A Cross-Layer Adaptive Algorithm for Multimedia QoS Fairness in WLAN Environments Using Neural Networks

The authors address the problem of providing fair multimedia Quality-of-Service (QoS) in IEEE 802.11 distributed co-ordination function-based wireless local area networks in the infrastructure mode where mobile hosts experience heterogeneous channel conditions due to mobility and fading effects. It was observed that unequal link qualities can pose significant unfairness of channel sharing, which may thereby lead to the degradation of multimedia QoS performed in adverse conditions. A cross-layer adaptation scheme that provides fair QoS by online adjusting the multidimensional medium access control layer back-off parameters in accordance with the application-layer QoS requirements as well as the physical-layer channel conditions was proposed.