Enhanced bandwidth allocation for TCP flows in WiMAX networks

Eun Chan Park, Chunyu Hu, Hwangnam Kim

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

    Abstract

    In this paper,we propose a bidirectional bandwidth-allocation mechanism to improve TCP performance in the IEEE 802.16 WiMAX networks. According to the IEEE 802.16 standard, when serving a downlink TCP flow, the transmission of the uplink ACK, which is performed over a separate unidirectional connection, incurs additional bandwidth-request/allocation delay. Thus, it increases the round trip time of the downlink TCP flow and results in the decrease of throughput accordingly. First, we derive an analytical model to investigate the effect of the uplink bandwidth-request/allocation delay on the downlink TCP throughput. Second, we propose a simple, yet effective, bidirectional bandwidth-allocation mechanism that couples the bandwidth allocation for uplink and downlink connections by using either proactive bandwidth allocation or piggyback bandwidth request. The proposed scheme reduces unnecessary bandwidth-request delay and the relevant signaling overhead due to proactive allocation; meanwhile, it maintains high efficiency of uplink bandwidth usage by using piggyback request. Moreover, our proposed scheme is quite simple and practical; it can be simply implemented in the base station without requiring any modification in the subscriber stations or resorting to any cross-layer signaling mechanisms. The simulation results ascertain that the proposed approach significantly increases the downlink TCP throughput and the uplink bandwidth efficiency.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationQuality of Service in Heterogeneous Networks - 6th Int. ICST Conference on Heterogeneous Networking for Quality, Reliability, Security and Robustness, QShine 2009 and AAA-IDEA 2009, Proceedings
    Pages363-379
    Number of pages17
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009
    Event6th International ICST Conference on Heterogeneous Networking for Quality, Reliability, Security and Robustness, QShine 2009 and 3rd International Workshop on Advanced Architectures and Algorithms for Internet Delivery and Applications, AAA-IDEA 2009 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Italy
    Duration: 2009 Nov 232009 Nov 25

    Publication series

    NameLecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
    Volume22 LNICST
    ISSN (Print)1867-8211

    Other

    Other6th International ICST Conference on Heterogeneous Networking for Quality, Reliability, Security and Robustness, QShine 2009 and 3rd International Workshop on Advanced Architectures and Algorithms for Internet Delivery and Applications, AAA-IDEA 2009
    Country/TerritoryItaly
    CityLas Palmas de Gran Canaria
    Period09/11/2309/11/25

    Keywords

    • Bandwidth request & allocation
    • IEEE 802.16e MAC
    • TCP performance

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Computer Networks and Communications

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