IT 601: Mobile

Computing

Session 1
Overview

Prof. Sridhar Iyer

IIT Bombay

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 Wireless Networks
• Need: Access computing and
communication services, on the
move

• Infrastructure-based Networks
– traditional cellular systems (base
station infrastructure)

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Wireless Networks (contd)
• Wireless LANs
– Infrared (IrDA) or radio links (Wavelan)
– very flexible within the reception area;
– low bandwidth compared to wired
networks (1-10 Mbit/s)
• Ad hoc Networks
– useful when infrastructure not available,
impractical, or expensive
– military applications, rescue, home
networking
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 Wireless v/s Wired
networks
• Regulations of frequencies
– Limited availability, coordination is
required
– useful frequencies are almost all
occupied
• Bandwidth
– Low transmission rates
• few Kbits/s to some Mbit/s

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 Wireless v/s Wired
Networks
• Delays and losses
– Higher delays: several hundred
milliseconds
– Higher loss rates: susceptible to
interference, e.g., engines, lightning
• Always shared medium
– Lower security, simpler active
attacking
–
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radio interfaceProf.accessible
Sridhar Iyer
for 1.5
everyone
 Some Mobile Devices

Tablets
Palm-sized
Clamshell handhelds

Net–enabled mobile
Laptop computers
phones
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 Limitations of Mobile
Environments

• Limitations of the Wireless Network

• heterogeneity of fragmented
networks
• frequent disconnections
• limited communication bandwidth

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 Limitations of Mobile
Environments (contd)
• Limitations Imposed by Mobility
• lack of mobility awareness by system
or applications
• route breakages

• Limitations of the Mobile Computer

• short battery lifetime
• limited capacities
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Effect of Mobility on the
Protocol Stack
• Application: new applications and
adaptations
• Transport: congestion and flow
control
• Network: addressing and routing
• Link: media access and handoff
• Physical: transmission errors and
interference
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 Mobile Applications
• Vehicles
– transmission of news, road condition
etc
– ad-hoc network with near vehicles to
prevent accidents
• Emergencies
– early transmission of patient data to
hospital
– ad-hoc network in case of
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earthquakes
 Mobile Applications

• Traveling salesmen
– direct access to central customer files
– consistent databases for all agents
– mobile office
• Web access
– outdoor Internet access
– intelligent travel guide with up-to-date
location dependent information
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 Mobile Applications
• Location aware services
– find services in the local environment,
e.g. printer
• Information services
– push: e.g., stock quotes
– pull: e.g., nearest cash ATM
• Disconnected operations
– mobile agents, e.g., shopping
• Entertainment
– ad-hoc networks for multi user games
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Mobile applications in the
Industry
• Wireless access: (phone.com)
openwave
• Alerting services: myalert.com
• Location services: (airflash)
webraska.com
• Intranet applications: (imedeon)
viryanet.com
• Banking services: macalla.com
• Mobile
Session: 1 agents: Prof.
tryllian.com
Sridhar Iyer 1.13
 Bandwidth and
UMTS
applications
EDGE
GPRS, CDMA 2000
CDMA 2.5G
2G
Speed, kbps 9.6 14.4 28 64 144 384 2000

Transaction Processing
Messaging/Text Apps
Voice/SMS
Location Services
Still Image Transfers
Internet/VPN Access
Database Access
Document Transfer
Low Quality Video
High Quality Video

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