Throughput Measurements and Empirical Prediction Models for IEEE 802.11b Wireless LAN (WLAN) Installations

Typically a wireless LAN infrastructure is designed and installed by Networking professionals. These individuals are extremely familiar with wired networks, but are often unfamiliar with wireless networks. Thus, Wireless LAN installations are currently handicapped by the lack of an accurate, performance prediction model that is intuitive for use by non-wireless professionals. To provide a solution to this problem, this thesis presents a method of predicting the expected wireless LAN throughput using a site-specific model of an indoor environment. In order to develop this throughput prediction model, two wireless LAN throughput measurement products, LANFielder and SiteSpy, were created. These two products, which are patent pending, allow site-specific network performance measurements to be made. These two software packages were used to conduct an extensive measurement campaign to evaluate the performance of two IEEE 802.11b access points (APs) under ideal, multiuser, and interference scenarios. The data from this measurement campaign was then used to create empirically based throughput prediction models. The resulting models were first developed using RSSI measurements and then confirmed using predicted signal strength parameters.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Henty, Benjamin E.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Rappaport, Theodore S.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Midkiff, Scott F.
• Tranter, William H.
• Besieris, Ioannis M.

• throughput measurement
• throughput prediction
• IEEE 802.11b
• wireless LAN
• RSSI measurement

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08142001-172523

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34522