Study of different CSMA/CA IEEE 802.11-based implementations
Miquel Oliver, Ana Escudero · 1999
In this work we present a model for the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol according to IEEE 802.11 standard, approved in June 1997, for Wireless Local Area Networks. The model has been developed using the simulation tool SES/Workbench. Our purpose is to analyze the access protocol performance in terms of available throughput, access delay and packet dropping. The evaluation has been done to make a comparison between the three physical specifications standardized: InfraRed (IR), Direct Spread Spectrum Sequence (DSSS), and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). In this work, we also have compared CSMA/CA performance versus CSMA/CD used in wired LANs that are based on IEEE802.3 standard. The results show different behavior for each implementation, due basically to the physical parameters specified for all three implementation. Using ideal propagation delay conditions, DSSS physical implementation shows the best throughput results while introducing more realistic conditions the results are not so clear.