Cross-layer design for wireless networks

Abstract

As the cellular and PCS world collides with wireless LANs and Internet-based packet data, new networking approaches will support the integration of voice and data on the composite infrastructure of cellular base stations and Ethernet-based wireless access points. This article highlights some of the past accomplishments and promising research avenues for an important topic in the creation of future wireless networks. We address the issue of cross-layer networking, where the physical and MAC layer knowledge of the wireless medium is shared with higher layers, in order to provide efficient methods of allocating network resources and applications over the Internet. In essence, future networks will need to provide "impedance matching" of the instantaneous radio channel conditions and capacity needs with the traffic and congestion conditions found over the packet-based world of the Internet. Furthermore, such matching will need to be coordinated with a wide range of particular applications and user expectations, making the topic of cross-layer networking increasingly important for the evolving wireless buildout.