The next research area we are looking at in Networking is Network Security. Now while Wireless Networking may have a lot of promise in terms of research, I feel Network Security does also, maybe moreso than Wireless Networking. The problem with Network Security is that people are always finding ways to work around them, which means that there will also need to be new innovations in Network Security.
From what I have heard about Network Security, it would be interesting to see how Quantum Computing will affect the area. I am sure that Quantum Computing will change every area of computing especially in all areas networking, but the most I have heard about Quantum Computing is in security in general (which I am sure will affect Network Security).
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Finding a Research Proposal
With just a few weeks left in the semester I find myself preparing for the final project in our networking class, namely the research proposal. The proposal is basically a novel concept we have come up with to solve a problem prominent in networking research, while we do not need to actually create a solution, we must propose the experiment in order to determine the results.
As yet I have not decided on a specific topic for this research project, but I feel that (as aforementioned) wireless networking holds the most promise in terms of feasible research. I will try and choose something that isn't too closely related to the area of research we are working on in the lab, but it should be an interesting assignment to work on.
As yet I have not decided on a specific topic for this research project, but I feel that (as aforementioned) wireless networking holds the most promise in terms of feasible research. I will try and choose something that isn't too closely related to the area of research we are working on in the lab, but it should be an interesting assignment to work on.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wireless Networking Research
Something interesting I noticed while reading the paper Link-level Measurements from an 802.11b Mesh Network, which basically discussed possible reasons for link loss rates in MIT's wireless mesh network, Roofnet. One of the strange things I noticed was how inconclusive the results were, the authors stated: "The large number of links with intermediate loss rates is probably due to multi-path fading rather than attenuation or interference."
Not only were the conclusions somewhat inconclusive, the paper as a whole never proposed any solutions to a problem. In fact, the purpose of the paper was to "contribute to an understanding of the reasons for intermediate-quality links." The fact that this alone is a significant contribution to studying wireless networks shows how early researchers are in understanding the nuances of wireless networks.
Although some of the references in the paper date back to experiments with wireless networks in the mid-nineties, the work in this paper shows how little is known about how wireless networks truly work and how best to measure link loss rates or return trip times. This will be interesting to note as I proceed with my wireless research.
Not only were the conclusions somewhat inconclusive, the paper as a whole never proposed any solutions to a problem. In fact, the purpose of the paper was to "contribute to an understanding of the reasons for intermediate-quality links." The fact that this alone is a significant contribution to studying wireless networks shows how early researchers are in understanding the nuances of wireless networks.
Although some of the references in the paper date back to experiments with wireless networks in the mid-nineties, the work in this paper shows how little is known about how wireless networks truly work and how best to measure link loss rates or return trip times. This will be interesting to note as I proceed with my wireless research.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Dealing with Contention
One of the most interesting ideas I have seen related to wireless networks is the concept of contention. In wireless networks we have to deal with contention regions and different routing techniques. In wireless mesh networks we note that the nodes are fixed, but having to deal with mobile networks seems like an extremely difficult task.
In our research we are trying to look at measurements in wireless networks. Even knowing the topology of the network, it seems difficult to be able to discern key ideas in the network using such fundamental principles are round trip times and delays. Contention doesn't seem to work in a specific way for a specific network, so I am looking into running simulations to see what we can discover.
It may have taken a few months, but the work I've been doing in research and the reading I have done for class seem to have helped me vastly improve my research skills and I am excited to apply directly the things I am learning to my research.
In our research we are trying to look at measurements in wireless networks. Even knowing the topology of the network, it seems difficult to be able to discern key ideas in the network using such fundamental principles are round trip times and delays. Contention doesn't seem to work in a specific way for a specific network, so I am looking into running simulations to see what we can discover.
It may have taken a few months, but the work I've been doing in research and the reading I have done for class seem to have helped me vastly improve my research skills and I am excited to apply directly the things I am learning to my research.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Wireless Networking
For our networking research group and our upcoming lectures in our networking class, we are looking at wireless networks. The only work I've done with wireless networks in my life is setting up a wireless router in my home so that I can link several laptops, smartphones, and a wireless printer on the same network. However, I am excited to read more into wireless networks as I feel, as I may have mentioned before, that wireless networking is the most promising field in networking research at this moment.
For research we are looking into Internet measurements similar to the ones we previously discussed in class, but this time for wireless networks. It is interesting to see how different wireless and wired networks act. For example, in wireless networks we need to consider the contention between various routers or end systems, where as in wired we are more focused on throughput, etc.
Since wireless is still a fairly new area of research, I believe there are plenty of useful contributions in the area of wireless networking that will be beneficial to the field. Some ideas for our specific area of research would include tracking wireless/mobile networks on the battlefield or tracking criminals using wireless devices, but other approaches could you useful for different situations.
For research we are looking into Internet measurements similar to the ones we previously discussed in class, but this time for wireless networks. It is interesting to see how different wireless and wired networks act. For example, in wireless networks we need to consider the contention between various routers or end systems, where as in wired we are more focused on throughput, etc.
Since wireless is still a fairly new area of research, I believe there are plenty of useful contributions in the area of wireless networking that will be beneficial to the field. Some ideas for our specific area of research would include tracking wireless/mobile networks on the battlefield or tracking criminals using wireless devices, but other approaches could you useful for different situations.
The Principle Behind Research
Since we didn't have class this past Thursday, I thought I would discuss an idea that has been consistent throughout my blog for this week's post. I believe I may have been overly cynical about research in networking up to this point. After discussing this with a co-worker, I better understand the motivations behind the research I have been reading about.
Firstly, my co-worker brought to my realization that all research, not just research focused on networking, has projects that are never brought to fruition. In fact, the majority of research in general seems to be done more in a hope that it will be useful to someone at sometime. In many cases, substantial research is done by building upon the work of others, whose individual contributions may not have made the same impact.
I will try and be less cynical towards networking research, after all - in the near future the Internet may need an incredible overhaul and all the current research will be very useful indeed...
Firstly, my co-worker brought to my realization that all research, not just research focused on networking, has projects that are never brought to fruition. In fact, the majority of research in general seems to be done more in a hope that it will be useful to someone at sometime. In many cases, substantial research is done by building upon the work of others, whose individual contributions may not have made the same impact.
I will try and be less cynical towards networking research, after all - in the near future the Internet may need an incredible overhaul and all the current research will be very useful indeed...
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