Typical coverage and capacity of multi-cell wireless LANs

In this publication we analyze the coverage and capacity that can be expected in a multi-cell WLAN network in urban areas. The analysis involves both co-channel interference (CCI) and adjacent channel interference (ACI), in addition to the Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) mechanism in the receivers. The effect of ACI is also illustrated by measurements. It is a well know fact that the throughput of WLANs is considerably lower than the data rate modes that may be up to 54 Mbps. The combined effect of CCI, ACI and the CCA mechanism on the coverage and capacity in multi-cell networks is much less explored and quantified. Comparing with the mono-cell case, the analysis in this paper shows how the throughput per area is significantly reduced using only one frequency channel and having continuous multi-cell coverage. Using multiple frequency channels, the ACI will prevent full exploitation of the extra frequency resources.Upprättat; 2006; 20080924 (elkotob