CCE Theses and Dissertations

Planning , Designing and Integrating a Distributed Wireless Mobile Intranet Architecture For Local and Wide Area Networking At a University

Date of Award

1998

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences

Advisor

Marlyn Kemper Littman

Committee Member

S. Rollins Guild

Committee Member

John A. Scigliano

Abstract

This dissertation investigation features guidelines for planning, designing, and integrating a distributed wireless mobile LAN (local area network) and WAN (wide area network) intranet at the School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). This wireless intranet integrates with the SCIS wired intranet and enables ubiquitous wireless computing access from anywhere and at anytime. This paradigm solves a problem that is currently inherent in the set-up of the SCIS computer system. Currently, users are bound by where and when they are able to use the cabled system. Access to information and network resources is presently known to be limited. The proposed data communications architecture features a wireless LAN (WLAN) for on-campus coverage and a wireless wide area network (WW AN) for enabling remote access from anywhere in the United States where AT&T Wireless Data Services exist. The wireless LAN is radio-based and the WW AN uses AT&T's cellular digital packet data (CDPD) technology. The WLAN system is based on Lucent Technologies' WaveLAN equipment that is compliant with the 802.11 industry standard set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and is designed to provide graceful scalability. The WW AN network utilizes the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) to provide access to the SCIS intranet and facilitate network connectivity to any other available network (i.e. corporate intranets). Both WLAN and WW AN designs are integrated with the present SCIS wired computer architecture and called Wireless Nova after the university’s original name, Nova University. The process and methodology by which the systems planning, design, and integration take place follow the Modem Systems Development Life Cycle (MSDLC) model published by Whitten et al (1994). Additionally, this process features research conducted by this investigator at the Information Networking Institute (INI) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Methods presented by Geier (1996) and Borg (1987) are also used.

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