IP Access Research Articles

A survey of current architectures for connecting wireless mobile ad hoc networks to the Internet

AbstractConnecting wired and wireless networks, and particularly mobile wireless ad hoc networks (MANETs) and the global Internet, is attractive in real‐world scenarios due to its usefulness and praticality. Because of the various architectural mismatches between the Internet and MANETs with regard to their communication topology, routing protocols, and operation, it is necessary to introduce a hybrid interface capable of connecting to the Internet using Mobile IP protocol and to MANETs owing to an ad hoc routing protocol. Specifically, the approaches available in the literature have introduced updated versions of Mobile IP agents or access points at the edge of the Internet to help MANET nodes get multi‐hop wireless Internet access. The main differences in the existing approaches concern the type of ad hoc routing protocol as well as the switching algorithm used by MANET nodes to change their current Mobile IP agents based on specific switching criteria. This paper surveys a variety of approaches to providing multi‐hop wireless Internet access to MANET nodes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Design and Implementation of an End-to-End System for DTV Multicasting to Home Over Broadband IP Access Network

This paper describes design and implementation of an end-to-end system which implements digital television (DTV) multicasting to the home over broadband IP access network. We have developed a DTV-IP gateway for introducing DTV programs from broadcasting network into IP network with special considerations of the challenges, which consist of different service models and different protocols when deploying DTV services between the traditional satellite, cable or terrestrial network and the broadband IP network. According to different application scenario, the DTV-IP gateway can output two types of streams: CBR (constant bit-rate) transport stream (TS) over IP and VBR (variable bit-rate) TS over IP. Moreover, we have proposed a method to auto-regenerate the standard CBR TS from VBR TS over IP for the standard set-top-box (STB) with consideration of timing synchronization. This end-to-end system has been verified to work well in the broadband IP access network environment.

A low-cost and very compact wireless terminal integrated on the back of a waveguide planar array for 26 GHz band fixed wireless access (FWA) systems

A compact wireless terminal (WT) with a high-gain planar array has been developed for the Wireless IP Access System (WIPAS), which is a point-to-multipoint Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) system in the 26 GHz band. For the point-to-multipoint FWA services in rural areas, the drastic cost and size reduction of WT with the high-gain antennas and RF module is indispensable. In this paper, remarkable cost reduction of 1/10 and downsizing of 1/5 are realized by using an alternating phase fed single layer waveguide array antenna and Microwave Monolithic IC (MMIC) technologies. This terminal is 190/spl times/190/spl times/55 mm/sup 3/ in volume and less than 2.0 kg in weight which accommodates over 31 dBi very high efficiency antenna with a radome, RF module, IF modules, application specific IC (ASIC) for modem, time division multiple access (TDMA) equipment control, and medium access control (MAC). Only an Ethernet cable with 24 V dc power supply is attached on the terminal.

Armed Conflict Database

Armed Conflict Database

Dimensioning IP access links carrying data traffic

This paper proposes simple dimensioning rules for high speedip access links carrying data traffic. Assuming a finite source population and fair bandwidth sharing among user flows, we derive formulas relating capacity, demand and performance. These formulas allow link dimensioning for a target quality of service expressed in terms of useful per-flow throughput. They constitute a data traffic model equivalent of the Engset model for telephone access networks. Performance is shown to be largely independent of detailed traffic characteristics such as the statistical distributions of flow size and think time. Simple approximations are derived for two distinct performance regimes corresponding to transparency and saturation, respectively. Extensions to the basic model account for a heterogeneous user demand, unfair bandwidth sharing or different access rate classes. In any case, the key parameter for dimensioning is the offered traffic, defined as the average data rate a user would generate in the absence of congestion.

Implementation of wireless network environments supporting inter access point protocol and dual packet filtering

With advances in wireless technologies, future internetworks will include large numbers of mobile hosts roaming across wireless cells. The goal of this paper is to provide a wireless network communication environment, in which mobile hosts can roam among various access points (wireless cells) and across different subnets. For this purpose, we develop methods to implement and integrate the communication mechanisms of Mobile IP and Inter Access Point Protocol (IAPP). For efficient transmission, we also devise a dual packet filtering technique to filter out unnecessary packet transmission, thereby reducing traffic on wireless networks. Such filtering is especially important because of the limited bandwidth of wireless links. Our work can serve as the reference once IAPP has been approved as standard.

Automated provisioning of BGP customers

Manual configuration of IP routers is an expensive, time-consuming, and error-prone process. For large Internet service providers, establishing service for new customers is a major part of the financial cost of running the network. Increasingly, these customers want to exchange routing information with their provider(s) using the border gateway protocol (BGP), a complex and highly programmable interdomain routing protocol. This article describes how a provider can configure its connections to BGP-speaking customers, from the technical questions asked of new customers to the individual configuration commands applied to the production routers. We present a case study of a technical questionnaire and describe how the provider assigns unique identifiers such as IP address blocks, interface names, and access control list numbers on behalf of the customer. Next, we describe an example set of provisioning rules that use the customer-specific information to generate a sequence of configuration commands - a configlet - for adding the new connection to the network; our configuration rules are expressed using Cisco Internet Operating System (IOS) commands as an example. Then we describe a database schema for storing and accessing the customer-specific data, and discuss how to use a virtual view on this database to populate a template that captures the syntax of the router commands. Our provisioning system provides an inexpensive, efficient, and accurate way for a provider to configure connections to new BGP-speaking customers.

Adding full internet protocol functionality to HAVi

This paper looks at the current Internet access options in the Home Audio Video interoperability (HAVi) home networking standard, and extends them to full IP access. It does this while remaining within the existing HAVi architecture and without requiring a complete IP infrastructure in the home.

BRAIN?an architecture for a broadband radio access network of the next generation

The tremendous growth rates of the Internet as well as the area of mobile communications give rise to the chance that the mobile Internet is most promising by combining both the Internet and mobile communications. These prospects are the motivation for the European research project BRAIN (Broadband Radio Access for IP-based Networks), which is developing an open architecture for a broadband wireless mobile access network offering an integrated communication platform across heterogeneous networks and, thus, goes beyond current third generation systems and towards the mobile Internet. The project covers three major technical areas: support of seamless service provision in a mobile environment; the design of an IP-based access network that will support non-cellular technologies such as wireless LANs; and requirements of a broadband air interface suitable for hot spots. BRAIN is going to integrate HIPERLAN/2 with UMTS by means of an IP access network. The work is guided by a user-centric top-down approach ensuring that user functionality is the key driver of the project. This article will focus on that part of the BRAIN work which specifies the main interfaces of the BRAIN architecture and deals with aspects related to the support of Quality of Service and mobility. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A differentiated optical services model for WDM networks

This article addresses the issues of scalable end-to-end QoS in metropolitan DWDM networks serving as transit networks for IP access networks. DWDM offering a few wavelengths has been deployed in the past in backbone networks to upgrade point-to-point transmission where sharing is based on coarse granularity. This type of DWDM backbone network, offering a few light-paths, provides no support for QoS services traversing the network. As DWDM networks with larger numbers of wavelengths penetrate the data-centric metro environment, specific IP service requirements such as priority restoration, scalability, dynamic provisioning of capacity and routes, and support for coarse-grain QoS capabilities will have to be addressed in the optical domain in order to achieve end-to-end QoS over a DWDM network. We propose a QoS service model in the optical domain called differentiated optical services (DoS) based on a set of optical parameters that captures the quality and reliability of the optical lightpath.

Coupling Developmental Rules and Evolution to Aid in Planning Network Growth

In order to meet the increasing demand for capacity on BT's telecommunications networks, they must be grown. Planning such growth in order to cost effectively meet the projected demand is thus an important concern. This paper describes a tool that was developed to aid in such a task. The system employs a simulation of both the network and the demand that must be satisfied. A set of planning rules are defined which are triggered by conditions in the simulated network and result in the addition or reconfiguration of hardware in an attempt to better accommodate the simulated demand. A genetic algorithm is employed to evolve the parameters of these rules with the overall effect of optimising the resulting networks against constraints of cost and quality of service. In this way, much like the real world, evolution is a modifier of the dynamics of a developmental process. Application of the tool is demonstrated on a specific instance of network growth — the dial-up IP access network that requires rapid expansion.

An Overview of Satellite Access Networks

This paper provides an overview of satellite technologies that can be used to deliver IP-based services. A snapshot of the current and future satellite capability is given, followed by an appraisal of architectures and worked examples of satellite links used for IP access. The last section explores the key issue of integration from the viewpoints of user traffic and network management.

Signaling and operating system support for native-mode ATM applications

Applications communicating over connectionless networks, such as IP, cannot obtain per-connection Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. In contrast, the connection-oriented nature of the ATM layer and its per-virtual-circuit QoS guarantees are visible to a native-mode ATM application. We describe the design and implementation of operating system and signaling support for native-mode applications, independent of the semantics of the protocol layers or of the signaling protocol. The work was done in the context of a Unix-like operating system and the Xunet 2 wide-area high-speed ATM network. The IPC-based interface between an application and the signaling entity allows processes to request parameterized virtual circuits, and the signaling-kernel interface allows resources to be reclaimed from prematurely terminating processes. We also built a simple encapsulation layer over raw IP that allows any host with IP access to send AAL frames into the wide-area network with little performance degradation. Our design makes it simple to port existing TCP/IP socket applications to a native-mode ATM protocol stack and also enables interoperation of existing IP networks with our ATM network. Our experience has been positive - the design is robust, easily extendible and scales well with the number of open connections.

ADMINISTERING INTRAPERITONEAL CHEMOTHERAPY USING A PERITONEAL PORT

The IP access provided by the relatively closed system using subcutaneous portals linked to the Tenckhoff catheter has revolutionized the clinical approach to intra-abdominal tumors, especially to ovarian cancer. The development of totally implanted peritoneal access ports that diminish the risk of infection and the design of treatment regimens that do not require drainage of the drugs from the peritoneal cavity after instillation have reduced the technical complexity of IP therapy. This treatment approach is safe and can be easily administered by trained oncology nurses and physicians in an outpatient setting. The success of a program for IP chemotherapy depends on a reliable and safe access to the peritoneal cavity, such as the port. Because of the port, during the past 13 years IP chemotherapy has developed into an effective treatment, especially for ovarian cancer patients with small volume disease following laparotomy. Nurses have played a major role in the development of this treatment modality. They have become quite skillful in making assessments and intervening with appropriate nursing measures to ensure that a highly specialized and complex procedure is managed safely. Further clinical nursing research will improve the administration process of IP therapy and ultimately will improve the quality of life for patients.