Mobile Networks

EPFL

Prof. Jean-Pierre Hubaux

http://mobnet.epfl.ch

About this course

The course is about the system aspects of mobile networking

Therefore, it covers:
- networking issues (MAC, network and transport layers, principally)
- wireless security/privacy issues
- estimation of network capacity and resource management

It does not cover:

- radio propagation models
- modulation and equalization techniques
- source or channel coding
- speech coding or other signal processing aspects
- software-centric aspects (e.g., operating systems, mobile agents)

It is focused on mechanisms, and avoids as much as possible a

detailed (and boring) description of standards
However, it does propose an insight on IEEE 802.11 and on the
security of WLANs and cellular networks
Acronyms are abundant and we have to cope with them
The course is also an attempt to get closer to the real world
Heterogeneity of the audience

Web site
http://mobnet.epfl.ch/

Of particular relevance:
- Calendar
- Material (all slides used at the lectures, homeworks,)
- Previous exams

Recommended book

D. P. Agrawal and Q.-A. Zeng

Introduction to Wireless and
Mobile Systems
Third Edition, 2011
Cengage
(hard copy or ebook)

Other Textbooks

- M. Schwartz: Mobile Wireless Communications

Cambridge University Press, 2005
- J. Schiller: Mobile Communications, Second Edition
Addison-Wesley, 2004
http://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-tech/resources/mobkom/mobile_communications.htm

- W. Stallings: Wireless Communications & Networks, Second Edition,

Prentice Hall, 2005
http://www.WilliamStallings.com/Wireless/Wireless2e.html
- L. Buttyan and JP Hubaux: Security and Cooperation in Wireless Networks
Cambridge University Press, 2008
http://secowinet.epfl.ch

Module A Introduction
(Part A1)

Wireless communication and mobility

Aspects of mobility:
user mobility: users communicate anytime, anywhere, with anyone
device portability: devices can be connected anytime, anywhere to the
network

Wireless vs. mobile

Examples
stationary computer (desktop)
Cable-Internet laptop in a hotel
wireless LANs in historic buildings
smart phone

The demand for mobile communication creates the need for

integration of wireless networks or mobility mechanisms into
existing fixed networks:
telephone network cellular telephony (e.g., GSM, UMTS, LTE)
local area networks Wireless LANs (e.g., IEEE 802.11 or WiFi)
Internet Mobile IP

Examples of applications (1/2)

Person to person communication (e.g., voice, SMS)

Person to server (e.g., location-based services, timetable
consultation, telebanking)
Vehicles
position via GPS
local ad-hoc network with vehicles close-by to prevent accidents,
guidance system, adaptive cruise control
transmission of news, road condition, weather, music via Digital Audio
Broadcasting
vehicle data (e.g., from buses, trains, aircrafts) transmitted for
maintenance

Disaster situations
replacement of a fixed infrastructure in case of earthquakes,
hurricanes, fire etc.

Military networks
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Upcoming application: road traffic

GSM, UMTS
TETRA, ...

http://ivc.epfl.ch
http://www.sevecom.org
9

Examples of applications (2/2)

Traveling salespeople
direct access to customer files stored in a central location
consistent databases for all agents
mobile office

Replacement of fixed networks

Sensors
trade shows networks
LANs in historic buildings

Entertainment, education, ...

outdoor Internet access
travel guide with up-to-date
location dependent information
ad-hoc networks for
multi user games
Location-dependent advertising
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Location dependent services

Location aware services

what services, e.g., printer, fax, phone, server etc. exist in the
local environment

Follow-on services
transmission of the actual workspace to the current location

Information services
push: e.g., current special offers in the shop nearby
pull: e.g., where is the closest Migros?

Support services
caches, intermediate results, state information etc. follow the
mobile device through the fixed network

Location-Based Services (LBSs)

Foursquare, Facebook Mobile,
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Modern mobile phones

QuadbandGSM
(850,900,1800,1900MHz)
GPRS/EDGE
TribandUMTS/HSDPA
(850,1900,2100MHz)
LTE
GPS+accelerometers
WiFi(802.11b/g/a/n)
Bluetooth2.1

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Wireless enabled devices

13

Satellite Communications
IridiumSatellite

Supports1100concurrentphonecalls
Orbitaltitude:approx.780 km
Frequencyband:16161626.5 MHz
Rate:25kBd
FDMA/TDMA

Iridium9505ASatellitePhone
14

GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)
30satellitescurrently
Orbitaltitude:approx.20,200km
Frequency:1575.42MHz(L1)
Bitrate:50bps
CDMA

BTCC45BluetoothGPSReceiver
Europeanattempt:Galileo

Wireless Last Mile: WiMax

WiMAXGP350012omnidirectional
antenna
Frequencyband:34003600MHz
Gain:12dBi
Impendence:50
Powerrating:10Watt
Verticalbeamwidth:10

15

WiMAXPA350018 directionalantenna
Frequencyband:32003800MHz
Gain:12dBi
Impendence:50
Powerrating:10Watt
Verticalbeamwidth:17
Horizontalbeamwidth:20

Wireless sensors

TelosBSensorMote

Imote2

CricketMote

IrisMote

IEEE802.15.4ChipconWirelessTransceiver
Frequencyband:2.4to2.4835GHz
Datarate:250kbps
RFpower:24dBmto0dBm
ReceiveSensitivity:90dBm(min),94dBm(typ)
Range(onboardantenna):50mindoors/125mourdoors
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MicaZ

Radio-frequency Identification (RFID)

SDI010RFIDReader
ISO14443AandB(13.56MHz)
Operatingdistance:1cm
Communicationspeed:upto848Kbit/s

RFIDtag

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Medical Implants

ImplantableCardioverterDefibrillator(ICD)

Operatingfrequency:175kHz
Range:fewcentimeters

MedicalImplantCommunicationService(MICS)
Frequencyband:402405 MHz
Maximumtransmitpower(EIRP):25microwatt
Range:fewmeters
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Vehicular communications

19

Dedicatedshortrangecommunications(DSRC)
Frequencyband(US):5.850to5.925GHz
Datarate:6to27Mbps
Range:upto1000m
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Software Defined Radio

TuningFrequency:
30KHz 30MHz(continuous)
TuningSteps:
1/5/10/50/100/500Hz&1/5/9/10KHz
AntennaJacket/Impedance:
BNCsocket/50Ohms
Max.AllowedAntennaLevel:
+10dBmtyp./saturationat15dBmtyp.
NoiseFloor(0.1530MHzBW2.3KHz):
Standard:<131dBm(0.06V)typ.
HighIP:<119dBm(0.25V)typ.
FrequencyStability(15min.warmup
period):
+/ 1ppmtyp.

Application:CognitiveRadios DynamicSpectrumAccess
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Mobile devices
Laptop
functionally eq. to desktop
standard applications

Wireless sensors
Limited proc. power
Small battery
Mobile phones
voice, data
web access
location based services

RFID tag
A few thousands
of logical gates
Responds only
to the RFID reader
requests (no battery)

Pager
receive only
tiny displays
simple text
messages

PDA
simple graphical displays
character recognition
simplified WWW

performance
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Wireless networks in comparison to fixed

networks

Higher data loss-rates due notably to interferences

emissions of e.g., engines, lightning, other wireless networks, microwave ovens

Restrictive regulations of frequencies

Usage of frequencies has to be coordinated, useful frequencies are
almost all occupied (or at least reserved)

Lower transmission rates

From a few kbit/s (e.g., GSM) to a 100s of Mbit/s (e.g. WLAN)

Higher jitter
Lower security (higher vulnerability)
Radio link permanently shared need of sophisticated MAC
Fluctuating quality of the radio links
Unknown and variable access points authentication
procedures
Unknown location of the mobile station mobility management
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History of wireless communication (1/3)

Many people in History used light for communication

heliographs, flags (semaphore), ...
150 BC smoke signals for communication
(Greece)
1794, optical telegraph, Claude Chappe

Electromagnetic waves are of special importance:

1831 Faraday demonstrates electromagnetic induction
J. Maxwell (1831-79): theory of electromagnetic Fields, wave
equations (1864)
H. Hertz (1857-94): demonstrates
with an experiment the wave character
of electrical transmission through space
(1886)

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History of wireless communication (2/3)

1895 Guglielmo Marconi

first demonstration of wireless
telegraphy
long wave transmission, high
transmission power necessary (> 200kw)

1907 Commercial transatlantic connections

huge base stations
(30 to 100m high antennas)

1915 Wireless voice transmission New York - San Francisco

1920 Discovery of short waves by Marconi
reflection at the ionosphere
smaller sender and receiver, possible due to the invention of the
vacuum tube (1906, Lee DeForest and Robert von Lieben)

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History of wireless communication (3/3)

1928 Many TV broadcast trials (across Atlantic, color

TV, TV news)
1933 Frequency modulation (E. H. Armstrong)
1946 First public mobile telephone service in 25 US
cities (1 antenna per city)
1976 Bell Mobile Phone service for NY city
1979 NMT at 450MHz (Scandinavian countries)
1982 Start of GSM-specification
goal: pan-European digital mobile phone system with roaming

1983 Start of the American AMPS (Advanced Mobile

Phone System, analog)
1984 CT-1 standard (Europe) for cordless telephones
1992 Deployment of GSM
2002 Deployment of UMTS
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2010 LTE standards mature, first trials

Wireless systems: development over the

last 25 years cordless wireless LAN
cellular phones

satellites

1980:
CT0

1981:
NMT 450
1983:
AMPS

1982:
Inmarsat-A
1984:
CT1

1986:
NMT 900

1987:
CT1+

1988:
Inmarsat-C

1992:
GSM

1991:
CDMA

1991:
D-AMPS

1989:
CT 2

1992:
Inmarsat-B
Inmarsat-M

1993:
PDC

1994:
DCS 1800

analog

phones

1998:
Iridium
2000:
GPRS

1991:
DECT

2005:
VoIP-DECT

2000:
IEEE 802.11a,g
2009:
IEEE 802.11n

digital

NMT: Nordic Mobile Telephone

AMPS: Advanced Mobile Phone System (USA)
CT: Cordless Telephone
UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecom. System
LTE: Long Term Evolution

1997:
IEEE 802.11
1999:
802.11b, Bluetooth

2001:
UMTS/IMT-2000
CDMA-2000 (USA)

2010
LTE

199x:
proprietary

2010
UMA

DECT: Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecom.

DCS: Digital Cellular System
PDC: Pacific Digital Cellular
PAN: Personal Area Network
UMA: Universal Mobile Access

Areas of research in mobile communication

Wireless Communication
transmission quality (bandwidth, error rate, delay)
modulation, coding, interference
media access
...

Mobility
location dependent services, also called location based services
location transparency
quality of service support (delay, jitter)
security
...

Portability
integration (system on a chip)
power consumption
limited computing power, sizes of display, ...
usability
...

Security/privacy

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Typical reference model

Application

Application

Transport

Transport

Network

Network

Network

Network

Data Link

Data Link

Data Link

Data Link

Physical

Physical

Physical

Physical

Radio
link
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Influence of mobile communication on the

layer model

Application layer

Transport layer

Network layer

Data link layer

Physical layer

location-dependent services
new applications, multimedia
adaptive applications
congestion and flow control
quality of service
addressing, routing,
mobility management
hand-over
media access
multiplexing

security

modulation
power management, interference
attenuation
frequency allocation

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Overlay Networks - the global view

Integration of heterogeneous fixed and
mobile networks with varying
transmission characteristics

wide area
vertical
hand-over
metropolitan area

campus-based
horizontal
hand-over
in-house
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References (in addition to the 3

recommended textbooks)

B. Walke: Mobile Radio Networks, Wiley, Second

Edition, 2002
T. Rappaport: Wireless Communications, Prentice
Hall, Second Edition, 2001
A. Goldsmith: Wireless Communications,
Cambridge University Press, 2005
D. Tse and P. Viswanath: Fundamentals of Wireless
Communication, Cambridge University Press, 2005

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