WirelessU-NSRC-ISOC: Cotonou, Benin Workshop

The workshop in Cotonou, Benin is scheduled to take place from November 9-13, 2009.

Planning Items

• Book List
• Certificates
• Daily Time Schedule
• Network Information
• Participant List

Rèseaux sans fil dans les pays en dèveloppement
O'Reilly 802.11 Wireless: the Definitive Guide

• Workshop Pictures

• Workshop material'

• Equipment Lists

See attachment

• Shipping Logistics
• Travel Itineraries

Thursday November 5:

AIR FRANCE 814 COACH CLASS EQUIP-AIRBUS A340-300 JET

LV: PARIS/DEGAULLE 150P NONSTOP MILES- 2938 CONFIRMED

AR: COTONOU BENIN 805P ELAPSED TIME- 6:15

Arriving Cotonou Thursday evening at 20:05 on Air France

and the departure flight from Cotonou after the workshop will be:

13 NOV 09 - FRIDAY

AIR FRANCE 813 COACH CLASS EQUIP-AIRBUS A340-300 JET
LV: COTONOU BENIN 1150P NONSTOP MILES- 2938 CONFIRMED
AR: PARIS/DEGAULLE 600A ELAPSED TIME- 6:10 ARVL DATE-14 NOV

• Workshop Curriculum

DAY 1 - (Topic: Radio physics and antennas)

LECTURE: Radio physics

LECTURE: dB math

LECTURE: Antennas and transmission lines fundamentals

LECTURE: Comparative Use of Unlicensed Spectrum

EXERCISES:

• Working with AirView and video sender
  

• Detecting interference
  

• Exercise: DIY WiFi antenna
  

• Antenna measurements (gain, radiation pattern)
  

DAY 2 - (Topic: Wireless networking)

LECTURE: WiFi channels, wireless standards and protocols

LECTURE: APs and clients

LECTURE: How to choose wireless networking equipment

EXERCISES:

• AP configuration
  

• Setting up a Wireless ISP
  

DAY 3 - (Topic: Outdoor wireless)

LECTURE: Power over Ethernet, grounding, and lightning protection

LECTURE: Site survey, outdoor installation and long distance links

LECTURE: Link budget

EXERCISES:

• Exercise: Link budget calculation
  

• Exercise: Planning a wireless site installation
  

• Example of a site survey (in the field)
  

• Example of a outdoor link
  

DAY 4 - (Topic: Network management and security)

LECTURE: Wireless Security and Monitoring

LECTURE: Wireless tools

EXERCISES:

• Security in wireless networks
  

• Network management and wireless tools
  

DAY 5 - (Topic: Advanced topics and final test)

LECTURE: Introduction to mesh networking
LECTURE: Introduction to Wireless Sensor Networks
LECTURE: Off-Grid Power for wireless networks
EXERCISES:

• Written exercise: dimensioning a solar electrical power system
  
• Final written test
  

• Network Diagrams

• Structure

The workshop will consist of 5 days of training, covering different aspects of wireless computer networking using low-cost technology such WiFi.
Each day is structured with lectures -to provide a theoretical background- interleaved with practical sessions (demonstrations and hands-on exercises) on the same topics.
A final test is proposed to all participants at the end of the training, to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.
The workshop language is english and french.

The training will be based upon a prototype of the "ICTP-UNESCO Wireless Training Kit" (WTK). ==

The WTK is a set of instrumentation, wireless devices, software, lecture notes, laboratory exercises guides, teacher's guides and pre-recorded video-lectures. It's being developed by the ICTP-ARPL with the support of UNESCO, and it's aimed to be a comprehensive tool to help teachers and academia in organizing training and research activities in wireless networking, with a strong component of hands-on practices. It doesn't aim to substitute teachers, but to support and empower them with cost-effective modern technology and well-integrated didactic material distilled from years of training experiences by international experts.
It also represents the most recent follow-up of the very successful free book "Wireless Networking in the Developing World" (​http://wndw.net) and its related training initiative "WirelessU" (​http://wirelessu.org).

Organizing partners: NSRC, ICTP, ISOC-Benin, EsLaRed, WirelessU

Prerequisites for participants

We expect that potential students already have basic experience in the use of computers and networking. This includes:

• the ability to open, save, copy, and manipulate files using Linux or Windows, competency in the use of a text editor;
  
• familiarity with modern web browsers, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer;
  
• solid understanding of basic TCP/IP networking concepts, such as IP addressing and routing.
  

Additional experience in configuring WLAN networks and a working knowledge of basic Unix shell commands are helpful, but not required.

The workshop is targeted to members of the academia (researchers/teachers) and technical schools and also to engineers and ICT managers interested in technical and practical aspects of wireless computer networking with low-cost technology such WiFi.
The workshop language is english and french, a good working knowledge of the language is paramount.

The expected number of participants is 20 to 40.

Resposabilities of local partners

• logistics: a lecture room is needed, with the following facilities:
  

a) a VGA video projector (and a voice amplification system, if required by the room size);
b) a connection to the Internet;
c) a printer (preferably laser B&W) with sufficient supply of toner and paper, to print hand-outs, etc. for participants (~20 sheets/participants);
d) seats for participants, plus tables for laboratory sessions;
e) PC computers: 1 computer with an Ethernet network interface for every 4 participants, with both Linux and Windows XP installed and tested;
f) network infrastructure: a wired or wireless LAN interconnecting all PCs;
g) power sockets: at least 6 extra power sockets (not used for the PCs) for each group of 4 participant;
h) access to suitable places for exercises of site survey, measurements, outdoor link;
i) a second room devoted to the lab activities -adjacent to the lecture room- may be helpful, but not required.

- field activity (day 3):

two points (roof/outdoor) accessible to the participants over which a medium distance link can be established (from 300m up to 3km) are needed, in both it is required availability of electrical power.

• secretariat: a local administrative staff member in charge of registration/administrative matters/etc (if required by the local organizers) is needed.
  

- local teaching support:

extra teachers/laboratory instructors: 3 people (or more) that have background in TCP/IP and routing, preferably practical but at least theoretical, technicians or teachers.

- other logistic aspects:

a) the training timetable will be mostly as follows:

• ~3 hours on the morning
  
• lunch break
  
• ~4 hours in the afternoon
  the logistics have to be arranged consequently (i.e. opening hours of the buildings, transportation from/to the accommodations, etc)
  

b) trainers will need to be granted access to the lecture room/laboratory the evening before the beginning of the activity, and possibly during lunch breaks and/or in the other evenings, to setup lab experiments.