Hung-Yun Hsieh

ATP: a reliable transport protocol for ad hoc networks

Existing works have approached the problem of reliable transport in ad hoc networks by proposing mechanisms to improve TCPs performance over such networks, In this paper, we show through detailed arguments and simulations that several of the design elements in TCP are fundamentally inappropriate for the unique characteristics of ad hoc networks. Given that ad hoc networks are typically stand-alone, we approach the problem of reliable transport from the perspective that it is justifiable to develop an entirely new transport protocol that is not a variant of TCP. Toward this end, we present a new reliable transport layer protocol for ad hoc networks called ATP (ad hoc transport protocol). We show through ns2-based simulations that ATP outperforms default TCP as well as TCP-ELFN and ATCP.

ATP: a reliable transport protocol for ad-hoc networks

Existing works have approached the problem of reliable transport in ad hoc networks by proposing mechanisms to improve TCPs performance over such networks, In this paper, we show through detailed arguments and simulations that several of the design elements in TCP are fundamentally inappropriate for the unique characteristics of ad hoc networks. Given that ad hoc networks are typically stand-alone, we approach the problem of reliable transport from the perspective that it is justifiable to develop an entirely new transport protocol that is not a variant of TCP. Toward this end, we present a new reliable transport layer protocol for ad hoc networks called ATP (ad hoc transport protocol). We show through ns2-based simulations that ATP outperforms default TCP as well as TCP-ELFN and ATCP.

A receiver-centric transport protocol for mobile hosts with heterogeneous wireless interfaces

Numerous transport protocols have been proposed in related work for use by mobile hosts over wireless environments. A common theme among the design of such protocols is that they specifically address the distinct characteristics of the last-hop wireless link, such as random wireless errors, round-trip time variations, blackouts, handoffs, etc. In this paper, we argue that due to the defining role played by the wireless link on a connections performance, locating the intelligence of a transport protocol at the mobile host that is adjacent to the wireless link can result in distinct performance advantages. To this end, we present a receiver-centric transport protocol called RCP (Reception Control Protocol) that is a TCP clone in its general behavior, but allows for better congestion control, loss recovery, and power management mechanisms compared to sender-centric approaches. More importantly, in the context of recent trends where mobile hosts are increasingly being equipped with multiple interfaces providing access to heterogeneous wireless networks, we show that a receiver-centric protocol such as RCP can enable a powerful and comprehensive transport layer solution for such multi-homed hosts. Specifically, we describe how RCP can be used to provide: (i) a scalable solution to support interface specific congestion control for a single active connection; (ii) seamless server migration capability during handoffs; and (iii) effective bandwidth aggregation when receiving data through multiple interfaces, either from one server, or from multiple replicated servers. We use both packet level simulations, and real Internet experiments to evaluate the proposed protocol.

On using peer-to-peer communication in cellular wireless data networks

A recent class of approaches for enhancing the performance of cellular wireless data networks has focused on improving the underlying network model. It has been shown that using the peer-to-peer network model, a mode of communication typically seen in ad hoc wireless networks, can result in performance improvements such as increased data rate, reduced transmission power, better load balancing, and enhanced network coverage. However, the true impact of adopting the peer-to-peer network model in such an environment is yet to be fully understood. In this paper, we investigate the performance benefits and drawbacks of using the peer-to-peer network model for Internet access in cellular wireless data networks. We find that, although the peer-to-peer network model has significantly better spatial reuse characteristics, the improved spatial reuse does not translate into better throughput performance. Instead, we observe that using the peer-to-peer network model as-is might actually degrade the throughput performance of the network. We identify and discuss the reasons behind these observations. Using the insights gained through the performance evaluations, we then propose two categories of approaches to improve the performance of the peer-to-peer network model: approaches that leverage assistance from the base station and approaches that leverage the relaying capability of multihomed hosts. Through simulation results, we show that using the peer-to-peer network model in cellular wireless data networks is a promising approach when the network model is complemented with appropriate mechanisms.

pTCP: an end-to-end transport layer protocol for striped connections

The TCP transport layer protocol is designed for connections that traverse a single path between the sender and receiver. However there are several environments in which multiple paths can be used by a connection simultaneously. We consider the problem of supporting striped connections that operate over multiple paths. We propose an end-to-end transport layer protocol called pTCP (parallel TCP) that allows connections to enjoy the aggregate bandwidths offered by the multiple paths, irrespective of the individual characteristics of the paths. We show that pTCP can have a varied range of applications through instantiations in three different environments: (a) bandwidth aggregation on multi-homed mobile hosts; (b) service differentiation using purely end-to-end mechanisms; (c) end-systems based network striping. In each of the applications, we demonstrate the applicability of pTCP and how its efficacy compares with existing approaches through simulation results.

Performance comparison of cellular and multi-hop wireless networks: a quantitative study

In this paper we study the performance trade-offs between conventional cellular and multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks. We compare through simulations the performance of the two network models in terms of raw network capacity, end-to-end throughput, end-to-end delay, power consumption, per-node fairness (for throughput, delay, and power), and impact of mobility on the network performance. The simulation results show that while adhoc networks perform better in terms of throughput, delay, and power, they suffer from unfairness and poor network performance in the event of mobility.We discuss the trade-offs involved in the performance of the two network models, identify the specific reasons behind them, and argue that the trade-offs preclude the adoption of either network model as a clear solution for future wireless communication systems. Finally, we present a simple hybrid wireless network model that has the combined advantages of cellular and ad-hoc wireless networks but does not suffer from the disadvantages of either.

On using the ad-hoc network model in cellular packet data networks

While several approaches have been proposed in literature for improving the performance of wireless packet data networks, a recent class of approaches has focused on improving the underlying wireless network model itself. Several of such approaches have shown that using peer-to-peer communication, a mode of communication used typically in ad-hoc wireless networks, can result in performance improvement in terms of both throughput and energy consumption. However, the true impact of using the ad-hoc network model in wireless packet data networks has neither been comprehensively studied, nor characterized. In this paper, we investigate the benefits of using an ad-hoc network model in cellular wireless packet data networks. We find that while the ad-hoc network model has significantly better spatial reuse characteristics, the improved spatial reuse does not translate into better throughput performance. Furthermore, although considerable improvement is seen in energy consumption performance, we observe that using the ad-hoc network model as-is might actually degrade the throughput performance of the network. We identify and discuss the reasons behind these observations. Finally, using the insights gained through our performance evaluations, we discuss strawman versions of three techniques which when used in tandem with the ad-hoc network model result in better throughput, energy consumption, fairness, and mobility-resilience characteristics. Through our simulation results, we motivate that using the ad-hoc network model in conventional wireless packet data networks is a promising approach when the network model is complemented with appropriate mechanisms.

A transport layer approach for achieving aggregate bandwidths on multi-homed mobile hosts

Abstract Due to the availability of a wide variety of wireless access technologies, a mobile host can potentially have subscriptions and access to more than one wireless network at a given time. In this paper, we consider such a multi-homed mobile host, and address the problem of achieving bandwidth aggregation by striping data across the multiple interfaces of the mobile host. We show that both link layer striping approaches and application layer techniques that stripe data across multiple TCP sockets, do not achieve optimal bandwidth aggregation due to a variety of factors specific to wireless networks. We propose an end-to-end transport layer approach called pTCP that effectively performs bandwidth aggregation on multi-homed mobile hosts. We show through simulations that pTCP achieves the desired goals under a variety of network conditions.

On Using Interference-Aware Spectrum Sensing for Dynamic Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing is an important step toward enabling dynamic spectrum access in cognitive radio networks. To ensure that primary users are properly protected while maximizing the performance of secondary users, most related work considers the metrics of probabilities of missed detection and false alarm for determining optimal spectrum sensing parameters. In this paper, we argue that spectrum sensing based entirely on the two metrics is unable to maximize spectrum utilization for dynamic spectrum access. We show that, to meet the requirement of the probability of missed detection, conventional spectrum sensing techniques can unnecessarily increase the probability of false alarm in scenarios with good spectrum reuse opportunity, thus lowering the ability to leverage spectrum holes. To address this problem, we define the probability of interference and propose a new metric for spectrum sensing to consider both the probabilities of interference and missed detection. We first investigate the problem of optimal spectrum hole discovery for a single secondary user based on the proposed metric, and then extend to the problem of cooperative spectrum sensing among a group of secondary users. Compared against conventional sensing techniques presented in related work, we show through simulations that interference-aware spectrum sensing can potentially result in better utilization of the spectrum by allowing the secondary user to maximize its transmission opportunity without sacrificing the desired degree of protection for primary users.

IEEE 802.11 over multi-hop wireless networks: problems and new perspectives

Abstract The distributed coordination function (DCF) mode of the IEEE 802.11 MAC standard, though proposed for medium access in wireless local area networks, is seen as the de-facto medium access standard in multi-hop wireless networks. In this paper we contend that the unique characteristics that differentiate multi-hop wireless ad-hoc networks from local area wireless networks render the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol inefficient in ad-hoc networks. Specifically, we focus on the band of contention and the fairness model employed by the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol in our study. We substantiate our arguments through simulations of idealized (centralized) protocols, and consider the key changes required to adapt the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol for multi-hop wireless networks. We then propose a simple medium access scheme within the IEEE 802.11 MAC framework, called flow based medium access (FBMA) that achieves significantly better fairness properties while adhering to the purely distributed operations of the basic IEEE 802.11 MAC scheme. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed MAC protocol through simulations.