Feedback-controlled WLAN: Achieving Channel-Availability in Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networks are a promising backbonesolution for applications in industrial automation. However, high availability of the communication channel is not inherently guaranteed because of environment-dynamics and unauthorized users congesting the medium. In this paper we propose a method to increase channel-availability. We use an automated coverage planning method with feedback from the environment to cope with environmentdynamics. Unauthorized users can be automatically localized: this eases their finding and elimination. Our experimental evaluation shows that the method estimates the actual network coverage with an accuracy of 10dB; users are located with 3.7m accuracy on average. The main improvement of the coverage planning and localization methods is the achieved autonomy in dynamic environments. Therefore channel-availability also increases.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: NCA
• Authors: Svilen Ivanov, Edgar Nett, André Herms, Daniel Mahrenholz, Stefan Schemmer
• Keywords: Coverage Planning, Coverage Planning Method, NCA 2008, Network Computing, Unauthorized Users