Designing Interference-Robust Wireless Mesh Networks Using a Defender-Attacker-Defender Model
Abstract
Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are interconnected systems of wireless access points (APs) that provide untethered network connectivity for a group of users who require data, voice, and/or video communication. The wireless access medium of a WMN makes it particularly vulnerable to attack and exploitation. We seek a method for quickly designing WMN physical topologies (i.e., the placement of APs) that are robust to the effects of electromagnetic jamming. The conflicting interests of a network designer and attacker in respectively maximizing and minimizing network performance make this problem a natural candidate for the use of game theory. We apply the game theoretic defender-attacker-defender (DAD) methodology to the simultaneous routing, resource allocation, and coverage (SRRA+C) model of WMN performance to simulate the design, attack, and operation of a WMN. Our algorithm and associated decision-support tool can quickly prescribe jamming-robust WMN topologies that minimize the worst possible damage that an adversary can inflict. Our approach considers radio-operating characteristics, the relative importance of client coverage and network flow, and the effects of radio propagation over terrain. To our knowledge, we are the first to use an algorithm with proven global convergence to design jamming-robust WMNs, and the first to apply the DAD framework to the problem of WMN design.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA613908
Entities
People
- David L. Alderson
- Paul J. Nicholas
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School