Subject: [manet] Hi there

From: S Woodside <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 15:52:05 -0500

Hi, I'd like to introduce myself on this list. The reason I joined is 
that I'm interested in community wireless networks (CWNs) and in 
particular fixed mesh approaches for CWNs. There's a whole bunch of 
motivation not only in the "West" but also in developing nations where 
CWN might be the best way to get broadband (or access at all). 
Basically any rural area. I've got a nice list of "impossible things to 
do before breakfast" as some of my friends tell me ... including 
arbitrary multihoming of mesh nodes, routing internet traffic through 
the mesh, and self-configuration.

In any case, I hope that is an OK topic to bring up on this list, I was 
pointed here by a few folks.

simon
--
www.simonwoodside.com -- 99% Devil, 1% Angel

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From: "Charles E. Perkins" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 14:49:24 -0800

Hello Simon,

> the mesh, and self-configuration.

I think that all of these things are possible using published
Internet Drafts.  There is downloadable software from LocustWorld
that offers features compatible with your objectives.

For Internet access, one of the ad hoc nodes has to agree
to be a gateway, and to advertise a routing prefix for use
by the ad hoc nodes.  There are drafts for IPv4 and for IPv6:
   http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-royer-manet-globalv4-00.txt
   http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-wakikawa-manet-globalv6-02.txt

For autoconfiguration, a node can basically pick an address
and try to discover a route to that address.  If no route
exists, then the node views the address as unclaimed and
autoconfigures it.  Please see:
   http://people.nokia.net/~charliep/txt/aodvid/autoconf.txt

If a node has an Internet address, it should be able to continue
using it in the ad hoc network.  If the ad hoc network has a
connection to the Internet, the node should be able to run
Mobile IP{,v6} to continue seamless connectivity with the
Internet using its home address.  Prototype systems have been
built to show this.

I think this means that your expectations are in line with
current capabilities.  Unfortunately, standards for these
features are nowhere near being published.  It seems that
things are slowing down in the IETF.  I don't see multihoming
as an issue, as long as ad hoc routes are not allowed to escape
into the Internet routing fabric.

Regards,
Charlie P.