This paper presents a novel algorithm to rapidly create a high quality network plan for IEEE 802.11 based WLAN according to assigned design requirements. The algorithm uses a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to explore the design space, and a IEEE 802.11 rate adaptation aware QoS estimation functionality to provide feedback for the algorithm and for a network designer. The algorithm selects AP devices, locations, antennas, as well as AP configuration including transmission power and frequency channel. The algorithm was used in WLAN planning for a suburb, which is under development in Tampere-Lempaala area in Finland. Compared to manual network planning, the developed algorithm was able to create a network plan with 133 % capacity, 98 % coverage, and 93 % cost. Manually the corresponding network planning took hours, whereas the algorithm computation time was 15 minutes.

Genetic Algorithm to Optimize Node Placement and Configuration for WLAN Planning

With the advances in wireless technologies and the explosive growth of the Internet, wireless networks, especially Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs), are going through an important evolution. Designing efficient WMNs has become a major task for networks operators. Over the last few years, a plethora of studies has been carried out to improve the efficiency of wireless networks. However, only a few studies are related to WMNs design and are mainly concerned with protocol design and routing metrics optimization. In this paper, we survey different aspects of WMNs design and examine various methods that have been proposed either to improve the performance of an already deployed network or to improve its performance by a careful planning of its deployment.

Wireless Mesh Networks Design — A Survey

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IEEE 1588 is a new standard to synchronize independent clocks running on separate nodes of a distributed measurement and control system. It is intended for high-accuracy implementations on compact systems such as a single subnet. This paper examines potential accuracy limitations introduced by the physical layer of the IEEE 802.11b wireless local area network. Experimental results are presented that show that these limitations do not preclude clock-synchronization accuracy of several hundred nanoseconds.

An Implementation of IEEE 1588 Over IEEE 802.11b for Synchronization of Wireless Local Area Network Nodes

With the fast development in wireless technologies and wireless devices, Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) are becoming and important networking infrastructure, especially due to their low cost of deployment and maintenance. A main issue in deploying WMNs is the optimal placement of mesh routers to achieve network connectivity and stability through the maximization of the size of the giant component in the network and user coverage. In this work we evaluate ad hoc and neighborhood search methods for placement of mesh routers in WMNs. Routers are assumed having their own coverage area, oscillating between minimum and maximum values. Given a deployment area where to distribute the mesh router nodes and a number of fixed clients a priori distributed in the given area, ad hoc methods explore different topologies such as placement in diagonals, in corners of the area, in hotspots, etc.~and the resulting network connectivity and user coverage are measured. We have experimentally evaluated the considered ad hoc methods through a benchmark of generated instances as stand alone methods and as initializing methods of evolutionary algorithms. For each ad hoc method, different distributions of mesh clients (Normal, Exponential and Weibull), are considered and the size of the giant component and user coverage parameters are reported. Further, we considered neighborhood search methods for optimal placement of mesh routers as more powerful methods for achieving near optimal placements of mesh router nodes. The experimental  evaluation showed the good performance of a swap-based movement neighborhood search, which achieved good connectivity of the network in few phases of neighborhood search exploration.

/pdf/ad-hoc-and-neighborhood-search-methods-for-placement-of-mesh-1ut5glxiua.pdf

Ad Hoc and Neighborhood Search Methods for Placement of Mesh Routers in Wireless Mesh Networks

The amount of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) deployments has increased rapidly in recent years. High throughput Internet access and operation without wires enables new innovative applications for communication, information retrieval, and entertainment. Increasingly, these applications set strict requirements for Quality of Service (QoS). Interference, a constantly changing environment, multipath signal propagation, and the movement of networking terminals are characteristic of wireless communication. Such characteristics cause varying bit rates and frequent packet retransmissions and consequently problems for applications requiring high throughput or low delay. Network management has a significant role in managing QoS by providing information from the network and controlling the network operation. Managing QoS would not be possible without information on the network performance. Performance parameters cannot be measured when the network is being planned or only partially deployed, and for cost reasons performance estimates may also be preferred when the network is operational. This thesis presents the development of a performance model that can be utilized in WLAN management tools. The output of the model is a set of metrics that are estimates of the network performance parameters. The model provides feedback on the network performance and allows the network administrator to control network management algorithms. Thus, the performance model facilitates high quality network planning and operational network management based on the preferences of the network administrator. The performance model developed here supports both traditional WLANs and Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN). It is designed specifically for supporting mechanisms utilized in the IEEE 802.11 standard. These include the distributed medium access mechanism, contention between devices, WLAN multirate operation, multi-interface and multi-radio devices, as well as advanced antennas. The performance model has been integrated into a designed planning process. The

Design of a Performance Management Model for Wireless Local Area Networks

This paper presents the design and prototype implementation of a manageable WLAN Access Point (mAP). mAP has been developed for managing WLAN Quality of Service (QoS), frequency selection, client configuration, and for collecting a wide range of management information. The prototype is implemented using a Linux platform. With the presented architecture, the mAP functionality can be easily extended by adding new management functions and automated services.

Design of a manageable WLAN Access Point

A management system for home area networks has been developed. The main design targets have been to support heterogeneous network technologies, automate the network configuration and management, and to enable application based Quality of Service support. The resulting system architecture has a five-layer functional architecture and a centralised topology with a management server. Also, the support of new proprietary management functionality has been designed for wireless access points and client terminals. A wireless LAN and Java based prototype of the management system is being implemented and its architecture presented.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-540-45209-6_153.pdf

Design of a management system for wireless home area networking

The paper describes a user interface (UI) development, TUTPIS, which is a passenger information system being developed at Tampere University of Technology. The developed UI and its services are targeted for bus operators. The main design objectives have been modifiability, reusability and support for different terminal types. The support for different terminal types is taken into the TUTPIS UI design by introducing a Web-based report architecture, where reports are composed of generic UI components. The abstract factory design pattern is used to provide the possibility of using the same reports independently of the selected presentation technology.

Timo Vanhatupa

Papers

Design of a Performance Management Model for Wireless Local Area Networks

Design of a manageable WLAN Access Point

Design of a management system for wireless home area networking

User interface for bus operator information services