Performance of wireless LAN access methods in multicell environments

Abstract

In this paper, we address the issue of evaluating performance of wireless LANs in multicell scenarios. We try to understand the complex behavior of the DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) access method defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard [1] and its modifications proposed for improving performance: Slow Decrease [2], Asymptotically Optimal Backoff [3], and Idle Sense [4]. We analyze the influence of overlapping cells and large multicell environments on their performance. Our results show that the IEEE 802.11 DCF and its two modifications (Slow Decrease and AOB) exhibit important unfairness between stations close to the access point and those near the border of a neighbor cell. Idle Sense performs much better: it provides much better fairness than the IEEE 802.11 DCF and its modifications. It also obtains the highest throughput when stations adapt their bit rate to channel conditions.