129 research outputs found

    Increasing throughput in IEEE 802.11 by optimal selection of backoff parameters

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    Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Grant Number: EP/G012628/

    A Markovian Analysis of IEEE 802.11 Broadcast Transmission Networks with Buffering

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    The purpose of this paper is to analyze the so-called back-off technique of the IEEE 802.11 protocol in broadcast mode with waiting queues. In contrast to existing models, packets arriving when a station (or node) is in back-off state are not discarded, but are stored in a buffer of infinite capacity. As in previous studies, the key point of our analysis hinges on the assumption that the time on the channel is viewed as a random succession of transmission slots (whose duration corresponds to the length of a packet) and mini-slots during which the back-o? of the station is decremented. These events occur independently, with given probabilities. The state of a node is represented by a two-dimensional Markov chain in discrete-time, formed by the back-off counter and the number of packets at the station. Two models are proposed both of which are shown to cope reasonably well with the physical principles of the protocol. The stabillity (ergodicity) conditions are obtained and interpreted in terms of maximum throughput. Several approximations related to these models are also discussed

    Investigating the validity of IEEE 802.11 MAC modeling hypotheses

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    As WLANs employing IEEE 802.11 have become pervasive, many analytic models for predicting their performance have been developed in recent years. Due to the complicated nature of the 802.11 MAC operation, approximations must be made to enable tractable mathematical models. In this article, through simulation we investigate the veracity of the approximations shared by many models that have been developed starting with the fundamental hypotheses in Bianchipsilas (1998 and 2000) seminal papers. We find that even for small numbers of station these assumptions that hold true for saturated stations (those that always have a packet to send) and for unsaturated stations with small buffers. However, despite their widespread adoption, we find that the commonly adopted assumptions that are used to incorporate station buffers are not appropriate. This raises questions about the predictive power of models based on these hypotheses

    Enhanced Collision Resolution for the IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function

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    The IEEE 802.11 standard relies on the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) as the fundamental medium access control method. DCF uses the Binary Exponential Backoff (BEB) algorithm to regulate channel access. The backoff period determined by BEB depends on a contention window (CW) whose size is doubled if a station suffers a collision and reset to its minimum value after a successful transmission. BEB doubles the CW size upon collision to reduce the collision probability in retransmission. However, this CW increase reduces channel access time because stations will spend more time sensing the channel rather than accessing it. Although resetting the CW to its minimum value increases channel access, it negatively affects fairness because it favours successfully transmitting stations over stations suffering from collisions. Moreover, resetting CW leads to increasing the collision probability and therefore increases the number of collisions. % Quality control editor: Please ensure that the intended meaning has been maintained in the edits of the previous sentence. Since increasing channel access time and reducing the probability of collisions are important factors to improve the DCF performance, and they conflict with each other, improving one will have an adverse effect on the other and consequently will harm the DCF performance. We propose an algorithm, \gls{ECRA}, that solves collisions once they occur without instantly increasing the CW size. Our algorithm reduces the collision probability without affecting channel access time. We also propose an accurate analytical model that allows comparing the theoretical saturation and maximum throughputs of our algorithm with those of benchmark algorithms. Our model uses a collision probability that is dependent on the station transmission history and thus provides a precise estimation of the probability that a station transmits in a random timeslot, which results in a more accurate throughput analysis. We present extensive simulations for fixed and mobile scenarios. The results show that on average, our algorithm outperformed BEB in terms of throughput and fairness. Compared to other benchmark algorithms, our algorithm improved, on average, throughput and delay performance

    Mac-Phy Cross-Layer analysis and design of Mimo-Ofdm Wlans based on fast link adaptation

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    The latestWLAN standard, known as IEEE 802.11n, has notably increased the network capacity with respect to its predecessors thanks to the incorporation of the multipleinput multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Nonetheless, the new amendment, as its previous ones, does not specify how crucial configuration mechanisms, most notably the adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) algorithm should be implemented. The AMC process has proved essential to fully exploit the system resources in light of varying channel conditions. In this dissertation, a closed-loop AMC technique, referred to as fast link adaption (FLA) algorithm, that effectively selects themodulation and coding scheme (MCS) for multicarriermultiantennaWLAN networks is proposed. The FLA algorithm determines the MCS that maximizes the throughput while satisfying a quality of service (QoS) constraint, usually defined in the form of an objective packet error rate (PER). To this end, FLA uses a packet/bit error rate prediction methodology based on the exponential effective SNRmetric (EESM). The FLA algorithm performance has been evaluated under IEEE 802.11n systems that thanks to the incorporation of a feedbackmechanismare able to implement closed- loop AMC mechanisms. Initially, this AMC technique relies only on physical layer information but it is subsequently extended to also take into account themediumaccess control (MAC) sublayer performance. At the physical layer, the FLA algorithm has demonstrated its effectivity by performing very close to optimality in terms of throughput, while satisfying a prescribed PER constraint. The FLA algorithm has also been evaluated using imperfect channel information. It has been observed that the proposed FLA technique is rather robust against imperfect channel information, and only in highly-frequency selective channels, imperfect channel knowledge causes a noticeable degradation in throughput. At the MAC sublayer, the FLA algorithm has been complemented with a timeout strategy that weighs down the influence of the available channel information as this becomes outdated. This channel information outdate is caused by the MAC sublayer whose user multiplexing policy potentially results in large delays between acquiring the instant in which the channel state information is acquired and that in which the channel is accessed. Results demonstrate the superiority of FLA when compared to open-loop algorithms under saturated and non-saturated conditions and irrespective of the packet length, number of users, protocol (CSMA/CA or CDMA/E2CA) and access scheme (Basic Access or RTS/CTS). Additionally, several analytical models have been developed to estimate the system performance at the MAC sublayer. These models account for all operational details of the IEEE 802.11n MAC sublayer, such as finite number of retries, anomalous slot or channel errors. In particular, a semi-analytical model that assesses the MAC layer throughput under saturated conditions, considering the AMC performance is first introduced. Then, an analytical model that allows the evaluation of the QoS performance under non-saturated conditions is presented. This model focuses on single MCS and it is able to accurately predict very important system performance metrics such as blocking probability, delay, probability of discard or goodput thanks to the consideration of the finite queues on each station. Finally, the previous non-saturated analytical approach is used to define a semi-analytical model in order to estimate the system performance when considering AMC algorithms (i.e. whenmultiple MCSs are available)La darrera versió de l’estàndard deWLAN, anomenada IEEE 802.11n, ha augmentat la seva capacitat notablement en relació als sistemes anteriors gràcies a la incorporació de la tecnologia de múltiples antenes en transmissió i recepció (MIMO). No obstant això, la nova proposta, al igual que les anteriors, segueix sense especificar com s’han d’implementar elsmecanismes de configuraciómés crucials, un dels quals és l’algoritme de codificació imodulació adaptativa (AMC). Aquests algoritmes ja han demostrat la seva importància a l’hora demaximitzar el rendiment del sistema tenint en compte les condicions canviants del canal. En aquesta tesis s’ha proposat un algoritme AMC de llaç tancat, anomenat adaptació ràpida de l’enllaç (FLA), que selecciona eficientment l’esquema demodulació i codificació adaptativa per xarxes WLAN basades en arquitectures multiportadora multiantena. L’algoritme FLA determina el mode de transmissió capaç de maximitzar el throughput per les condicions de canal actuals, mentre satisfà un requisit de qualitat de servei en forma de taxa d’error per paquet (PER). FLA utilitza una metodologia de predicció de PER basada en l’estimació de la relació senyal renou (SNR) efectiva exponencial (EESM). El rendiment de l’algoritme FLA ha estat avaluat en sistemes IEEE 802.11n, ja que aquests, gràcies a la incorporació d’unmecanisme de realimentació demodes de transmissió, poden adoptar solucions AMC de llaç tancat. En una primera part, l’estudi s’ha centrat a la capa física i després s’ha estès a la subcapa MAC. A la capa física s’ha demostrat l’efectivitat de l’algoritme FLA aconseguint un rendiment molt proper al que ens proporcionaria un esquema AMC òptim en termes de throughput, alhora que es satisfan els requisits de PER objectiu. L’algoritme FLA també ha estat avaluat utilitzant informació imperfecte del canal. S’ha vist que l’algoritme FLA proposat és robust en front dels efectes d’estimació imperfecte del canal, i només en canals altament selectius en freqüència, la informació imperfecte del canal provoca una davallada en el rendiment en termes de throughput. A la subcapa MAC, l’algoritme FLA ha estat complementat amb una estratègia de temps d’espera que disminueix la dependència amb la informació de canal disponible a mesura que aquesta va quedant desfassada respecte de l’estat actual. Aquesta informació de canal desfassada és conseqüència de la subcapa MAC que degut a la multiplexació d’usuaris introdueix grans retards entre que es determina el mode de transmissió més adequat i la seva utilització per a l’accés al canal. Els resultats obtinguts han demostrat la superioritat de FLA respecte d’altres algoritmes de llaç obert en condicions de saturació i de no saturació, i independentment de la longitud de paquet, nombre d’usuaris, protocol (CSMA/CA i CSMA/E2CA) i esquema d’accés (Basic Access i RTS/CTS). Amés, s’han desenvolupat diversosmodels analítics per tal d’estimar el rendiment del sistema a la subcapa MAC. Aquests models consideren tots els detalls de funcionament de la subcapaMAC del 802.11n, comper exemple un nombre finit de retransmissions de cada paquet, l’slot anòmal o els errors introduïts pel canal. Inicialment s’ha proposat unmodel semi-analític que determina el throughtput en condicions de saturació, considerant el rendiment dels algoritmes AMC. Després s’ha presentat un model analític que estima el rendiment del sistema per condicions de no saturació, mitjançat elmodelat de cues finites a cada estació. Aquestmodel consideramodes de transmissió fixes i és capaç de determinar de manera molt precisa mètriques de rendimentmolt importants comsón la probabilitat de bloqueig de cada estació, el retard mitjà del paquets, la probabilitat de descart o la mesura del goodput. Finalment, el model analític de no saturació s’ha utilitzat per definir un model semi-analític per tal d’estimar el rendiment del sistema quan es considera l’ús d’algoritmes AMC

    A Methodology for Analyzing Power Consumption in Wireless Communication Systems

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    Energy usage has become an important issue in wireless communication systems. The energy-intensive nature of wireless communication has spurred concern over how best systems can make the most use of this non-renewable resource. Research in energy-efficient design of wireless communication systems show that one of its challenges is that the overall performance of the system depends, in a coupled way, on the different submodules of the system i.e. antenna, power amplifier, modulation, error control coding, and network architecture. Network architecture implementation strategies offer protocol software implementors an opportunity of incorporating low-power strategies into the design of the network protocols used for data communication. This dissertation proposes a methodology that would allow a software protocol implementor to analyze the power consumption of a wireless communication system. The foundation of this methodology lies in the understanding of the formal specification of the wireless interface network architecture which can be used to predict the performance of the system. By extending this hypothesis, a protocol implementor can use the formal specification to derive the power consumption behaviour of the wireless system during a normal operation (transmission or reception of data). A high-level formalism like state-transition graphs, can be used to track the protocol processing behaviour and to derive the associated continuous-time Markov chains. Because of their diversity, Markov reward models(MRM) are used to model the power consumption associated with the different states of a specified protocol layer. The models are solved analytically using the Mobius performance and dependability tool. Using the MRM accumulation and utilization measures, a profile of the power consumption is generated. Results from the experiments on the protocol layers show the individual power consumption and utilization of the different states as well as the accumulated power consumption of different protocol layers when compared. Ultimately, the results from the reward model solution can be used in the energy-efficient design of wireless communication systems. Lastly, in order to get an idea of how wireless communication device companies handle issues of power consumption, we consulted with the wireless module engineers at Siemens Communication South Africa and present our findings on current practices in energy efficient protocol implementation

    End to end architecture and mechanisms for mobile and wireless communications in the Internet

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    Architecture et mécanismes de bout en bout pour les communications mobiles et sans fil dans l'Internet. La gestion performante de la mobilité et l'amélioration des performances des couches basses sont deux enjeux fondamentaux dans le contexte des réseaux sans fil. Cette thèse apporte des solutions originales et innovantes qui visent à répondre à ces deux problématiques empêchant à ce jour d'offrir des possibilités de communication performantes et sans couture aux usagers mobiles accédant à l'Internet via des réseaux d'accès locaux sans fil (WLAN). Ces solutions se distinguent en particulier par l'impact minimum qu'elles ont sur les protocoles standards de l'Internet (niveaux transport et réseau) ou de l'IEEE (niveaux physique et liaison de données). S'inscrivant dans les paradigmes de "bout en bout" et "cross-layer", notre architecture permet d'offrir des solutions efficaces pour la gestion de la mobilité : gestion de la localisation et des handover en particulier. En outre, nous montrons que notre approche permet également d'améliorer l'efficacité des transmissions ainsi que de résoudre efficacement plusieurs syndromes identifiés au sein de 802.11 tels que les anomalies de performance, l'iniquité entre les flux et l'absence de contrôle de débit entre la couche MAC et les couches supérieures. Cette thèse résout ces problèmes en combinant des modèles analytiques, des simulations et de réelles expérimentations. Ces mécanismes adaptatifs ont été développés et intégrés dans une architecture de communication qui fournit des services de communication à haute performance pour réseaux sans fils tels que WIFI et WIMAX. ABSTRACT : Wireless networks, because of the potential pervasive and mobile communication services they offer, are becoming the dominant Internet access networks. However, the legacy Internet protocols, still dominant at that time, have not been designed with mobility and wireless in mind. Therefore, numerous maladjustments and “defaults of impedance” can be observed when combining wireless physical and MAC layers with the traditional upper layers. This thesis proposes several solutions for a pacific coexistence between these communication layers that have been defined and designed independently. Reliable mobility management and Low layer performance enhancements are two main challenging issues in the context of wireless networks. Mobility management (which is mostly based on mobile IP architecture nowadays) aims to continuously assign and control the wireless connections of mobile nodes amongst a space of wireless access networks. Low layer performance enhancements mainly focus on the transmission efficiency such as higher rate, lower loss, interference avoidance. This thesis addresses these two important issues from an original and innovative approach that, conversely to the traditional contributions, entails a minimum impact on the legacy protocols and internet infrastructure. Following the “end to end” and “cross layer” paradigms, we address and offer efficient and light solutions to fast handover, location management and continuous connection support through a space of wireless networks. Moreover, we show that such an approach makes it possible to enhance transmission efficiency and solve efficiently several syndromes that plague the performances of current wireless networks such as performance anomaly, unfairness issues and maladjustment between MAC layer and upper layers. This thesis tackles these issues by combining analytical models, simulations and real experiments. The resulting mechanisms have been developed and integrated into adaptive mobility management communication architecture that delivers high performing communication services to mobile wireless systems, with a focus on WIFI and WIMAX access networks
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