IEEE 802.11e EDCA Under Bursty Traffic—How Much TXOP Can Improve Performance

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze an IEEE 802.11e enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) based single-hop ad hoc network under bursty traffic addressing all four differentiation parameters. We investigate the performance of the network considering both nonsaturation and saturation regimes under an error-prone channel. We develop an accurate analytical model for the network and validate it with a simulation model. Our results indicate that adjusting the transmission opportunity (TXOP) limit in accordance with the burst size distribution can considerably improve the performance of the network and the burst delay, which is an important parameter for the application. Although large TXOP allocations improve the medium utilization and extend the stability region of the network, serious unfairness and security concerns due to the possibility of denial of service attacks may arise. The results also show that under bursty traffic, the TXOP limit can play an important role in helping the lower priority classes avoid starvation.