NICER - a distributed wireless MAC protocol for mobile ad hoc networks

In this paper, we propose a new medium access control (MAC) protocol, called the neighborhood information with class estimation and invited-reservation (NICER). The goals of the NICER MAC protocol aims to: (1) meet quality of service (QoS) requirements for real-time traffic, (2) avoid using central controller, and (3) be immune to the hidden node problem. Compared to the IEEE 802.11e QoS enhancement protocol, the NICER protocol is more suitable in mobile ad hoc wireless networks (MANET) because the proposed invited-reservation procedure can replace the hybrid coordinator used in the IEEE 802.11e. Through the NS-2 simulations, we find that the NICER MAC protocol can avoid using any central controller, while maintaining the same performance of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN.