On Efficient Airtime-based Fair Link Scheduling in IEEE 802.11-based Wireless Networks

In this paper, we present the Airtime Deficit Round Robin (ADRR), a novel scheduling algorithm for IEEE 802.11-based wireless networks. The ADRR mechanism enhances the Deficit Round Robin scheduling discipline by taking into account the channel quality experienced by the transmitting node. The devised algorithm addresses the IEEE 802.11 performance anomaly, preventing a node which experiences poor channel conditions from monopolizing the wireless medium, lowering the performance of the whole system. The proposed approach combines link scheduling with measurable routing metrics. Simulation analyses have shown that the proposed scheme can achieve performance isolation among links characterized by heterogeneous channel conditions. A real prototype has been implemented and evaluated over a small scale testbed confirming the simulation results.