Distributed Multi-Interface Multi-Channel Random Access

The aggregate capacity of wireless ad-hoc networks can be substantially increased if each wireless node is equipped with multiple network interface cards (NICs) and each NIC operates over a distinct orthogonal frequency channel. Most of the recently proposed channel assignment algorithms are based on formulating combinatorial channel assignment problems. The key is to assign exactly one frequency channel to each NIC. However, combinatorial channel assignment models may result in computationally complicated algorithms as well as inefficient utilization of the available frequency spectrum. In this paper, we revisit channel assignment problem by formulating a novel continuous multi-interface multi-channel random access model. This includes elaborate modeling of the link data rates for various multi-interface multi-channel networking scenarios. We then propose a fast, fully distributed and easy to implement multi- interface multi-channel random access algorithm. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm significantly outperforms combinatorial channel assignment algorithms in terms of achieved network utility and aggregate network throughput.