Heterogeneous multi-interface routing: networking stack and simulator extensions

Most IP routing solutions have been designed to work well for a single communication technology. However, many communication networks consist of a multitude of legacy and new devices using heterogeneous technologies, such as copper wires, optical fibers, wireless and power line communication. In order to leverage the existence of multiple technologies between two devices to achieve availability and robustness, a routing protocol has to solve the problem of addressing multiple interfaces (where each interface supports one communication technology such as copper or wireless), maintaining and exchanging information regarding the involved links and the decision making process when forwarding packets. In this paper we present our extension of the Contiki networking stack uiP with the 1Pv6 routing protocol RPL and of the network simulator Cooja for multiple interfaces, followed by a description and evaluation of a smart grid scenario simulation and a hardware demonstrator.