RMAC: an autoadapting CSMA-TDMA access protocol

This thesis presents a new MAC protocol for 802.11 wireless networks named RMAC (RegionMAC). RMAC is an access protocol that evolves automatically between CSMA and TDMA depending on the traffic load and the number of contending nodes of an 802.11 network. CSMA is a contention based protocol and performs better under low contending nodes number conditions but it suffers low performance when the contending nodes are many. TDMA instead is a time division access method, it is well performing when there are many nodes contending for the channel and suffers under the opposite condition. RMAC provides a substantial improvement of single node and overall network throughput by taking advantage of both the access methods using a single protocol auto-adapting to networks conditions. To support this thesis the results of tests done with ns2 simulator are provided. The results show the improvements compared to classical CSMA access method