IEEE 802.11a, 802.11e and HiperLAN/2 Goodput Performance Comparison in Real Radio Conditions

Abstract

A MAC performance comparison between IEEE 802.11 a, 802.11e and HiperLAN/2 WLAN standards is presented integrating both physical layer rate adaptation and retransmission mechanisms. Some simulations of the different MAC and error control layers have been conducted using a binary error pattern captured from an actual OFDM modem instead of an error model. The performance is evaluated by assessing the maximum total goodput provided by the systems in typical radio environments. Finally, an analysis of the results establishes the conditions in which the mechanisms specific to each protocol become profitable.