Projects

PhD - 2005

I'm trying get this PhD finished, so I've decided to represent my whole PhD as a project of its own; this includes the write-up of my thesis, implementation of my work, and user-trials.

Application-Level Network Audio Conferencing (ALNAC) Routing Protocol - 2004

I'm experimenting with an application-level multicast protocol targeted specifically at audio conferencing applications. [project webpages]

Application-Level Network Simulator - 2004

I'm currently working on a tool to visualise Application-Level Networks (ALN's) in a similar way that the ns-2 simulator visualises network traffic using the nam application. However, the ALN Simulator will allow both the underlying network and the application-level overlay network to be viewed side by side showing both the quality of the overlay network protocol and traffic on the overlay network links (see latest screenshot). I aim to release the ALNSimulator soon enough, under open source, though I have to implement a few more features to make it of any use to ALN protocol developers.

Impact of Simple Cheating in Application-Level Multicast - 2003

We studied the effects that nodes deceiving other nodes to improve their positions in the overlay network had on the overall ALM performance for a variety of ALM protocols.

Final Year Undergraduate Project (FYP) - 2001

My final year project comprised of developing an audio communication tool for Windows using a hands-free voice interface to setup and tear down communication channels with other users. [project webpages]

Publications and presentations

Application-Level Network Audio Conferencing (ALNAC) Routing Protocol

  • Presentation on ALNAC at SMC 2004, Den Haag, The Neverlands (October 2004). [pdf]
  • Presentation on ALNAC at Multi-Service Networks 2004, Cosener's House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (July 2004). [ppt] [pdf]

    Simple Cheating in Application-Level Multicast

  • Laurent Mathy, Nick Blundell, Vincent Roca and Ayman El-Sayed "Impact of Simple Cheating in Application-Level Multicast" , IEEE INFOCOM 2004, Hong Kong (March 2004). [pdf]

    Application-Level Network Simulator

  • Presentation on the Application-Level Network (ALN) Simulator in a CAKES seminar, Lancaster University (Oct 2003). [ppt] [pdf]

    Analysis of the Gnutella Protocol

  • Nick Blundell and Laurent Mathy "An Overview of Gnutella Optimisation Techniques", PGNet 2002, John Moores University, Liverpool (2002). [pdf] [ppt]

    PhD First Year Report

  • Nick Blundell "Overlays for Live Internet Multimedia Streaming Systems", PhD First Year Report (Sep 2002). [pdf]

    Side Projects

    Access Database for Community Floating-Support Work - 2005

    I'm currently working on an M$ Access database system for a Lancaster charity that provides a community floating-support service. Here's a screenshot:

    The application logs support worker's contact with clients and will automatically generate client progress and dependency reports to aid funding reviews of the service. When the initial version is complete I will release it (free) under open source. If you are interested in using the system for your floating-support service, send me an email and it might speed up developement. I'll create a webpage for this project at some point.

    backmeup - Backup Script

    I'm currently working on an easy-to-use backup system for Linux, written in Python. [project webpages] [freshmeat webpages]

    Utterence (Unreal Tournament team communication application) - 2003

    Utterence is a team voice communication system for Unreal Tournament developed locally, for more information visit UT.