An Experimental Evaluation of Urban Networking using IEEE 802.11 Technology

A new opportunity to reuse existing broadband access infrastructure has arisen by the high penetration of IEEE 802.11 technology family. DSL routers and cable modems with built-in WLAN capabilities allow broadband private customers to share bandwidth with third parties in a safe and controlled way. The success of this approach is highly dependant on the performance of WiFi technology in urban areas. It is critical to experimentally evaluate IEEE 802.11 deployments in places such as houses, flats, parks and offices. This paper describes a solution that enables controlled sharing of existing broadband connections to increase wireless access coverage. The feasibility of our solution is pondered by performing a thorough study of urban networking using IEEE 802.11 technology. We evaluate the performance of this technology in urban environments and analyze the impact of typical factors such as (i) access point elevation in relation to the mobile client, (ii) inter-floor connectivity in urban buildings and (iii) widely used hardware. Using the collected data, we estimate the potential service range for those opening their broadband connections. The results suggest that sharing private connections could exponentially increase wireless coverage in urban areas