Distributed Channel Assignment Algorithm for 802.11 Networks

We consider a WLAN network, which consists in a set of 802.11 access points (APs) in infrastructure mode. The problem to be solved consists in assigning a channel to each AP such that the total effective throughput is maximized. The solution proposed in this paper uses a distributed algorithm to solve this problem. One software agent manages one AP and is able to communicate with its neighbors in order to optimize the global effective throughput. Simulation experiments with different topologies have given very good results, even with very dense and large networks. Furthermore, comparison with optimal solutions on small networks has shown that the performance of the algorithm described in this paper is very close to optimality. Our solution is independent from service providers and can be applied to all 802.11 WLAN networks