Cross-layer interaction study on IEEE 802.11e in wireless ad hoc networks

The cross-layer design recently has attracted much research interests to break the traditional network layering norm. However, it is vital to justify the need for understanding cross-layer interaction first before embarking on a cross-layer design. This is because a design without in-depth consideration can easily lead to unwanted interactions, leading to poor network performance. The past research on design of new routing protocols or MAC protocols have been done independently. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of cross-layer interaction between the network layer and some lower layers, e.g. MAC layer and physical layer through the use of a simple experiment. Particularly, our study is on the wireless network based on IEEE 802.11e. Through our study, we highlight the necessity of considering cross-layer dependency when designing new protocols and introduce the possibility cross-layer design in wireless ad hoc network.