MIMO host location optimisation in active access-point configuration algorithm for elastic WLAN system

Abstract

Recently, a wireless local-area networks (WLANs) has become prevalent around the world due to the low-cost and flexible internet access by wireless communications between user hosts and access points (APs) in the network. Previously, we proposed the active AP configuration algorithm for the elastic WLAN system that dynamically optimises the network configuration by activating/deactivating APs and assigning the channels and associated hosts depending on network situations. However, it assumed that only single-input-single-output (SISO) links are used, although multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) links have become popular for fast communications. Currently, most commercial APs can use MIMO, while a subset of hosts can use it, referred as MIMO hosts in this paper. Then, by optimising the locations of MIMO hosts, the performance of the network is expected to be improved. In this paper, we present the MIMO host location optimisation as the extension of the active AP configuration algorithm. Through simulations in two network topologies using the WIMNET simulator, the throughput improvements by this proposal are confirmed.