This thesis examines the problem of using 802.11 hotspots for vehicular Internet access. In this access paradigm, a user in a vehicle performs batch transfers by opportunistically communicating with roadside 802.11 access points while driving along a highway. Despite the short connection duration, a significant amount of data can be transferred. Because complete coverage is not needed, this method of Internet access provides a low-cost alternative to using cellular technology for applications that can tolerate some delay and require large data transfer such as sending or receiving music, movies, or digital photographs. Although vehicular opportunistic connections offer the potential to transfer a large of amount of data, utilizing this potential is non-trivial because existing transport and data-link layer network protocols were not designed for this use. This thesis presents an experimental analysis of transport and data-link layer protocol operation at a level of detail not previously explored. We identify ten problems that cause a reduction of up to 50% of the amount of data that could have been transferred in this scenario. Our primary finding is that transmission errors during connection setup and inadequate MAC data rate selection are the main causes of the under-utilization of the connection. Based on these findings we make preliminary recommendations for best practices for using vehicular opportunistic connections. In particular, we argue that overall throughput could be significantly improved if environmental information was available to the lower layer network protocols.

This thesis examines the problem of using 802.11 hotspots for vehicular Internet access. In this access paradigm, a user in a vehicle performs batch transfers by opportunistically communicating with roadside 802.11 access points while driving along a highway. Despite the short connection duration, a significant amount of data can be transferred. Because complete coverage is not needed, this method of Internet access provides a low-cost alternative to using cellular technology for applications that can tolerate some delay and require large data transfer such as sending or receiving music, movies, or digital photographs. Although vehicular opportunistic connections offer the potential to transfer a large of amount of data, utilizing this potential is non-trivial because existing transport and data-link layer network protocols were not designed for this use. This thesis presents an experimental analysis of transport and data-link layer protocol operation at a level of detail not previously explored. We identify ten problems that cause a reduction of up to 50% of the amount of data that could have been transferred in this scenario. Our primary finding is that transmission errors during connection setup and inadequate MAC data rate selection are the main causes of the under-utilization of the connection. Based on these findings we make preliminary recommendations for best practices for using vehicular opportunistic connections. In particular, we argue that overall throughput could be significantly improved if environmental information was available to the lower layer network protocols.

A interferência espectral gera patologias nos sistemas de comunicação sem fio (wireless), como por exemplo, quedas na comunicação e degradação na vazão. O espectro de RF (rádio frequência) é fiscalizado e controlado por órgãos governamentais, no entanto as redes sem fio padrão IEEE 802.11, conhecidas por WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks), trabalham em faixas espectrais não licenciadas, conhecidas por ISM. Estas redes estão cada vez mais presentes nos ambientes comerciais e residenciais, contribuindo para questões de ubiquidade e acesso à Internet. Com este aumento expressivo, a cobertura espectral está cada vez mais densa. A densidade elevada de sinais aponta para a saturação do espectro ISM, causando interferências mútuas das redes IEEE 802.11. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a cobertura do espectro, por redes WLANs, e avaliar quedas de vazão ocasionadas por interferências espectrais, variando no espaço e no tempo. Dois cenários foram mapeados para analisar as degradações, um com baixa a média e outro com alta densidade e complexidade. O objetivo da criação desses cenários foi comparar as degradações causadas pelas interferências em ambientes diferentes, na ocupação, na utilização e na propagação de sinais de redes WLANs. Através dos resultados obtidos, um ciclo de vida de gerenciamento do espectro de redes padrão 802.11 foi proposto. Este ciclo contribui para avaliar e classificar o estado de uma rede em densa, não densa, complexa e não complexa, visto que alterações de ocupação do espectro no espaço e no tempo são plausíveis de ocorrerem. Conclui-se que os impactos da sobreposição total do canal, por fontes 802.11, não são suficientes para a substancial degradação da vazão em ambientes de baixa a média complexidade. Em ambientes com alta densidade e complexidade as degradações são mais evidentes, principalmente quando ocorrem perturbações vindas de duas fontes adjacentes / The spectral interference generates pathologies in wireless communication systems (wireless), such as declines in communication and degradation in flow. The spectrum of RF (radio frequency) is supervised and controlled by government agencies, however the wireless standard IEEE 802.11, known as WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks), work in unlicensed spectrum bands, known as ISM. These networks are increasingly involved in commercial and residential environments, contributing to issues and ubiquity of Internet access. With the significant increase in these networks, the spectral coverage is increasingly dense. The high density of signals pointing to the saturation of the ISM spectrum, causing mutual interference of IEEE 802.11 networks. The aim of this study is to analyze the coverage of the spectrum, for WLANs, and evaluate the flow falls caused by spectral interferences, varying in space and time. Two scenarios were mapped to examine the degradations, with a low to medium and one with high density and complexity. The purpose of creating these scenarios was to compare the degradation caused by interference in different environments, occupation, use and spread of signals WLANs. Through the results, a life cycle management of the spectrum of standard 802.11 networks was proposed. This cycle helps to evaluate and classify the state of a dense network, not dense, complex and not complex, since changes in occupation of the spectrum - in space and time - are plausible to occur. It is concluded that the impacts of the complete overlap of the channel, sources 802.11, are not sufficient to the substantial degradation of the flow in low to medium complexity. In environments with high density and complexity of the degradation is more evident, especially when there are disturbances coming from two adjacent sources

A interferência espectral gera patologias nos sistemas de comunicação sem fio (wireless), como por exemplo, quedas na comunicação e degradação na vazão. O espectro de RF (rádio frequência) é fiscalizado e controlado por órgãos governamentais, no entanto as redes sem fio padrão IEEE 802.11, conhecidas por WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks), trabalham em faixas espectrais não licenciadas, conhecidas por ISM. Estas redes estão cada vez mais presentes nos ambientes comerciais e residenciais, contribuindo para questões de ubiquidade e acesso à Internet. Com este aumento expressivo, a cobertura espectral está cada vez mais densa. A densidade elevada de sinais aponta para a saturação do espectro ISM, causando interferências mútuas das redes IEEE 802.11. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a cobertura do espectro, por redes WLANs, e avaliar quedas de vazão ocasionadas por interferências espectrais, variando no espaço e no tempo. Dois cenários foram mapeados para analisar as degradações, um com baixa a média e outro com alta densidade e complexidade. O objetivo da criação desses cenários foi comparar as degradações causadas pelas interferências em ambientes diferentes, na ocupação, na utilização e na propagação de sinais de redes WLANs. Através dos resultados obtidos, um ciclo de vida de gerenciamento do espectro de redes padrão 802.11 foi proposto. Este ciclo contribui para avaliar e classificar o estado de uma rede em densa, não densa, complexa e não complexa, visto que alterações de ocupação do espectro no espaço e no tempo são plausíveis de ocorrerem. Conclui-se que os impactos da sobreposição total do canal, por fontes 802.11, não são suficientes para a substancial degradação da vazão em ambientes de baixa a média complexidade. Em ambientes com alta densidade e complexidade as degradações são mais evidentes, principalmente quando ocorrem perturbações vindas de duas fontes adjacentes / The spectral interference generates pathologies in wireless communication systems (wireless), such as declines in communication and degradation in flow. The spectrum of RF (radio frequency) is supervised and controlled by government agencies, however the wireless standard IEEE 802.11, known as WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks), work in unlicensed spectrum bands, known as ISM. These networks are increasingly involved in commercial and residential environments, contributing to issues and ubiquity of Internet access. With the significant increase in these networks, the spectral coverage is increasingly dense. The high density of signals pointing to the saturation of the ISM spectrum, causing mutual interference of IEEE 802.11 networks. The aim of this study is to analyze the coverage of the spectrum, for WLANs, and evaluate the flow falls caused by spectral interferences, varying in space and time. Two scenarios were mapped to examine the degradations, with a low to medium and one with high density and complexity. The purpose of creating these scenarios was to compare the degradation caused by interference in different environments, occupation, use and spread of signals WLANs. Through the results, a life cycle management of the spectrum of standard 802.11 networks was proposed. This cycle helps to evaluate and classify the state of a dense network, not dense, complex and not complex, since changes in occupation of the spectrum - in space and time - are plausible to occur. It is concluded that the impacts of the complete overlap of the channel, sources 802.11, are not sufficient to the substantial degradation of the flow in low to medium complexity. In environments with high density and complexity of the degradation is more evident, especially when there are disturbances coming from two adjacent sources