Quantitative Analysis of Wi-Fi in the Presence of Interferers

Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) based networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM band. This "unlicensed" band is crowded by other wireless devices like baby monitors, Bluetooth based devices, and cordless phones. Microwave Ovens (MWO) are particularly popular unintentional transmitters that also operate in this band. This paper discusses a research focused on quantitatively analyzing the effects of various interferers on Wi- Fi based on metrics such as average data rates, number of packets transmitted, total power, retry rate and CRC error rate. This analysis will be a key element in designing and comparing various interference mitigation mechanisms in Wi-Fi and implementing restrictions on proprietary devices.