Enhancing MPTCP performance in wireless networks with PRS-MPTCP

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increasing demand for wireless networks, particularly mobile communication. Additionally, smart devices like mobile phones and tablets are able to use multiple interfaces simultaneously. In this regard, the concept of Multipath TCP (MPTCP) has been introduced, enabling the utilization of multiple interfaces for concurrent communication. However, packet loss and subflow heterogeneity, especially in wireless networks, cause an increase in Out-of-Order (OfO) packets at the receiver node, which leads to a decrease in the total MPTCP throughput. To address these performance-related challenges, numerous schedulers have been proposed. However, most existing methods have primarily focused on improving performance without adequately considering the impact of packet loss. This research paper provides a comprehensive overview of MPTCP schedulers. Subsequently, we propose a Practical and Robust Scheduler for MPTCP (PRS-MPTCP) with the specific aim of minimizing OfO packets to improve MPTCP performance in wireless systems. The PRS-MPTCP scheduler takes into account various characteristics of each subflow, including RTT, CWND, and the number of packet losses, to effectively decide which packets should be assigned to which subflow. By using Mininet-WiFi emulation, fair comparisons between PRS-MPTCP and the state-of-the-art schedulers have been conducted, considering throughput, the number of OfO packets, and retransmission rates as performance metrics. The evaluation results reveal the profound impact of selected parameters on the behavior of the schedulers and the overall performance of MPTCP. Ultimately, the results demonstrate that PRS-MPTCP guarantees acceptable throughput and achieves lower retransmission rates and fewer OfO packets compared to other methods. In the PRS-MPTCP, the number of OfO packets has decreased by 38 %, 37 %, 45 %, and 44 % compared to BLEST, ECF, RR, and the Default scheduler, respectively.