New protocol for multi-hop wireless networks

Today's wireless LANs commonly uses the IPv4 network protocol. But IPv4 cannot accommodate the ever-expanding computer population much longer, and work-arounds have to be used. Its successor, IPv6, has been designed to handle the forecast computer populations, and has additional measures for improved security. "What we've designed is a system that is platform independent," says Tommi Saarinen of Oulu University, Finland, and 6HOP coordinator. "It can be used with the ordinary 802.11x wireless LAN cards you can buy in shops. The difference is that the 6HOP system was designed around IPv6 from the start, and also supports IPv4 legacy networks."

"6HOP has some really powerful features," explains Saarinen. "We can use the system for multi-hop heterogeneous networks. What this means is the link between the end user and the network access point could be set up, automatically, by hopping between intermediate workstations. The system has the capability of selecting the optimum route according to the user's criteria, for instance: preferred operator, least cost, lowest power consumption, etc. It can also adapt to variable propagation characteristics (fading, noise, etc.) in each hop. Overall throughput is improved by using a protocol booster that reduces IP packet header size and an FEC [forward error-correcting code] to reduce transmission errors."

Read Full Story