Existing mobile devices have the capability to use multiple network technologies simultaneously to help increase performance; but they rarely, if at all, effectively use these technologies in parallel. We first present empirical data to help understand the mobile environment when three heterogeneous networks are available to the mobile device (i.e., a WiFi network, WiMax network, and an Iridium satellite network). We then propose a reliable, multi-path protocol called Multi-Path TCP with Network Coding (MPTCP/NC) that utilizes each of these networks in parallel. An analytical model is developed and a mean-field approximation is derived that gives an estimate of the protocol's achievable throughput. Finally, a comparison between MPTCP and MPTCP/NC is presented using both the empirical data and mean-field approximation. Our results show that network coding can provide users in mobile environments a higher quality of service by enabling the use of multiple network technologies and the capability to overcome packet losses due to lossy, wireless network connections.

Multi-Path TCP with Network Coding for Mobile Devices in Heterogeneous Networks

A method for data communication between a first node and a second node includes forming one or more redundancy messages from data messages at the first node using an error correcting code and transmitting first messages from the first node to the second node over a data path, the transmitted first messages including the data messages and the one or more redundancy messages. Second messages are received at the first node from the second node, which are indicative of: (i) a rate of arrival at the second node of the first messages, and (ii) successful and unsuccessful delivery of the first messages. A transmission rate limit and a window size are maintained according to the received second messages. Transmission of additional messages from the first node to the second node is limited according to the maintained transmission rate limit and window size.

Packet coding based network communication

Security concerns and countermeasures in network coding based communication systems

In this chapter, we describe the transformation of current communication networks to future communication systems. Communication networks are always prone to transformation due to requests for new services by their users. Initially, communication networks addressed voice services. Later, data services were added. The digital transfer requires a more disruptive transformation, supporting machine-to-machine and later human-to-machine type communications. State-of-the-art communication systems are solely conveying information in an agnostic fashion between two places, where a very limited number of applications is hosted. Communication links are often addressed as dumb pipes. Future communication networks are becoming intelligent as information is increasingly processed within the communication network, rather than solely in the end points, for a massive number of heterogeneous applications. Once computing is introduced into networks, the role of the network operator will change dramatically. In the era of digital transfer, computing within the network is the key enabler for new services offering increased security, lower latency, increased resilience, and many additional features we describe in this chapter.

On the need of computing in future communication networks

Today, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in many different scenarios including search, monitoring, inspection, and surveillance. To be able to transmit the sensor data from the UAVs to the destination reliably within tangible response times to the relevant content is crucial, especially for tactical use cases. In this paper, we propose network coded torrents (NECTOR) to leverage multiple network interfaces for resilient hybrid satellite communications (SatCom) and terrestrial networking for UAVs. NECTOR is significantly different from the state-of-the-art multipath protocols such as multipath TCP (MPTCP) as it does not require any additional packet scheduler, rate-adaptation or forward error correction. We present the design and implementation of NECTOR, and evaluate its performance compared to MPTCP. Our experimental results show that NECTOR provides goodput (up to 70%) higher than MPTCP with 5.49 times less signaling overhead.

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Resilient Hybrid SatCom and Terrestrial Networking for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

It is a challenge that network coding achieve wide use in wireless mesh networks. Network coding must be compatible or friendly with TCP in practice. We propose a mechanism that naturally add network coding to current network systems. In our scheme, the destination feedback the degree of freedom of encoding block, and delays of packet delivery minimize reordering and timeouts. Using multipath routing, the source side can send more encode packets and the transmission rate becomes more faster, as a result, the network achieves higher throughput compared to TCP in the presence of lossy wireless links.

Zhuo-qun Xia

Papers

A Multipath TCP Based on Network Coding in Wireless Mesh Networks