11 - Performance Modeling and Analysis over Medium Access Control Layer Wireless Channels

Abstract

This chapter discusses the performance modeling and analysis over medium access control (MAC) layer wireless channels. Wireless networks suffer from frequent bit errors because of their vulnerability to interference and transmission medium degradation. Errors not corrected by a wireless physical layer propagate to the medium access control layer. Corrupted packets with bit errors are generally detected and dropped using a MAC layer checksum at a wireless receiver. Because users have little or no control over the hardware-based wireless physical layer, MAC layer bit errors constitute the higher layers' view of the wireless channel. Moreover, wireless standards generally adapt the physical layer to cater for new requirements, but the MAC and higher layers remain unchanged. There has been significant research interest in analysis of wireless MAC layer packet losses and bit errors. An accurate model of the MAC layer channel can render important insights into the underlying characteristics of an impairment random process.