A Comparison of Wireless Node Topologies for Network Coding Using Practical Path-Loss Models

In this paper, we discuss the physical arrangement of wireless nodes to form topologies suitable for the implementation of Network Coding. Boundaries for the most favorable placement of the nodes to form Bow-Tie and Butterfly network coding suitable topologies, are mathematically calculated with a log-distance model. Simulations in OPNET Modeler were conducted with these node positions in mind, in order to verify the practicality of implementing network coding in these two network topologies. We provide results indicating the trade-off between reduced network load and higher end-to-end delay for the Bow-Tie topology, while the Butterfly topology only experience gains with no trade-off. These positive results indicate that implementation of the simulated topologies will be valuable for future research.