STREAM: High Bandwidth, Reliable TCP Bridging in Low-Mobility Wi-Fi Direct Networks

Abstract

Ad-hoc networks facilitate localized communication in environments lacking global internet connectivity. However, traditional Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) methods face challenges in forming intergroup networks during field deployments, due to manual password entry, single-path traffic between Group Owners (GOs), and performance bottlenecks from UDP multicast. To address these issues, we propose a Simple TCP-enabled, REsilient Android Mesh (STREAM); a multigroup bridging strategy where WFD Group Members (GMs) join two groups and bridge the connection between them exclusively using TCP sockets --an accomplishment yet to be realized in WFD ad-hoc networks on stock Android devices. This approach maximizes throughput and resilience for intergroup connections. STREAM also features self-healing capabilities to detect and rectify network disruptions automatically, removing the need for user intervention. Our architecture leverages Wi-Fi bandwidth, achieving average file transfer speeds of 91.2 Mbps in intergroup networks, demonstrating a significant performance improvement. Our results show that STREAM offers a solution for developing scalable and reliable multigroup Wi-Fi Direct networks.