Analysis of IEEE 802.11e Line Topology Scenarios in the Presence of Hidden Nodes

摘要

In this paper an innovative simulation study of five IEEE 802.11e network configurations is presented. The conducted analysis is crucial for understanding how a theoretically simple and, most of all, popular line topology network can be degraded by the presence of hidden and exposed nodes. The discussion of the obtained results helps to understand how and why the behavior of IEEE 802.11e based line topologies changes when the number of nodes increases. Furthermore, the usefulness of the four-way handshake mechanism is argued. Finally, the need for a better MAC protocol is stressed and a number of novel conclusions about the IEEE 802.11e nature is provided.