Contention MAC Protocols Efficiency Testing in a Small Wireless Network

Medium access protocols are one of the most important issues in the network design. It can be seen especially while using contention protocols in wireless networks. For every protocol it is possible to evaluate its efficiency using probability calculus. However, it is interesting how these protocols behave in a practical network. To test the protocols efficiency, an experimental wireless network has been created. It consists of one control station (receiver) and three local stations, sending frames to the receiver. Several MAC protocols have been tested: Aloha, slotted Aloha, CSMA and MACA. The results, shown on the pictures, are similar to the theoretical results, although some differences can be observed