PC-notebook based mobile networking: algorithms, architectures and implementation

The integration of multimedia adaptive wireless networking capabilities in a PC-notebook platform are investigated. To support mobile networking, while providing compatibility with the wired infrastructure, new functions are required for topology creation using multihop protocols. To support mobility in a wireless environment, power control and bandwidth allocation are required in conjunction with adaptive wireless modems and rate-adaptive video codecs. A prototype implementation of a wireless node with these capabilities reveals several performance and complexity limitations with current technology. In particular the DOS operating system, the PC shared bus architecture and traditional partitioning of the network and modem functions lead to severe performance losses that are detrimental in wireless networking. For mobile wireless nodes, these limitations are unacceptable. Several ideas are presented for re-architecting the PC-notebook for wireless networking nodes that can substantially improve bandwidth efficiency while overcoming the complexity and power limitations of current technology.