Reliable transport protocols such as TCP are tuned to perform well in traditional networks where packet losses occur mostly because of congestion. However, networks with wireless and other lossy links also suffer from significant non-congestion-related losses due to reasons such as bit errors and handoffs. TCP responds to all losses by invoking congestion control and avoidance algorithms, resulting in degraded end-to-end performance in wireless and lossy networks. In case of wired-wireless interaction (WLANs), the wireless link is assumed to be the last hop where most of the loss and delay occurs. Since the mobile host is adjacent to the wireless hops, it is obviously better equipped to obtain first-hand knowledge of the wireless links. In the paper, we proposed a mobile-host-centric transport protocol called MCP (Mobile-host Control Protocol) that is like TCP in its general behavior, but allows for better congestion control and loss recovery in mobile wireless networks. The MCP shifts most transport layer control policies to the mobile host side under all cases (mobile host is a sender or receiver, fixed or mobile, and so on). Therefore, mobile stations can make better transport layer control in time based on the condition of wireless link.

Date Published: 24 October 2005
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6011, Performance, Quality of Service, and Control of Next-Generation Communication and Sensor Networks III, 60110L (24 October 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.629817

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6011:
Performance, Quality of Service, and Control of Next-Generation Communication and Sensor Networks III
Mohammed Atiquzzaman; Sergey I. Balandin, Editor(s)