Abstract
This paper investigates performance impairments due to constraints
imposed by the MAC layer when single-mode fiber (SMF) is used to extend the
reach of an IEEE 802.11 network. It is shown that data throughput decreases
as fiber length increases. It is also noted that the network fails long before
physical layer limitations set in due to the timeout values defined within
the MAC protocol. This study is based on both variants of the IEEE 802.11
Distributed Coordination Function. Moreover, both UDP and TCP packet transmissions
are taken into account. An experimental enquiry is initially developed to
provide a set of validation points before extending these results by simulations
using the OPNET platform. Finally, an analytical approximation is presented
to these results that allows designers of Radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems to
quickly and accurately predict the data throughput given the specific parameters
of their network. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of this kind
for a long reach fiber system.
© 2008 IEEE
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