The Future Internet Lab (FI-Lab) at the Institute of Communications Technology is a network testbed used to investigate, develop and evaluate network solutions and concepts as well as to verify new theoretical approaches. The facility consists of 60 high performance nodes comprising more than 400 Gigabit interfaces in total. Thus, it provides a controllable environment in which experiments can be performed on arbitrary, user-defined network topologies. Additionally, programmable NetFPGA cards and high precision packet capture cards are integrated into the Lab. Projects such as VirtuRAMA, NetMeter and ProPerBounds take advantage of this powerful testing environment. In the context of Future Internet, the facility is a valuable tool to form a clear vision about what the future Internet should be.
Since the beginning of 2011, the FI-Lab has been extended by a wireless testbed that, among other components like various wlan clients, includes 10 wireless access points based on full features Gateworks Laguna boards equipped with 802.11n network interface cards and running OpenWrt. In addition it comprises several Ettus USRP boards, Metageek Wi-Spy spectrum analysers, and Mango WARP MIMO kits. To this end, we are able to investigate different kind of research challenges in the filed of wireless communications and projects such as ProPerBounds benefit from that.
Regarding our teaching activities, the FI-Lab provides students with a real experimental environment enabling them to investigate the relation between the practical and theoretical world. Lab experiments, bachelor projects, master thesis can be carried out in this testbed.
