Cross-Layer Assisted Network Interface Selection for Multi-Interface Video Streaming

Abstract

Multi-homing is expected to be an important enabler of the future Internet. Already today, terminal devices are equipped with multiple network interfaces and able to use them simultaneously. In the future, mobile multimedia services such as video streaming can maximize the user experienced quality by utilizing the available network resources, concurrently. However, intelligent decision-making as well as dynamic mapping of traffic to network interfaces are required for optimal operation. In this paper, we propose a dynamic cross-layer communication assisted network interface selection solution for a multi-interface streaming system designed for scalable video streams. We also present a prototype implementation and verify its operation in an experimental evaluation.