picoNet II a wireless ad hoc network for mobile handheld devices
Alex Song · 2001
This thesis describes the design and implementation of picoNet II a wireless ad hoc network for mobile handheld devices. As users are increasingly mobile it is more and more common for users to meet and communicate without prior planning, and in environments where there is little or no networking infrastructure. Such a network is known as an ad hoc network, where the network is of a dynamic nature without centralised administration. Current technologies, such as Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b, can form ad hoc networks but is limited in that only single hop networks can be formed. This means that each node can only act as a host, whereas in a multi-hop ad hoc network all nodes act as routers. This thesis concentrated on the problem of adding multi-hop capabilities to existing ad hoc network platforms such as IEEE 802.11b. This capability will allow a network to be fully dynamic, self-organising and self-configuring. The result was an implementation of the dynamic source routing protocol (DSR) for TCP/IP on Linux, for both the PC and the Compaq iPAQ. The implementation enabled the iPAQs and the PC to form a multi-hop ad hoc network with 802.11b wireless cards. A DSR to IP gateway was also implemented and it allowed nodes in the DSR network to access external IP networks. Existing unmodified TCP/IP applications were able to run seamlessly on the picoNet II network, providing a useful platform for future extensions.