Network Coding in Wireless Queueing Networks: Tandem Network Case

In this paper, we compare the effects of the saturated and possibly emptying packet queues on wireless network coding (or plain routing as a special case) in a simple tandem network. We consider scheduled or random access with omnidirectional transmissions and assume the classical collision channel model without simultaneous transmission and reception by any node. For the case of multiple source nodes, we evaluate the multicast throughput rates jointly achievable by different source-destination pairs under the separate assumptions of network coding and plain routing only. Particularly, we specify the throughput region for saturated queues and stability region for possibly emptying queues. We also evaluate the fundamental trade-offs among the performance objectives of throughput and transmission and processing energy costs. Finally, we extend the analysis to non-cooperative network operation with selfish nodes competing for limited network resources. We point at the inefficiency of competitive medium access control and network coding (or plain routing) decisions at individual nodes, and introduce a pricing-based cooperation stimulation mechanism to improve the throughput and energy efficiency performance