IP-Disruptive Wireless Networking: Integration in the Internet

Abstract

The super collision between the Internet phenomenon and the wireless communication revolution gives birth to a wealth of novel research problems, design challenges and standardization activities. Within this domain, spontaneous wireless IP networking are probably the most extreme example of new ''particles'' born from the collision. Indeed, these particles defy the laws of the Internet in many ways. The absorption of such peculiar particles in the global IP network has already started thanks to pioneering algorithmic and protocol work -- for instance OLSR -- and through the deployment of wireless mesh networks around the world, such as urban community wireless networks. With the recent revolutions in North Africa, and movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the prospect of spontaneous wireless IP networking has become even more attractive on social and political grounds. Dedicated conferences have recently been organized, and as a result, ambitious, multi-million dollar initiatives have been launched (e.g. the US Government-funded project Commotion Wireless, or the EU-funded initiative CONFINE). However, spontaneous IP wireless networks are not yet widely deployed because pioneer work such as OLSR is vastly insufficient to fully bridge the gap between the Internet and these new networks. This thesis presents work that analyzes this gap and proposes some solutions as to how to bridge it. The focus is put on three domains: a first part presents work in the domain of wireless mesh and ad hoc networks. A second part presents work on sensor networks and in the Internet of Things. And the last part presents work in the domain of delay tolerant networking and vehicular networks.