Increasing VoIP Capacity on WiFi Networks through the Use of the FAIR Algorithm for MAC

As WiFi networks and IP telephony grow increasingly popular, the standard Distributed Control Function (DCF) MAC protocol in IEEE 802.11b, which is not designed to support realtime applications, has become a major hurdle in the effort to increase Voice over IP (VoIP) capacity. This work identifies the FAIR algorithm as a viable solution for increasing VoIP capacity in 802.11b networks, since it is aimed at providing a more balanced use of medium resources in infrastructure-based networks and it can be implemented by simply changing the MAC protocol at the Access Point only. Simulations using real traffic scenarios (including both VoIP and HTTP users) show VoIP capacity gains of 50% and more, and also provide an insight on the issues that may further accentuate the effectiveness of FAIR.