Influence of header compression on link layer adaptation in IEEE 802.11b

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are becoming increasingly popular aiming to play an important role in integration towards 3G/4G solution. Due to the wireless nature of the links, WLANs exhibit time and location dependent errors. Adaptivity to such conditions in future generation pervasive communication is a key issue. This paper analyzes the link layer techniques, with emphasis on header compression, in an IEEE802.11b environment. Applying adaptivity to these techniques can significantly improve the throughput performance and enhance the overall system behaviour.