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Scheduled WiFi using distributed contention in WLANs: algorithms, experiments, and case-studies

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Abstract

The ubiquitous adoption of WiFi introduces large diversity in types of application requirements and topological characteristics. Consequently, considerable attention is being devoted to making WiFi networks controllable without compromising their scalability. However, the main MAC protocol of WiFi, distributed coordination function (DCF), is a contention-based protocol using random backoff. Thus, operating under DCF, the access of channel is hard to control and nonpredictable. In order to provide controllability of channel access in WiFi, we propose Rhythm, a MAC protocol that achieves scheduled WiFi efficiently using distributed contention. By achieving scheduled WiFi, channel access can be controlled by manipulating the schedule decision. We evaluate the performance of Rhythm through analysis, experiments, and case-studies.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation under grants CNS-1319455 and CNS-1513884, and the Wayne J. Holman Chair.

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Correspondence to Chao-Fang Shih.

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Shih, CF., Krishnaswamy, B., Jian, Y. et al. Scheduled WiFi using distributed contention in WLANs: algorithms, experiments, and case-studies. Wireless Netw 24, 89–112 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-016-1319-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-016-1319-7

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