息路由，以无缝互连有机发展的社区无线网络。第三，pi提出建模网络的成长和演化；制定策略来描述和改进针对节点故障的健壮性。最后，pi将测量和描述纽约州特洛伊地区运营社区无线网络的实际流量和使用模式，从其部署的早期阶段开始。更广泛的影响：拟议的研究将为新生的社区无线网络（CWN）概念提供真实世界的实验验证，并对最后一英里无线网络的架构、路由、流量工程和无线网络的增长建模做出重大贡献。该项目将涉及RPI ACM本科章节（见附信）和大量本科生参与研究。它也将被用作RPI网络课程的学期项目的背景。在本学期的试点活动中，我们已经看到了校园里巨大的兴奋。

The ``last-mile'' broadband problem is arguably the most important long-standing techno-economic challenge faced by the telecommunications industry. Grassroots community wireless networks are emerging in various parts of the world as an interesting paradigm to connect a community of users to the nearest broadband wire. Community wireless networks (CWNs) have a number of characteristics distinctly different from both mobile ad-hoc wireless networks (MANETs) and traditional IP-based internetworks (eg: OSPF/IS-IS/BGP routed networks). They can also leverage a variety of low-cost capabilities available in residential areas to dramatically simplify configuration and boost effective network capacity. Our project focuses primarily on leveraging the design freedom made possible due to these differences. Technical Merit: The PIs propose an broad experimental research program into the community wireless network (CWN) concept. The research will be conducted in the context of an operational medium-scale community network to be built in Troy, NY (upto 100 nodes in a 1 mile radius around RPI campus) and in collaboration with a commercial 802.11 access network provider in Harrisburg, PA(see attached letter of support). PIs divide our proposed investigation into the following parts:First, at the physical/link layer we focus on the problem of auto-configuration and network capacity maximization. PIs propose to use a mix of cheap 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g links, leverage the directionality of streets, the GPS (latitude/longitude) location of homes, and the availability of backup channels (eg: telephone line or 915 Mhz ISM band radios for remote auto-configuration) to simplify the setup of nodes. The proposed hardware/software design combined with real-world deployment is a unique feature of our proposal.Second, at the routing layer, The PIs will develop a broad framework and mechanisms for efficient explicit/multi-path routing using existing routing protocols (eg: OSPF, BGP-4, MANET protocols like DSR etc). Within this framework, PIs will investigate a number of hybrid geographic and topologically-informed routing to seamlessly interconnect organically evolving community wireless networks. Third, PIs propose to model the growth and evolution of the network; develop strategies to characterize and improve the robustness against node failures. Finally, PIs will measure and characterize the real traffic and usage patterns of the operational community wireless network in the Troy, NY area from its earliest stages of deployment.Broader Impact: The proposed research will provide real-world experimental validation of the nascent community wireless network (CWN) concept, and make significant contributions to the architecture of last-mile wireless networks, routing, traffic engineering and growth modeling of wireless networks. The project will involve the RPI ACM undergraduate chapter (see attached letter) and a large number of undergraduate students in the research. It will also be used as a context for term-projects in the RPI networking curriculum. We already see tremendous excitement in campus during our pilot activities this semester.