Energy efficiency modelling for IEEE 802.11a distribution coordination function system without finite retry limits

Abstract

Use of IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) as an extension to existing wired networks, offering both mobility and portability in a residential or office environment, is growing at an unprecedented rate. One of the critical limitations of current WLANs is the limited energy storage of mobile devices, and the design of energy-efficient protocols for WLANs has therefore become an area of intensive research. An analytical framework to study the energy consumption and energy efficiency of IEEE 802.11a WLANs is proposed. The energy consumption by considering the interactions between IEEE 802.11a PHY and MAC layers is modelled. Simulation results demonstrate that the theoretical model is accurate in predicting the energy efficiency over a wide range of scenarios. In addition, the effects of different PHY and MAC layer parameters on energy efficiency of IEEE 802.11a WLANs are investigated, as are the effects of different parameters on energy efficiency.