An improved efficient performance design with multiple channels and bandwidth allocation strategy for mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the design of multiple channels to achieve the goal of a high‐performance medium access control (MAC) protocol is to be proposed to solve the problem of wasting bandwidth resources due to waiting for the backoff time.

Design/methodology/approach

In the MAC design of this paper, a control channel and a data channel are used to improve bandwidth utilization. When the control channel waits for the backoff time, the data channel may transfer data. As a result, bandwidth utilization can be improved. In order to have better bandwidth utilization in multiple channels, the authors also propose a bandwidth allocation strategy for control channels and data channels. According to the strategy, the control and data signals can be smoothly transmitted without blocking or waiting, thereby not wasting bandwidth resources. Finally, the authors propose multiple control sub‐channels and data sub‐channels to further reduce the backoff time penalty and make more communication pairs work in a transmission range to increase the throughput.

Findings

The paper solves the following problems bandwidth waste that results from waiting for the backoff time in the single channel model and bandwidth allocation strategy for the control and data sub‐channels in the multiple channel model to achieve throughput enhancement in mobile ad‐hoc networks.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed method needs the support of multiple channels.

Practical implications

From the result, the bandwidth allocation ratio of the proposed method performs better than other various allocation ratios. In addition, the proposed method with the bandwidth allocation strategy and multiple data and control sub‐channels results in a better throughput than IEEE 802.11 DCF by 22.3 per cent.

Originality/value

The proposed method using multiple control and data sub‐channels can improve the throughput and reduce bandwidth waste over IEEE 802.11 DCF.

Citation

Chen, C. and Lai, C. (2008), "An improved efficient performance design with multiple channels and bandwidth allocation strategy for mobile ad hoc networks", International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 279-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/17427370810911630