 |
|
Zeroing in on Wi-Fi 'dead zones'
September 26, 2008Rooting out Wi-Fi "dead zones" in large wireless networks that cover whole neighborhoods or cities is an expensive proposition. Pre-deployment testing is so costly that most WiFi providers simply build their networks first and fill in the gaps later. But even that isn't easy, due to the paucity of inexpensive techniques for mapping out precisely which areas lack coverage.
Now, thanks to an award-winning technique developed at Rice University and Hewlett-Packard Laboratories (HP Labs), Wi-Fi architects can test and refine their layouts using readily available information. The research, which won best-paper honors last week at the annual MobiCom '08 wireless conference in San Francisco, promises to make it cheaper and easier to get proper wireless coverage.
"In the real world there are many things than can interfere with signals and limit coverage," said lead researcher Edward Knightly, professor in electrical and computer engineering at Rice. "Our goal was to efficiently characterize the performance of urban-scale deployments, and our techniques can be used to either guide network deployment or to assess whether a deployed network meets its performance requirements."
The new technique uses a small number of measurements to predict how well a wireless transmitter will cover a particular portion of a neighborhood. The only information required is basic topography, street locations and general information about land use.
Knightly and research collaborators Ram Swaminathan, senior research scientist at HP Labs, and Joshua Robinson, Rice graduate student, demonstrated their new method on two high-profile networks -- Google's system in Mountain View, Calif., and TFA-Wireless, an experimental network designed and built by Rice and owned and operated by Houston-based nonprofit Technology For All. TFA-Wireless provides high-speed Internet access to more than 4,000 users in a working-class neighborhood in east Houston.
Rice University
The new technique uses a small number of measurements to predict how well a wireless transmitter will cover a particular portion of a neighborhood. The only information required is basic topography, street locations and general information about land use.
Knightly and research collaborators Ram Swaminathan, senior research scientist at HP Labs, and Joshua Robinson, Rice graduate student, demonstrated their new method on two high-profile networks -- Google's system in Mountain View, Calif., and TFA-Wireless, an experimental network designed and built by Rice and owned and operated by Houston-based nonprofit Technology For All. TFA-Wireless provides high-speed Internet access to more than 4,000 users in a working-class neighborhood in east Houston.
Rice University
More Wi-fi Current Events and Wi-fi News Articles
 | Going Wi-Fi: A Practical Guide to Planning and Building an 802.11 Network by Janice Reynolds, Janice Reynolds Detailing the present and future of Wi-Fi technology, this guide explores practical business applications for 802.11 wireless networks, as well as regulatory issues about the wireless spectrum and how to ensure security and quality of service. It also considers how cellular networks will soon mesh with Wi-Fi access points to enable mobile workers to stay connected to the corporate intranet... |
 | Absolute Beginner's Guide to Wi-Fi Wireless Networking by Harold Davis WiFi is one of the fastest growing technologies of all time and everyone is interested in learning how to use it. This book makes all the information about WiFi, including the standards and protocols, and how they relate easy to understand. This book covers everything about WiFi, from what to look for how to set up a users computer with WiFi to finding hotspots and access points. Users will be... |
 | Wi-Fi Home Networking Just the Steps For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) by Keith Underdahl Wi-Fi Home Networking Just the Steps For Dummies is the way to go if you’re ready to go wireless and install your own wireless home network. The book’s easy-to-navigate design features two columns, with numbered step-by-step instructions on one side and corresponding illustrations, screen shots, or photos on the other. There’s no fluff, just the vital stuff—Just The Steps you need to get... |
 | Jeff Duntemann's Wi-Fi Guide, Second Edition by Jeff Duntemann The first edition of this book has quickly become the best-selling guide for Wi-Fi users around the world. Master technical author, Jeff Duntemann, makes tangled Wi-Fi technological issues very comprehensible. Jeff explains the blizzard of Wi-Fi concepts and standards, including the new 802.11g, the complex and fluky security issues, and shows users how to protect themselves from both obvious and... |
 | Wi-Fi Toys: 15 Cool Wireless Projects for Home, Office, and Entertainment by Mike Outmesguine * This ultra-cool volume invites readers to tap into your inner geek and build seventeen ultra-cool wireless devices including a solar powered access point, a wireless picture frame that dynamically changes its own photos, and even a wireless car-to-car audio and video system * With a few simple tools, some off-the-shelf parts, and this book, readers will be creating wireless devices they never... |
 | Wireless Hacking: Projects for Wi-Fi Enthusiasts by Lee Barken, Eric Bermel, John Eder, Matt Fanady, Alan Koebrick, Michael Mee, Marc Palumbo Wherever You Go, There You Are! Build, Deploy and Maintain a "Homebrew" Wi-Fi Network Create a Low-Cost/High-Yield Development Roadmap for Wireless Enthusiasts, Households, Small Businesses and Community Groups Customize Wireless Operating Systems, Install Antennas, Build Solar-Powered Access Points and More A few years ago, wireless internet access was just a glint in the eyes of the... |
 | The Book of Wireless: A Painless Guide to Wi-Fi and Broadband Wireless by John Ross Broadband wireless networks bring us closer to the Internet's ultimate destiny of interconnecting everyone, everywhere. But wireless networking can be a bit geeky and nerve-wracking without a proper guide. Let's face it: Networking can be hard. If you're one of the last holdouts still connected to the Internet by a wire, The Book of Wireless, 2nd Edition is the book for you. You'll learn how to... |
 | Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access (Networking Technology) by Eric Geier Wi-Fi Hotspots Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access Installing and operating a Wi-Fi hotspot allows you to attract customers and differentiate your business. Deploying even a small wireless network has proven to be a difficult task for the average consumer, however. With this book as your guide, you can painlessly figure out the requirements for your Wi-Fi hotspot, how to properly set... |
 | Wi-Fi Handbook : Building 802.11b Wireless Networks by Frank Ohrtman, Konrad Roeder Independent of 2.5G, 3G, or any other G, WiFi gives organizations a chance to selectively deploy the converged services not yet available from their carriers. This book, written for network engineers by highly experienced wireless and Ethernet experts, is one of the very first to provide the know-how for enterprise implementations. It drills down to the nuts and bolts of designing and building... |
 | The Book of Wi-Fi: Install, Configure, and Use 802.11b Wireless Networking by John Ross This plain English guide to the 802.11b wireless networking standard teaches readers how to use wireless networks at home, work, or in their neighborhood. Included is detailed, practical information on access points, network interface cards, cables and antennas, and wireless software. Readers will learn how to protect their wireless access point from unwanted intruders with encryption, password... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |