Wireless and Mobile Networks

Topic

1 Class overview. Welcome, course content, policies, schedule, materials, expectations. Let's get started!

2, 3 Introduction to Wireless networks: fixed vs wireless networks; wireless versus mobility; wireless applications needs; architectural components of a wireless network: channels, edge, core; architectural overview of WiFi, 4G and 5G; wireless and mobile networking history.

4,5 Characteristics of the wireless channel.  Radio waves: amplitude, frequency, and phase.  Radio transmission: power, bandwidth. Radio Channel: noise, Signal-to-Noise (SNR) ratio, capacity. Radio channel properties: path loss, multipath, hidden terminals. Antennas: MIMO. Radio spectrum.

6 Coding and Modulation: from bits to symbols to waveforms. Physical-layer coding; modulation: amplitude, frequency, phase; QPSK, QAM.

7 Multiple access techniques. The multiple access problem, TDMA, FDMA, CDMA, random access, polling, OFDMA. Dynamic spectrum sharing.

 8 WiFi: the 802.11 Wireless LAN. Architectural elements, channels, standards, AP association, CSMA/CA protocol, MAC addresses, 802.11 frame, WiFi 6, putting it all together: CSMA/CA, OFDM, and OFDMA in WiFi 6; 802.11 MAC: the WiFi wireless link layer

9, 10 The 5G Radio Access Network. Architectural components of 5G networks: the big picture.  5G RAN: the physical radio channel . Physical and logical control and data channels. The wireless link layer. Local breakout.

10, 11 Topics at the edge:  network: scheduling transmissions over the RAN/WLAN; channel measurement, reporting; joining a wireless access network; energy management, device state.

12,14 Software-defined networks (SDN), SD-RAN, software-i-zation. SDN: Origins, motivation, and principles (Internet), 5G Software-Defined RAN (SD-RAN), Open-RAN (O-RAN), Case study: the FlexRIC RAN controller, Software-i-zation

13 (midterm exam)

15, 16 The 5G Core network. The 4G Core; core evolution: from 2G to 3G to 4G to 5G; 5G Core Network Functions, user-plane function and tunneling;  user identity, registration, session establishment.  

17, 18 Mobility. principles and approaches; mobility in a WiFi network; mobility in 5G: home and visited networks, handover (within home network; among networks), paging, tracking; Mobile IP.

18, 19 Wireless network security. Primer: cryptography, digests, digital signatures, authentication; WPA3; 802-1x; authentication and key derivation in 5G.

20, 21 Advanced topics: QoS in wireless networks (WiFi, 5G), slicing.

22-24 Bluetooth, LEOS, IoT networks

25 Midterm exam 2

26 Policy dimensions of wireless networks: privacy, wiretapping, government regulation of spectrum and satellite access.