Performance Analysis of the IEEE 802.11ax MAC Protocol for Heterogeneous Wi-Fi Networks in Non-Saturated Conditions

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• The IEEE 802.11ax standard, utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), is crucial for future high-demand Wi-Fi systems.
• Existing performance analyses of 802.11ax have limitations, particularly in evaluating access delay and the impact of legacy nodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel analytical framework for the IEEE 802.11ax MAC protocol.
• To address the limitations of existing studies by considering non-saturated traffic and network heterogeneity.

Main Methods:

• Development of Markov-chain-based models to represent 802.11ax node behavior.
• Inclusion of non-saturated traffic conditions and co-existence with legacy nodes in the models.
• Validation through analytical methods and MATLAB simulations.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework accurately evaluates throughput and delay performance.
• The model effectively captures the behavior of 802.11ax nodes under various network conditions.
• Performance analysis considers both saturated and non-saturated traffic scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The developed analytical framework provides a robust method for evaluating IEEE 802.11ax network performance.
• The study highlights the importance of considering access delay and legacy node interference.
• The model serves as a valuable tool for understanding and optimizing future Wi-Fi systems.