MiFi: A Framework for Fairness and QoS Assurance in Current IEEE 802.11 Networks with Multiple Access Points

In this paper we present a system for supporting fairness in IEEE 802.11 MAC layer while maintaining the overall throughput. The issue of fairness becomes critical as IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN are widely deployed in nationwide networks linking tens of thousands of "hot-spots" for the purpose of providing both real-time (voice) and non real-time (data) services to a large population of mobile users. Our scheme for providing fairness is motivated by the observed "best-effort" behavior of the 802.11 MAC layer, which is characterized by starvation of individual users and unfair allocation of resources, hampering its ability to support any kind of QoS guarantees.