Output details
11 - Computer Science and Informatics
University of Edinburgh
A Control-Theoretic Approach to Distributed Optimal Configuration of 802.11 WLANs
<05> Originality: Presents a novel adaptive algorithm for optimally configuring the contention window parameter of 802.11 devices. The algorithm employs multi-variable control-theory tools to maximise WLAN performance, and is amenable to implementation with commodity hardware.
Significance: Previous approaches are based on heuristics, do not guarantee optimality, or require prohibitive hardware modifications. The proposed scheme is sustained on mathematical analysis, and validated through simulations and a real prototype; demonstrated up to 40% throughput gains and four-fold reductions of the access delay.
Rigour: Stability and convergence proofs; Ziegler-Nichols method used to achieve adequate trade-off between quick reaction to network changes and robustness.