IEEE 802.11s Mesh Deterministic Access : Design and analysis

IEEE 802.11s is a draft IEEE 802.11 amendment for mesh networking, defining how wireless devices can interconnect to create an ad-hoc network. It includes some mesh-specific optional MAC enhancements like Mesh Deterministic Access, Common Channel Framework, Intra-mesh Congestion Control and Power Management. Mesh Deterministic Access (MDA) is an access method that allows MPs to access the channel at selected times (called MDAOPs) with lower contention than would otherwise be possible. In this work we study Mesh Deterministic Access (MDA) feature. Specifically: we implement 802.11s in ns-2 simulator and evaluate performance comparing results with those obtained with DCF. We also propose an improvement called Dynamic Relocation. Dynamic Relocation permits to overcome MDA limits by reallocating MDAOPs basing on statistics collected during transmission times. The effectiveness of MDA improved with Dynamic Relocation in a scenario with realistic traffic is then confirmed via a simulation analysis

From MANET to people-centric networking: Milestones and open research challenges

In this paper, we discuss the state of the art of (mobile) multi-hop ad hoc networking with the aim to present the current status of the research activities and identify the consolidated research areas, with limited research opportunities, and the hot and emerging research areas for which further research is required. We start by briefly discussing the MANET paradigm, and why the research on MANET protocols is now a cold research topic. Then we analyze the active research areas. Specifically, after discussing the wireless-network technologies, we analyze four successful ad hoc networking paradigms, mesh networks, opportunistic networks, vehicular networks, and sensor networks that emerged from the MANET world. We also present an emerging research direction in the multi-hop ad hoc networking field: people centric networking, triggered by the increasing penetration of the smartphones in everyday life, which is generating a people-centric revolution in computing and communications