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Performance Modeling of an Integrated Wireless Network Using WiMAX as Backhaul Support for WiFi Traffic

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Abstract

We propose an analytic model for an integrated wireless network using WiMAX as backhaul support for WiFi traffic and evaluate the system performance. A unique feature for the proposed model is that the WiFi traffic completely reflects the realistic user mobility. A WiFi call can be overflowed to its overlaid WiMAX cell when it is rejected at the WiFi cell; a WiFi call may also work for some period of time in the WiFi cell and then make a vertical handoff to its overlaid WiMAX cell when it wants to move from its current WiFi cell (e.g., office) to its target WiFi cell (e.g., airport). Further, the target WiFi cell may be located at another place in the same WiMAX cell, or at a different WiMAX cell. We use Markov processes to model the dynamics of the WiMAX traffic and WiFi traffic including the overflowed WiFi traffic, the vertical handoff WiFi traffic, the horizontal handoff WiFi traffic, and the take-back WiFi traffic. We derive the explicit expressions of various traffic arrival rates and performance metrics and analyze the performance improvement of the WiFi traffic and the impact on the WiMAX traffic due to backhaul support. Numerical results are provided for further understanding of the gain and loss of the integrated architecture.

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Notes

  1. Strictly speaking, the handoff, overflow, and take-back arrival processes may not be exactly Poisson processes because some correlations exist among the call types. Here we approximate them as Poisson for tractable analysis.

Abbreviations

N:

Number of WiFi cells overlaid by a WiMAX cell

CM (Cm):

Number of channels in each WiMAX (WiFi) cell

CA (Cs):

Number of channels allowed for new WiMAX calls (switched WiFi calls) in a WiMAX cell

λmn :

Arrival rate of initiating WiFi users in a WiFi cell

λmo :

Overflow rate of WiFi calls to a WiMAX cell from all its associated WiFi cells

λmv :

Vertical handoff rate of WiFi users to a WiMAX cell from its associated WiFi cells

λmw :

Horizontal handoff rate of WiFi users to a WiMAX cell

λmt :

Take-back rate of WiFi users from an overlaid WiMAX cell to a WiFi cell

λMn (λMh):

New (handoff) call arrival rate of WiMAX users in a WiMAX cell

h1 (h2):

The rate of the unencumbered call holding time of WiMAX (WiFi) users

r1 :

Cell residence time of WiMAX users in a WiMAX cell

r21 (r22):

Cell residence time of WiFi users in a WiMAX (WiFi) cell

μ1 :

Channel holding time of WiMAX users in a WiMAX cell

μ21 (μ22):

Channel holding time of WiFi users in a WiMAX (WiFi) cell

P1n (P1h):

Blocking probability of new (handoff) WiMAX calls in a WiMAX cell

P2n :

Blocking probability of initiating WiFi calls in a WiFi cell

P2o :

Blocking probability of overflowed WiFi calls in a WiMAX cell

P2v :

Blocking probability of vertical handoff WiFi calls in a WiMAX cell

P2w :

Blocking probability of horizontal handoff WiFi calls in a WiMAX cell

P2t :

Blocking probability of take-back WiFi calls in a WiFi cell

B2n :

Blocking probability of initiating WiFi calls in the integrated architecture

\( TCT_{\text{total}}^{\text{integrated}} \) :

The expected number of total carried traffic by the integrated architecture

\( TCT_{\text{WiMAX}}^{\text{integrated}} \) :

The expected number of carried WiMAX traffic by the integrated architecture

\( TCT_{\text{WiMAX}}^{\text{pure}} \) :

The expected number of total carried traffic by a pure WiMAX cell

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  1. Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO, 64507, USA

    Shensheng Tang

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  1. Shensheng Tang
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Tang, S. Performance Modeling of an Integrated Wireless Network Using WiMAX as Backhaul Support for WiFi Traffic. Int J Wireless Inf Networks 19, 73–83 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10776-011-0157-x

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