Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Future of Information and Communication Conference

FICC 2019: Advances in Information and Communication pp 117–142Cite as

MAC Protocols for Wireless Mesh Networks with Multi-beam Antennas: A Survey

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 69))

Abstract

Multi-beam antenna technologies have provided lots of promising solutions to many current challenges faced in wireless mesh networks. The antenna can establish several beamformings simultaneously and initiate concurrent transmissions or receptions using multiple beams, thereby increasing the overall throughput of the network transmission. Multi-beam antenna has the ability to increase the spatial reuse, extend the transmission range, improve the transmission reliability, as well as save the power consumption. Traditional Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols for wireless network largely based on the IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) mechanism, which cannot take the advantages of these unique capabilities of multi-beam antennas. This paper surveys the MAC protocols for wireless mesh networks with multi-beam antennas. The paper first discusses some basic information in designing multi-beam antenna system and MAC protocols, and then presents the main challenges for the MAC protocols in wireless mesh networks compared with the traditional MAC protocols. A qualitative comparison of the existing MAC protocols is provided to highlight their novel features, which provides a reference for designing the new MAC protocols. To provide some insights on future research, several open issues of MAC protocols are discussed for wireless mesh networks using multi-beam antennas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Akyildiz, I.F., Wang, X., Wang, W.: Wireless mesh networks: a survey. Comput. Netw. 47(4), 445–487 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Akyildiz, I., Wang, X.: Wireless Mesh Networks, vol. 3. Wiley, Chichester (2009)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Wang, J., Fang, Y., Dapeng, W.: Enhancing the performance of medium access control for WLANs with multi-beam access point. IEEE Trans. Wirel. Commun. 6(2), 556–565 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Conti, M., Giordano, S.: Multihop ad hoc networking: the reality. IEEE Commun. Mag. 45(4), 88–95 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bazan, O., Jaseemuddin, M.: A survey on MAC protocols for wireless adhoc networks with beamforming antennas. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor. 14(2), 216–239 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sundaresan, K., Lakshmanan, S., Sivakumar, R.: On the use of smart antennas in multi-hop wireless networks. In: 2006 3rd International Conference on Broadband Communications, Networks and Systems, BROADNETS 2006. IEEE (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Winters, J.H.: Smart antennas for wireless systems. IEEE Pers. Commun. 5(1), 23–27 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cooper, M., Goldburg, M.: Intelligent antennas: spatial division multiple access. Ann. Rev. Commun. 4, 02–0013 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bao, L., Garcia-Luna-Aceves, J.J.: Transmission scheduling in ad hoc networks with directional antennas. In: Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. ACM (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Chou, Z., Huang, C., Chang, J.: QoS provisioning for wireless LANs with multi-beam access point. IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. 13(9), 2113–2127 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sundaresan, K., Sivakumar, R.: A unified MAC layer framework for ad-hoc networks with smart antennas. In: Proceedings of the 5th ACM International Symposium on Mobile Ad Hoc Networking and Computing. ACM (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Athan, R.: Antenna beamforming and power control for ad hoc networks. In: Mobile Ad Hoc Networking, p. 139 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Li, J., et al.: Capacity of ad hoc wireless networks. In: Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. ACM (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang, J.L., Liew, S.C.: Capacity improvement of wireless ad hoc networks with directional antennae. In: 2006 63rd IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, VTC 2006-Spring, vol. 2. IEEE (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Jain, V., Gupta, A., Agrawal, D.P.: On-demand medium access in multihop wireless networks with multiple beam smart antennas. IEEE Trans. Parallel Distrib. Syst. 19(4), 489–502 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Paulraj, A.J., Papadias, C.B.: Space-time processing for wireless communications. IEEE Sig. Process. Mag. 14(6), 49–83 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Li, G., et al.: Opportunities and challenges for mesh networks using directional antennas. In: WiMESH 2005 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Choudhury, R.R., Vaidya, N.H.: Performance of ad hoc routing using directional antennas. Ad Hoc Netw. 3(2), 157–173 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Li, P., Zhang, C., Fang, Y.: Asymptotic connectivity in wireless ad hoc networks using directional antennas. IEEE/ACM Trans. Netw. (TON) 17(4), 1106–1117 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Spyropoulos, A., Raghavendra, C.S.: Energy efficient communications in ad hoc networks using directional antennas. In: Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Joint Conference of the IEEE Computer and Communications Societies, INFOCOM 2002, vol. 1. IEEE (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Noubir, G.: On connectivity in ad hoc networks under jamming using directional antennas and mobility. In: Wired/Wireless Internet Communications, pp. 186–200. Springer, Berlin (2004)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Zefreh, M.S., Khadivi, P.: Secure directional routing to prevent relay attack. In: 2008 3rd International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies: From Theory to Applications, ICTTA 2008. IEEE (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Malhotra, N., et al.: Location estimation in ad hoc networks with directional antennas. In: 2005 Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems, ICDCS 2005. IEEE (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hu, C., Hong, Y., Hou, J.: On mitigating the broadcast storm problem with directional antennas. In: 2003 IEEE International Conference on Communications, ICC 2003, vol. 1. IEEE (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  25. IEEE 802.11 Working Group: Wireless LAN medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) specifications (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gummalla, A.C.V., Limb, J.O.: Wireless medium access control protocols. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor. 3(2), 2–15 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jurdak, R., Lopes, C.V., Baldi, P.: A survey, classification and comparative analysis of medium access control protocols for ad hoc networks. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor. 6(1), 2–16 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kumar, S., Raghavan, V.S., Deng, J.: Medium access control protocols for ad hoc wireless networks: a survey. Ad Hoc Netw. 4(3), 326–358 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bharghavan, V., et al.: MACAW: a media access protocol for wireless LAN’s. ACM SIGCOMM Comput. Commun. Rev. 24(4), 212–225 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Choudhury, R.R., et al.: On designing MAC protocols for wireless networks using directional antennas. IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. 5(5), 477–491 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Choudhury, R.R., et al.: Using directional antennas for medium access control in ad hoc networks. In: Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. ACM (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Gossain, H., et al.: The deafness problems and solutions in wireless ad hoc networks using directional antennas. In: IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference Workshops, GlobeCom Workshops 2004. IEEE (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Takata, M., Bandai, M., Watanabe, T.: A MAC protocol with directional antennas for deafness avoidance in ad hoc networks. In: 2007 IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference, GLOBECOM 2007. IEEE (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Choudhury, R.R., Vaidya, N.F.: Deafness: a MAC problem in ad hoc networks when using directional antennas. In: 2004 Proceedings of the 12th IEEE International Conference on Network Protocols, ICNP 2004. IEEE (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kolar, V., Tilak, S., Abu-Ghazaleh, N.B.: Avoiding head of line blocking in directional antenna [MAC protocol]. In: 2004 29th Annual IEEE International Conference on Local Computer Networks. IEEE (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Bazan, O., Jaseemuddin, M.: An opportunistic directional MAC protocol for multihop wireless networks with switched beam directional antennas. In: 2008 IEEE International Conference on Communications, ICC 2008. IEEE (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Stevanovic, I., Skrivervik, A., Mosig, J.R.: Smart antenna systems for mobile communications. Technical report. Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Lovelace, W.M., Townsend, J.K.: Adaptive rate control with chip discrimination in UWB networks. In: 2003 IEEE Conference on Ultra Wideband Systems and Technologies. IEEE (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Singh, H., Singh, S.: A MAC protocol based on adaptive beamforming for ad hoc networks. In: 2003 14th IEEE Proceedings on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, PIMRC 2003, vol. 2. IEEE (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Zhang, Z.: Pure directional transmission and reception algorithms in wireless ad hoc networks with directional antennas. In: 2005 IEEE International Conference on Communications, ICC 2005, vol. 5. IEEE (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Wang, J., Fang, Y., Wu, D.: SYN-DMAC: a directional MAC protocol for ad hoc networks with synchronization. In: 2005 IEEE Military Communications Conference, MILCOM 2005. IEEE (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Chang, J.-J., Liao, W., Hou, T.-C.: Reservation-based directional medium access control (RDMAC) protocol for multi-hop wireless networks with directional antennas. In: 2009 IEEE International Conference on Communications, ICC 2009. IEEE (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Wang, J., et al.: Directional medium access control for ad hoc networks. Wirel. Netw. 15(8), 1059–1073 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Lal, D., et al.: Performance evaluation of medium access control for multiple-beam antenna nodes in a wireless LAN. IEEE Trans. Parallel Distrib. Syst. 15(12), 1117–1129 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Sundaresan, K., et al.: Medium access control in ad hoc networks with MIMO links: optimization considerations and algorithms. IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. 3(4), 350–365 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Lal, D., et al.: A novel MAC layer protocol for space division multiple access in wireless ad hoc networks. In: 2002 Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Computer Communications and Networks. IEEE (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  47. Choi, Y.-S., Alamouti, S., Tarokh, V.: Complementary beamforming: new approaches. IEEE Trans. Commun. 54(1), 41–50 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Wang, G., Xiao, P., Li, W.: A novel MAC protocol for wireless network using multi-beam directional antennas. In: 2017 International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications (ICNC). IEEE (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  49. Biomo, J.-D.M.M., Kunz, T., St-Hilaire, M.: Exploiting multiple beam antennas for end-to-end delay reduction in ad hoc networks. In: Ad Hoc Networks, pp. 143–155. Springer, Cham (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  50. Biomo, J.-D.M.M., Kunz, T., St-Hilaire, M.: Exploiting multi-beam antennas for end-to-end delay reduction in ad hoc networks. Mob. Netw. Appl. 23(5), 1293–1305 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Kuperman, G., et al.: Uncoordinated MAC for adaptive multi-beam directional networks: analysis and evaluation. In: 2016 25th International Conference on Computer Communication and Networks (ICCCN). IEEE (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  52. Babich, F., Comisso, M., Crismani, A., Dorni, A.: On the design of MAC protocols for multi-packet communication in IEEE 802.11 heterogeneous networks using adaptive antenna arrays. IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. 14(11), 2332–2348 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Proulx, B., Madiedo, J., Jones, N.M., Kuperman. G.: Topology control in aerial multi-beam directional networks. In: 2018 IEEE Aerospace Conference. IEEE (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  54. Hong, W., Jiang, Z.H., Yu, C., Zhou, J., Chen, P., Yu, Z., Zhang, H., et al.: Multibeam antenna technologies for 5G wireless communications. IEEE Trans. Antennas Prop. 65(12), 6231–6249 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA

    Gang Wang & Yanyuan Qin

Authors
  1. Gang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yanyuan Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gang Wang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga, Japan

    Kohei Arai

  2. The Science and Information (SAI) Organization, Bradford, UK

    Rahul Bhatia

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Wang, G., Qin, Y. (2020). MAC Protocols for Wireless Mesh Networks with Multi-beam Antennas: A Survey. In: Arai, K., Bhatia, R. (eds) Advances in Information and Communication. FICC 2019. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 69. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12388-8_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation