Multi-packet communication in 802.11 networks by spatial reuse: From theory to protocol

This paper analyzes the performance of an 802.11 network in which spatial reuse enables the simultaneous coexistence of multiple asynchronous communications between different node pairs. This scenario, defined multi-packet communication (MPC), is theoretically investigated by deriving the capture probability for the single communication and by evaluating the network throughput using a Markov chain approach. The mechanisms introduced in the analysis for MPC operations enable the development of an improved version of the 802.11 access scheme, whose performance is evaluated using a reliable simulation platform. The main purpose of this study is to directly compare the throughput obtained from the completely theoretical analysis of an MPC scenario with that obtained from a protocol implementation, discussing some issues related to the accuracy of the collision model in realistic network topologies.