Abstract
This paper describes the design and performance of a link-layer protocol for indoor and outdoor wireless networks. The protocol is asymmetric to reduce the processing load at the mobile, reliability is established by a combination of automatic repeat request and forward error correction, and link-layer packets are transferred appropriately during handoffs. The protocol is namedAIRMAIL (AsymmetrIc Reliable Mobile Access In Link-layer). The asymmetry is needed in the design because the mobile terminals have limited power and smaller processing capability than the base stations. The key ideas in the asymmetric protocol design consist of placing bulk of the intelligence in the base station as opposed to placing it symmetrically, in requiring the mobile terminal to combine several acknowledgments into a single acknowledgment to conserve power, and in designing the base stations to send periodic status messages, while making the acknowledgment from the mobile terminal eventdriven. The asymmetry in the protocol design results in a one-third reduction of compiled code. The forward error correction technique incorporates three levels of channel coding which interact adaptively. The motivation for using a combination of forward error correction and link-layer retransmissions is to obtain better performance in terms of end-to-end throughput and latency by correcting errors in an unreliable wireless channel in addition to end-to-end correction rather than by correcting errors only by end-to-end retransmissions. The coding overhead is changed adaptively so that bandwidth expansion due to forward error correction is minimized. Integrity of the link during handoffs (in the face of mobility) is handled by window management and state transfer. The protocol has been implemented. Experimental performance results based on the implementation are presented.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. Ayanoglu, C.-L. I, R.D. Gitlin and J. E. Mazo, Diversity coding for self-healing and fault-tolerant communication Networks, IEEE Trans. Commun. COM-41 (1993) 1677–1686.
Cellular Digital Packet Data System Specification Release 1.0, Book III (CDPD Industry Input Coordinator, Costa Mesa, CA, July 1993).
R. Caceres and L. Iftode, The effects of mobility on reliable transport protocols,Proc. 14th ICDCS, June 1994.
D.D. Clark, M.L. Lambert and L. Zhang, NETBLT: A bulk data transfer protocol,Proc. ACM SIGCOMM '87 Symp. Stowe, Vermont, August 1987, pp. 353–359.
A. DeSimone, M.C. Chuah and O.C. Yue, Throughput performance of transport layer protocols over wireless LANs,Proc. IEEE GLOBECOM '93, Houston, November 1993, pp. 542–549.
W.C. Jakes (ed.),Microwave Mobile Communications (Wiley, 1974; Reissued by IEEE Press, 1994).
P. Karn, The Qualcomm CDMA digital cellular system,USENIX Mobile and Location-Independent Symp. Proc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 1993, pp. 35–40.
R.E. Kahn, S.A. Gronemeyer, J. Burchfiel and R.C. Kunzelman, Advances in packet radio technology, Proc. IEEE 66 (1978) 1468–1496.
K. Keeton, B.A. Mah, S. Seshan, R.H. Katz and D. Ferrari, Providing connection-oriented network services to mobile hosts,USENIX Mobile and Location-Independent Symp. Proc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 1993, pp. 83–102.
S. Lin and D.J. Costello,Error Control Coding: Fundamentals and Applications (Prentice-Hall, Englewood-Cliffs, NJ, 1983).
B.M. Leiner, D.L. Nielson and F.A. Tobagi, Issues in packet radio design, Proc. IEEE 75 (1987) 6–20.
S. Nanda, R. Ejzak and B.T. Doshi, A retransmission scheme for circuit-mode data on wireless links, accepted for publication in IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun.
A.N. Netravali, W.D. Roome and K.K. Sabnani, Design and implementation of a high speed transport protocol, IEEE Trans. Commun. COM-38 (1990) 721–730.
W. Simpson, IP mobility support, Submission to Internet Engineering Task Force (1994).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ayanoglu, E., Paul, S., LaPorta, T.F. et al. AIRMAIL: A link-layer protocol for wireless networks. Wireless Netw 1, 47–60 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01196258
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01196258