Jeremy Chen Spends Summer at Wireless Valley

Jeremy Chen, who completed his MSEE in May 2004, is currently working in a summer job at Wireless Valley Communications, Inc. as a software engineer. The company, located in Austin, has developed SitePlanner and LANPlanner - some of the world's best-known site-specific network management software. These software products are targeted at eliminating the guesswork inherent in wireless network deployment and making the design of wireless networks more efficient and effective. The products can simulate the performance of various kinds of base stations, access points, and antennas, calculate the decaying effects of different building materials, and compute path loss attenuations, thereby precisely predicting signal strength intensities, interference, and application throughput in a site-specific manner. At Wireless Valley, Jeremy is working on the enhancement of measurement tools, graphical user interface, and additional features for SitePlanner and other related products. Furthermore, he is facilitating the internationalization endeavor of these products for customers around the world.

In the fall, Jeremy plans to return to the WNCG at UT Austin to start his PhD research under Professor Rappaport in the area of wireless networks. Jeremy completed his MS thesis titled "Throughput Measurements and Models of Public IEEE 802.11b Wireless Local Area Networks" with Dr. Rappaport, in which over 2000 measurements of WLAN throughput and signal strength were performed at three operational hotspots at three Schlotzsky's restaurants in Austin. Using Iperf, LANPlanner, and Wget, Jeremy demonstrated the ability to use site-specific prediction engines for accurate blind designs of WiFi networks. The throughput prediction models can aid in the deployment of WLAN systems in hotspots, airports, companies, and campuses. The models may be generalized for the design of WiMax and Ultra Wideband (UWB) networks.