Multihop wireless networks: capacity limits and how to approach them

ABSTRACT

Wireless technology advances over the last few years lead to sophisticated physical layer designs that may interact with the access and network layer in multiple modes. Link quality related information is passed from the physical layer, to be used in access and network layer actions. At the same time several considerations belonging naturally to the physical layer, like channel coding rate, signal constellation selection, power level adjustments, frequency selection and beam steering in multiple antenna systems are to the disposal of the access layer, that may control them in various time scales. That interaction is particularly useful for full exploitation of the volatile error-prone mobile channel and the establishment of reliable broadband wireless links in the interference limited radio medium. It is clear that novel approaches are needed for architecting networks that seamlessly integrate wired and wireless components and offer the grade of service people are accustomed from the internet. In this presentation we will review a number of theoretical advances towards characterizing the capacity of wireless networks and present an optimization based framework for developing algorithms towards achieving that capacity. The necessary interaction among the different network layers will be discussed while implementation challenges both in terms of computational complexity as well as state information availability will be presented. Implications on the scaling properties of those algorithms will be given.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.4 PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Performance

Keywords:
mobile wireless networks, network capacity, wireless architectures