Wireless networking is rapidly becoming a major component of the modern communications market and increasingly competes with wired networking, in terms of business volume, driven by the demand for personal communication systems & services. The ubiquitous untethered access that wireless networks provide to users, coupled with the high bandwidth of wired networks, offers a comprehensive solution to modern global communication requirements. Contrary to the protected environment of the wire, the wireless channel can be highly erratic and essentially stochastic; interference is an omni-present fact one has to cope with. Historically, networking science has evolved based on the wired network paradigm, where concepts like routing, admission control, packet & circuit switching, congestion management etc. first emerged. However, the advent of wireless networks introduces a whole new dimension to the networking problem, which this project is exploring. Modern applications (multimedia) are rapidly driving wireless communication to the point where advanced networking capabilities, previously limited to the wired world (active congestion control, guaranteed quality of service etc.) need to be readily available; yet, they have to be supported by the highly erratic radio channel and under node mobility, making sporadic connectivity and unpredictable propagation events (shadowing, fading etc.) the rule rather than the exception. This dichotomy introduces a number of interesting research issues which this project explores. They are mainly centered around the control of transmitter power of network nodes for the quality of qervice maintenance of network links in the presence of interference, node mobility and severe channel impairements. Such control results in prolonged lifetime of battery powered (mobile) nodes, higher network capacities, and more stable and efficient system operations, all of which are of high practical importance. Details abo ut the project will be appearing on the web site: www.netlab.stanford.edu/wirelss_nsf.html
