Thorough analysis of IEEE 802.11 EDCA in ring topology scenarios with hidden and exposed nodes

Abstract

In this paper the authors present a simulation study of five different ring networks with hidden and exposed nodes in which the IEEE 802.11 EDCA function is used as the MAC protocol. The presented analysis is crucial for understanding how the theoretically simple ring topology can be degraded by the presence of hidden and exposed nodes. Configurations with equal and mixed priorities are considered. Additionally, the usefulness of the four-way handshake mechanism is argued. Furthermore, the achieved results are compared with the results obtained for several star and line topology networks. Finally, the authors signalize the need for a better MAC protocol. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.