Modeling multicast packet losses in wireless LANs

— The characteristics of wireless packet loss have been studied extensively. Most efforts focus on the temporal loss characteristics at individual stations. For multicast protocols and applications, however, the relationship among losses at multiple nodes can directly affect performance. In existing models, packet losses are generally assumed to be spatially independent. In our experiments with an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN, however, we found that the losses at multiple nodes can exhibit a certain degree of correlation. In this paper, we attempt to quantify this correlation, and demonstrate its effect on multicast communication protocols. Analysis and simulation results show that conventional packet loss models do not adequately capture the loss characteristics exhibited in experimental traces. Therefore, we propose a new approach for modeling packet losses that explicitly accounts for spatial loss correlation. The improved accuracy of the new approach, compared to conventional models,...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: MSWIM
• Authors: Chiping Tang, Philip K. McKinley
• Keywords: Loss Characteristics, Modelling And Simulation, MSWIM 2003, Packet Loss, Packet Losses