Self-configuration and fast secure handoff in wireless mesh networks

Abstract

In Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs), authentication is a critical technical hurdle for self configuration and seamless handoffs of mesh nodes. In this dissertation, we investigate authentication mechanisms of WLAN systems according to the network topology that the WLAN system consists. And we propose a dynamic distributed authentication scheme for self configuration of Mesh Points (MP) in WMN. In our approach, the authentication capability is distributed over the WMN instead of relying on the central authority, and the authentication is performed through the distributed authority. By combining the authentication protocol with the Ad hoc On Demand Vector (AODV) routing protocol, authentication and key distribution in multihop communication are performed adaptively to the network change. By reducing the complexity of the key management at the time of installing a mesh node in a WMN, the proposed scheme contributes to the extension of the wireless access to WMNs. We propose fast handoff authentication schemes for WMNs to provide seamless services when a mesh node handoffs between Mesh Access Points. In the proposed schemes, we distinguish the procedure of handoff authentication that is performed to secure the WMN during the time of mesh nodes` handoff from the initial authentication in order to reduce the delay for the handoff authentication. The handoff authentication delay is reduced by propagating the information for authentication proactively. We classified the type of WMNs into a public mesh and a private mesh and the proposed schemes are adaptively applicable to WMNs according to the characteristic of WMNs. The dynamic distributed authentication scheme or the proposed fast key distribution scheme with a new key hierarchy can be used for fast secure handoff according to the network size, and the proactive caching scheme can be used for fast secure handoff in a private mesh. The proposed schemes are applicable to WMNs according to the network size or the number...