The SDN Based WLAN Resilience Enhancement for Smart Grid

Abstract

A resilient wireless network for smart grid communication is essential for ensuring continuous network availability while maintaining an acceptable quality of service (QoS). The primary challenge is developing wireless networks that not only meet the stringent availability requirements of smart grids but also deliver satisfactory QoS. Current Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) struggle with seamless handover between Access Points (APs) when the serving AP encounters issues. In this study, we propose a Software Defined Networking (SDN)-based WLAN utilizing the Odin framework to enhance WLAN resilience against network challenges, thereby ensuring smart grid availability with acceptable bandwidth and latency. Our solution was evaluated in a physical laboratory setup employing off-the-shelf network components, including APs, routers, and switches. Our results demonstrate that in the event of an AP failure, the SDN-based WLAN effectively redirects users to a nearby AP, achieving 100% availability, a throughput of 8.93 Mbps, and a latency of 20ms metrics that fulfill the resilience requirements of smart grids. Notably, this approach employs standard APs and necessitates no modifications to end stations.