[How to Secure data Transfer in Wi-Fi Networks]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Abstract

In order to provide a step towards the goal of passing data traffic across wireless sensor networks, a method for File transfer utilizing forward error correction (FEC) is studied. Previous work in the area of terminal communication across the sensor network is expanded upon to include file transfer in order to provide a more capable channel and a basis for testing the performance obtained through erasure coding. The results of the FEC implementation are examined using multiple sensor network configurations. The study is completed with recommendations for continued work towards developing tunneled TCP/IP data transfer across wireless sensor networks.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

Objective and Aims7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW10

Forward Error Correction in Wireless Sensor Networks10

Medium Access Control for Wireless Sensor Networks11

Tunneled Data Transmission across Sensor Networks11

Wi-Fi Networks11

Devices12

Operating System13

Communications Stack13

Wireless Sensor Networks as a Tcp/Ip Network Bridge14

Benefits of Implementation14

Barriers for Implementation15

Development of Wireless Sensor Network Adaptation Interface Layer (SNAIL)16

SNAIL Client Module17

SNAIL Server Module18

SNAIL Listen Module20

DoS Threats to WSNs22

Summary27

CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS & DESIGN28

Available FEC Correction Methods28

Block Coding28

Convolutional Coding29

CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTATION30

Erasure Coding Fundamentals30

Vandermonde matrix33

CHAPTER 5: TESTING35

Experiment Setup36

Hardware37

Software39

CHAPTER 6: EVALUATION41

Onion Networks JAVA FEC Library41

SNAIL Server Modifications41

SNAIL Listen Modifications43

Terminal to Terminal Experiment45

One Hop Experiment48

Two Hop Experiment49

FEC Performance over Varying Distances51

Summary53

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION54

Recommendations55

REFERENCES56

APPENDIX57

Chapter 1: Introduction

Wireless networking continues to be one of the fastest growing technologies today. Through advances in technology, the cost and size of wireless devices have reduced dramatically, making them more readily available to people today than ever before. Whether it is a cell phone, wireless internet router, or some other device, the average person today is using wireless devices on an increasingly regular basis.

A small subset of wireless networking is wireless sensor networks. Much less known to the average consumer, the technology used by these networks is just now reaching the maturity level necessary to make them commercially viable. These sensor networks are made up of multiple low cost, spatially distributed, autonomous devices that are able to collect and distribute environmental information for various purposes. The devices are able to independently form an ad hoc network upon deployment and commence the mission they were intended for. Military applications for sensor networks have been the driving force for much of the research being conducted today. Modern research in this area can be traced back to work done during the early 1980s by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and their Distributed Sensor Networks program (DSN.

Commercial applications have come along much more slowly but have begun to accelerate recently. Although the commercial benefits cannot be overlooked, the military aspect is ...