Adaptable Link Quality Estimation for Multi Data Rate Communication Networks

QoS-sensitive applications transmitted over wireless links require precise knowledge of the wireless environment. However, the dynamic nature of wireless channel, together with its different configurations and types, makes so called link quality estimation (LQE) a difficult task. This paper looks into the design of an accurate and fast LQE method for a multi data rate environment. We investigate the impact of various conditions on the LQE accuracy. In result, two different link quality estimation sources, i.e., based on hello packet delivery ratio and signal strength, are measured and their performances are compared. We find that these two methods are not always accurate. As an improvement we propose an adaptive LQE method that chooses different LQE indicators depending on the wireless environment. The performance of the proposed method is verified via an extensive measurement campaign.