CS 6710: Wireless Networks

Spring 2010

240 WVH                                                                               Work: 617-373-2075
College of Computer and Information Science                       Email: rraj AT ccs DOT neu DOT edu
Northeastern University                                                         Fax:    617-373-5121

Class meeting times/location: TF 11:45 PM-1:25 PM, 12 Hayden

Office Hours: T 2:30-3:30 PM, F 2:00-3:00 PM

Course Description

Textbook

Prerequisites

Grading

Academic Honesty and Integrity

Tentative Course Calendar (will include all handouts)

Term Projects

Course Description

This course covers both the theory and practice of wireless networking. We will begin by studying the fundamentals of wireless communications (roughly a third of the course). We will then study widely-used wireless local area network standards and TCP/IP extensions for mobile and wireless networking (another third). The final third of the course will be devoted to selected topics, including mobile application platforms, wireless network security, and research problems in multihop ad hoc networks and sensor networks. Topics covered will include

Fundamentals of wireless communications: channel capacity, antennas, signal fading, encoding, spread spectrum, and error control
Wireless network standards: IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, WiMAX, 3G and 4G
TCP/IP for mobile & wireless communications: Mobile IP and TCP improvements for wireless
Mobile application platforms
Multihop ad hoc networks: Routing and MAC protocols, topology and power control, and capacity of ad hoc networks
Sensor networks: MAC and routing protocols, query processing algorithms for sensor network databases

Textbook

W. Stallings, Wireless Communications and Networks, Prentice Hall, 2nd Edition, 2005

This textbook will be followed for the first half of the course. The material on selected topics will be taken from surveys, research papers, and other collections.

Prerequisites

CS 4700 (Network Fundamentals) or equivalent. Please consult the instructor for any clarifications.

Grading

The tentative distribution for the course grade is: problem sets (15%), programming assignments (20%), a midterm (30%), a final project (30%) and class participation (5%). There will be no final exam. Problem sets and assignments are due at their respective deadlines. No late submissions will be accepted!

Term projects

Every student has to complete a term project. The project can be either the implementation of a sensor network protocol (the details of this project along with equipment would be provided), or an implementation project of the student's choice. The latter can be, for instance, a mobile application (say running on the Android platform) or the simulation analysis of wireless network protocols. A brief report and a presentation during the last week of classes are also required.