The 6WINIT project was set up to investigate the problems arising in running IPv6-based applications over the emerging wireless Internet. The wireless Internet was considered as the backbone network, with access networks consisting of Wireless LANs (WLANs), GPRS and third Generation Cellular Wireless (UMTS).
The project required the utilisation, and often the development, of a number of different types of components: end stations, routers and relays, generic technologies, different network technologies, applications. They require a variety of standards - many of which have been evolving during the project. Almost all the components have been used as part of applications and/or demonstrations. Many of the applications are generic, and can be used in their own right. However a major emphasis in the project was on clinical applications; these have been found to be a fertile, but demanding, user of the developments from outside the clinical area. The clinical partners have found this very instructive and useful to work with their technical partners. Because of the intentions to investigate major real-life applications, it was very important also to consider the transition from the IPv4 wired world to the IPv6-enabled, all-IP, wireless world.
The work done in the project was largely practical, and there was little interest in defining or using proprietary solutions. For this reason, there was a major activity in following, influencing, and implementing the rapidly changing IPv6 standards. There was little similar activity in the GPRS and UMTS standards, because the project was not setting up such networks. It was essential that we had access to real networks for our work; this was the case for IPv6-enabled wired and WLAN networks. There was limited access to the IPv4-enabled GPRS, which could be used for IPv6 by encapsulation; there was no access to even UMTS testbed equipment until the last two weeks of the project. Thus most of the practical work involved WLANs and some GPRS. UMTS was used only in the final demonstration.
The main activity on workstations was to ensure that the applications could run on both PDAs and laptops, using WLANs and where possible GPRS with reduced functionality. These had to be able to support the relevant protocols for secure, mobile working - resulting in activity on mobile IP, Public Key infrastructures and Road Warrior technology. There was corresponding activity in developing routers. Moreover, since the wired world operates at much higher speeds than the wireless world, there was also significant activity in gateways for speed adaptation, transition and between technologies. This work included the use of agent technology and active networks. Generic applications pursued included conferencing, Voice/IP, video streaming, home environments, a weather station and location-awareness. The corresponding clinical applications included mobile, secure access to clinical data, accident and emergency work with ambulances and access to radiographic images.
All these applications were demonstrated in international conferences (INET2002, IST2001 and 2002) across WLAN, GPRS and fixed network, followed by a final demo across UMTS network in Ericsson premises during the review. Most of the deliverables are available for public usage and are availablet at the project website
http://www.6winit.org.
