A dynamic radio resource management technique for multiple APs in WLANs

As more and more wireless LANs are deployed in many popular locations, there is a need for dynamic radio resource management (RRM) schemes. This paper proposes a new dynamic RRM technique for multiple APs network. First, we develop a real-time algorithm to estimate the number of active stations from the standpoint of an AP, instead of a station. Second, we propose a dynamic RRM algorithm that not only significantly increases network performance but also reduces the co-channel interference. Third, we find the optimal switching probability that minimizes the transient time for an AP to reach its equilibrium state. For uniform traffic conditions, our scheme produces classical optimal frequency assignments. For non-uniform traffic conditions, it produces sub-optimal frequency assignments. Our simulations have shown that the proposed RRM technique adapts to dynamic network conditions and increases the channel throughput up to 65% in less than 20 iterations. The results can be applied to practical WLANs to significantly improve network performance.