In Wireless mesh networks mesh access points (MAPs) forward traffic wirelessly towards users or Internet gateways. A user device usually connects to the MAP with the strongest signal, as such MAP should guarantee the best quality of service. However, this connection policy may lead to: (i) unfairness towards users that are distant from gateways; (ii) uneven distribution of users to MAPs; and (iii) inefficient use of network paths. We present a new model and solution approach to the problem of assigning users to MAPs and routing the data within the mesh network with the objective of providing max–min fair throughput. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming problem (MILP). Because of the inherent complexity of the problem, real size instances cannot be solved to optimality within the time limits for online optimization. Therefore, we propose an original heuristic solution algorithm for the resulting MILP. Both numerical comparisons and network simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic. For random networks, the heuristic achieves 98% of the optimal solution. Network simulations show that in medium-sized networks, the number of users with at least 1Mbit/s minimum end-to-end rate increases by 550% when compared with the classical signal-strength based association.

The coverage area of Access Points CAPS) in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) often overlaps considerably. Hence, a station can potentially associate with many APs. In traditional IEEE 802.11 systems, the station associates to the AP with the strongest signal. This strategy may result in load imbalance between APs and thus low overall network throughput. This paper proposes a new mechanism for selecting the "best" AP based on a novel available bandwidth estimation scheme. The available bandwidth provided by an AP depends mainly on the signal quality and the load on the wireless channel. Based on measurements we first analyze how those factors vary stochastically over time and motivate why a frequent estimation of available bandwidth is necessary. We then develop BEST-AP, a system for Bandwidth ESTimation of Access Points, which uses regular data traffic to estimate the available bandwidth from all APs in reach in a non-intrusive way, even if they are on a different channel. Based on OpenFlow, BEST-AP allows the station to be associated with multiple APs simultaneously and to switch between APs with low overhead. Using the available bandwidth estimates, the system exploits the "best" AP for longer duration while probing the less good APs for shorter durations to update the bandwidth estimations. The evaluation in a WLAN testbed shows that with background load created from real WLAN traces, the dynamic selection of APs improves the throughput of a station by around 81%, compared to a static selection. When the station is mobile, the throughput increases by 176% on average.

Packet/frame 'rebuffering' in wireless video streaming typically considers only connectivity from the mobile terminal to its network access point (AP). However, in the presence of multiple APs with the possibility of handoffs, the overall wireless environment should be considered. We develop a model capturing joint rebuffering & handoff dynamics in wireless video streaming, and design a new channel-aware joint rebuffering & handoff control scheme, aiming to minimize the long-run average cost of video jitters and freezes. We first characterize the optimal control in the general case of multiple wireless APs/channels and multiple states per channel. Subsequently, we evaluate the system performance in key important cases, using experimental traces of wireless channel data. We explore the relationship between optimal rebuffering thresholds and overall channel dynamics, and evaluate the associated joint handoff control. The performance results demonstrate the importance of jointly managing rebuffering and handoff controls to achieve high-performance wireless video streaming.

The IEEE 802.11 standard defines the different bit rates and modulation schemes to which a WLAN device may adapt according to the channel quality. User mobility may also have an impact on the available bit rate. This paper presents a study of the bit rate evolution along time for devices that move according to the Random Waypoint mobility pattern in WLAN cells. Simulation has been applied in order to obtain statistical results that permit to characterize the evolution of the bit rate behavior along time and to compute average results in the ideal case (without interference) and in the presence of interfering devices. Our results can be useful in the solution of optimization problems in which decision on where to connect must be taken based on some minimum guaranteed bit rate. They also can be useful in the design of inter and intra-cell handover methods and load balancing schemes.

Future Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) with high carrier frequencies and wide channels need a dense deployment of Access Points (APs) to provide good performance. In densely deployed WLANs associations of stations and handovers need to be managed more intelligently than today.

This dissertation studies when and how a station should perform a handover and to which AP from a theoretical and a practical perspective. We formulate and solve optimization problems that allow to compute the optimal AP for each station in normal WLANs and WLANs connected via a wireless mesh backhaul. Moreover, we propose to use software defined networks and the OpenFlow protocol to optimize station associations, handovers and traffic rates. Furthermore, we develop new mechanisms to estimate the quality  of a link  between a station and an AP. Those mechanisms allow optimization algorithms to make better decisions about when to initiate a handover. Since handovers in today’s WLANs are slow and may disturb real-time applications such as video streaming, a faster procedure is developed in this thesis.

Evaluation results from wireless testbeds and network simulations show that our architectures and algorithms significantly increase the performance of WLANs, while they are backward compatible at the same time.