An exhaustive experimental effort aimed at understanding the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol in the ad hoc mode, TCP and UDP over multihop ad hoc networks and the interactions between the two.

• Access to all the Data is available. This CGI Interface allows some online processing too.

• Explanation of MAC parameters.
• Statistical Analysis and Summaries
• Initial investigations
• Problems and experiences have been documented in the Experiment Blog.
• Copper tape

• TCP
  • IP sysctl tutorial: Explains in details all the sysctls.
  • Congestion Control in Linux TCP: Detailed account of the exact TCP algorithm in Linux, and its differences from the IETF specification.
  • A map of the networking code in Linux kernel 2.4.20: Beautiful summary and overview of the networking code in Linux.
  • It appears that size of various buffers (TCP buffers, socket buffers, interface buffers etc., on both the sender and the receiver side) have a big impact on TCP performance. There has been enough work on auto-tuning of TCP buffers. Here is a summary: TCP auto-tuning zoo.. Linux 2.4 has its own auto-tuning algorithm for TCP buffers.
  • TCP Tuning Guide for WANs.
  • Automatic TCP Buffer Tuning.


• IEEE 802.11
  
  • The IEEE 802.11 standard.
  • IEEE 802.11 Handbook, A Designer's Companion
  • IEEE 802.11b channels. Devices in North America have 11 channels with center frequencies from 2.412 GHz to 2.462 GHz, equally spaced. Each channel is 22 MHz wide, thus there are only 3 non-overlapping channels: 1, 6, 11. The Cisco-Aironet 350s thats I am using are permanently on channel 10 (2.457 GHz) in the ad hoc mode.


• Cisco 350 series cards and components
  
  • Technical information for the Cisco Aironet 350 Series Client Adapters.
  • Cisco Aironet Antenna Reference Guide
  • What are Diversity Antennas? Essentially, they are 2 or more antennas closely spaced and the transmitter/receiver can switch between using either one based on the received signal. They help combat multi-path. The 350s have integrated diversity dipoles.
  • RF Power Values Explained
  • 3M 1181 EMI Copper Foil Shielding Tape is used for reducing the range of the cards.


• Interesting Linux stuff
  
  • Linux Traffic Control - Next Generation: An impressive effort to automate traffic control and configuration in Linux. Also useful is the Linux traffic control implemenation overview in the "Links" section on this page.

Vikas Kawadia <kawadia at uiuc dot edu>