A Multicriteria Decision-Making Framework for Access Point Selection in Hybrid LiFi/WiFi Networks Using Integrated...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Telecommunications

Background:

• Hybrid Light Fidelity (LiFi) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) networks offer potential for enhanced wireless performance.
• Increasing user numbers and mobility in wireless networks lead to congestion and degraded quality of service (QoS).
• Existing access point assignment (APA) methods struggle with dynamic criteria like mobility and line-of-sight (LOS) blockage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel access point assignment (APA) framework for hybrid LiFi/WiFi networks using multicriteria decision-making (MCDM).
• To address the complexities of conflicting criteria, weights, and priorities in APA for improved system performance.
• To investigate the impact of various criteria on APA and enhance the quality of service (QoS) in hybrid networks.

Main Methods:

• Formulated the APA problem as a hierarchical multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem.
• Employed the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine subjective weights of criteria based on expert judgment.
• Utilized the VIekriteri-Jumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR) method for optimal access point selection, integrating AHP weights.

Main Results:

• The integrated AHP-VIKOR approach effectively solved the APA problem by simultaneously considering weighted criteria.
• The proposed framework demonstrated superior performance in user assignment compared to methods treating criteria equally.
• Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness and effectiveness of the AHP-VIKOR approach for hybrid network APA.

Conclusions:

• The MCDM-based APA framework offers a significant advancement for hybrid LiFi/WiFi networks.
• This approach provides a more accurate and efficient solution for dynamic access point selection, enhancing QoS.
• The study opens new perspectives for research in network selection within hybrid wireless environments.