Flattening the Internet: a proposal for global device-to-device connectivity

1. Flattening the Internet: a proposal for global device-to-device connectivity Hari Balakrishnan, John Guttag, Frans Kaashoek, Dina Katabi, Sam Madden, Robert Morris, Maarten van Dijk

2. Executive summary • Goal: global device to device connectivity • Problem: Devices are second-class citizens • Solution: T-net • Flat, location-independent addresses • Human-oriented, secure naming • Delay tolerant • Compatible with the Internet • Existing Internet apps can use T-net • T-net deployed as an overlay on the Internet

3. Goal:device to device connectivity • Synchronize with phone calendars • Make a VOIP call from your PDA to your friend’s PDA • Upload picture from your camera to mom’s phone • Downloads music from your iPod at home to my iPod Can we just replace the USB cable with the Internet? • Smart phones have 802.11 and an IP stack • iPod/ng will have 802.11 and IP stack

4. 1. Assign IP address 192.168.1.11 3. Assign IP address 192.168.1.17 Example: iPod/ng to iPod/ng Cable NAT Firewall 2. Punch hole in NAT 124.96.1.12 4. Connect to 124.96.1.12 138.168.1.7 5. Do we trust 192.168.1.7? NAT 6. Open firewall

5. USB versus Internet

6. T-net: global, easy to setup • Self-assigned addresses • Personal name spaces • Security based on social connections • Routing through rendezvous servers • Use Internet when present

7. T-net components • T-net addresses are self-assigned public keys [HIP] • Address books • maps name to T-net address • marks names as trustworthy • contains rendezvous services • Gossip address books along social connections • Learn about names, IP addresses, and what your devices and friends trust • Carry-and-forward network • Efficient wireless

8. Design challenges • Gossip protocol • Gossiping data • Conflicting address book entries • Routing and forwarding protocol • Take advantage of public IP addresses to connect to private IP addresses • Exploit mules for carry-and-forward networking • Certificate logic (e.g., [BAN]) • Security through social connections • Naming, finding, and sharing data • If the song is on your PC, my iPod grabs it from there • Efficient use of radio spectrum

9. Implementation challenges • Internet compatibility • T-net packets encapsulated in UDP packets • Routing with rendezvous servers • Existing IP applications can use T-net • Exploit existing OS support for IPv6 • Library for new applications • Local rendezvous on a shared physical net • Interface for carry-and-forward

10. Roadmap: Revolution through evolution Support T-net addresses and simple naming and rendezvous Goal Year 1 Compatible with current Internet, applications, and devices Gossip, routing, carry-forward protocols, certificate logic Goal Year 2 CarTel and cooperative wireless nets Interfaces, carry-forward reliable delivery Goal Year 3 T-net with many devices Goal Long term Evolve Internet to T-net architecture T-net protocol stack

11. Previous approaches • Bluetooth • Good local discovery • IPv6 • Large addresses • Mobile IP • Dynamically change IP address • HIP • Public keys as addresses • DNSSEC with updates • Tell DNS to update IP address Partial solutions requiring more configuration!

12. Summary • A device information disaster is coming • Devices are not first class citizens in the net • Difficult to configure, difficult to name, difficult to connect to, and weak security • T-net may flatten the Internet, making devices first class citizens.