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This paper describes a wireless mesh network testbed for research in rapid deployment and auto-configuration of mesh nodes. Motivated by the needs of first responders and military personnel arriving to an incident area, we developed and tested an automated deployment algorithm that indicates when a mesh node needs to be deployed as the coverage area grows. Conventional radios can experience severe coverage limitations inside structures such as hi-rise buildings, subterranean buildings, caves, and underground mines. The approach examined here is to deploy wireless relays that extend coverage through multihop communication using a deployment algorithm that employs physical layer measurements. A flexible platform based on IEEE 802.11 radios has been implemented and tested in a subterranean laboratory complex where conventional public safety radios have no coverage. Applications tested include two-way voice, data, and location information. This paper describes the testbed, presents experimental results, and recommends areas for further study and development in rapidly-deployable multihop networks.

Wireless Mesh networks have the potential to provide inexpensive and quick access to the internet for military communications, surveillance, education, healthcare and disaster management. This work caters to the growing high- bandwidth demands by providing low delay and high throughput by designing efficient, robust routing algorithms for wireless mesh networks. Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation describe adaptive routing algorithms that opportunistically route the packets in the absence of reliable knowledge about channel statistics and the network model. We design two adaptive routing algorithms, Distributed Opportunistic Routing (d-AdaptOR) and No Regret Routing (NRR), which minimize the expected number of transmissions and thus improving the throughput. The remainder of the dissertation concerns with the design routing algorithms to avoid congestion in the network. In Chapter 4, we describe a Distributed Opportunistic Routing algorithm with Congestion Diversity (ORCD) which employs receiver diversity and minimizes end-end delay. In Chapter 5, we present the Congestion Diversity Protocol (CDP), a distributed routing protocol for 802.11-based multi-hop wireless networks that combines important aspects of shortest-path and back-pressure routing to achieve improved end-end delay performance. This work reports on a practical (hardware and software) implementation of CDP in an indoor Wi-Fi testbed

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kabbinale, AR, Dimogerontakis, E, Selimi, M, et al. Blockchain for economically sustainable wireless mesh networks. Concurrency Computat Pract Exper. 2020; 32:e5349, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cpe.5349. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. ; Decentralization, in the form of mesh networking and blockchain, two promising technologies, is coming to the telecommunications industry. Mesh networking allows wider low-cost Internet access with infrastructures built from routers contributed by diverse owners, whereas blockchain enables transparency and accountability for investments, revenue, or other forms of economic compensations from sharing of network traffic, content, and services. Crowdsourcing network coverage, combined with crowdfunding costs, can create economically sustainable yet decentralized Internet access. This means that every participant can invest in resources and pay or be paid for usage to recover the costs of network devices and maintenance. While mesh networks and mesh routing protocols enable self-organized networks that expand organically, cryptocurrencies and smart contracts enable the economic coordination among network providers and consumers. We explore and evaluate two existing blockchain software stacks, Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) and Ethereum geth with Proof of Authority (PoA) intended as a local lightweight distributed ledger, deployed in a real city-wide production mesh network and in laboratory network. We quantify the performance and bottlenecks and identify the current limitations and opportunities for improvement to serve locally the needs of wireless mesh networks, without the privacy and economic cost of relying on public blockchains. ; This paper has been supported by the AmmbrTech Group, the Spanish Government TIN2016‐77836‐C2‐2‐R and the European Community H2020 Programme netCommons (H2020‐688768). The authors would like to thank the people from the Guifi.net (Guifi‐Sants) community network for hosting the servers and supporting the experiments. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Deploying wireless networks can be a really complicated and time consuming procedure. The choice of the access point locations, the selection of a frequency band with minimal interference, and the operation of multiple sensors using a single platform are few of the key factors which will determine the efficiency of the deployment. The Gizmo truck invention proposes an effective and robust solution to the problem. Gizmo has taken the Calmesh Network project developed at Calit2 (California Institute of Telecommunication and Information Technology) together with the "always best connected approach" in mind and joined them in a mobile platform which is built using solely off-the-shelf components. The Gizmo project has led to a versatile mobile platform capable to create instantaneous mesh networks using a variety of different radios and technology (i.e. 802.11 a, b or g, 900Mhz radios, Zigbee, ) or act as a client to any preexisting network, stream audio and video feeds, collect important data using an array of different sensors which can be swapped depending on the needs, and navigate through areas using GPS way points and distance sensors for object avoidance. The main characteristic of Gizmo is its high versatility and re-programmability. Gizmo presents a great platform for research and development. The applications in which Gizmo can be used are numerous (medical, military, educational, outreach, self guided tours, surveillance ), all it is needed to do is to swap the new sensors and download the desired scripts on the single board computer (SBC) and/or microcontroller board

Abstract
This paper addresses two policy questions. Firstly, how might evolving technologies associated with broadband networks enhance or hinder marginalized or underserved population groups' effective use and access to information resources? Secondly, how can we foster public hybrid broadband, situating broadband networks within existing communities, as a means to promote digital self-determination? This study finds that wireless mesh technology initiatives can create and foster community engagement through infrastructure deployment, maintenance and use; combat myths regarding marginalized demographics and technology, and provide marginalized communities with an opportunity to become decision-makers regarding communications technology infrastructure development.

Abstract
This paper addresses two policy questions. Firstly, how might evolving technologies associated with broadband networks enhance or hinder marginalized or underserved population groups' effective use and access to information resources? Secondly, how can we foster public hybrid broadband, situating broadband networks within existing communities, as a means to promote digital self-determination? This study finds that wireless mesh technology initiatives can create and foster community engagement through infrastructure deployment, maintenance and use; combat myths regarding marginalized demographics and technology, and provide marginalized communities with an opportunity to become decision-makers regarding communications technology infrastructure development.

Military Operations Research, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 69-84. ; The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.5711/1082598317469

An essay for Bracket journal drawing on the work of political economist Albert O. Hirschmann to speculate on the possibility of 'exit spaces' enabled by networked technology to exist outside of state or corporate oversight and control. The essay explores the history of these spaces from the Koreshan commune, to Occupy, Seasteading, and the opportunity for them to exist digitally in forms such as mesh networks.