An access method using fixed backoff for wireless LANs

In a wireless LAN, since two or more terminals randomly access a signal channel, frame collisions might occur. Under the standard IEEE 802.11 protocol, to avoid collisions, each terminal sets a random backoff before frame transmission. Although this measure avoids collisions, it results in useless standby duration and low throughput. To solve that problem, this paper proposes a media access method which has a fixed backoff after a successful transmission. It is shown by simulation that the proposed method reduces frame collisions and improves throughput. Furthermore, our method reduces the frame loss probability and the file transfer delay. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 173(3): 30–39, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21044