Title :
Delay Characterization of Cable Access Networks
Author :
Barakat, Neil ; Darcie, Thomas E.
Author_Institution :
Victoria Univ., BC
fDate :
4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
This letter presents a detailed characterization of the transmission delay in cable modem (CM) access networks. We analyze data obtained from measurements on operational access networks, examining both a moderately-loaded and a heavily-loaded CM network. We find that the medium access control algorithm used in CM networks results in a multimodal delay distribution, with measured delays clustered around a few discrete values. In the heavily-loaded CM network, a significant fraction of packets experienced delays that were multiple times larger than the average. The results imply that mean delay is a poor metric for measuring the performance of CM networks, especially when the network is heavily loaded
Keywords :
access protocols; delays; modems; subscriber loops; telecommunication cables; cable modem access network; heavily-loaded CM network; medium access control algorithm; moderately-loaded CM network; transmission delay characterization; Access protocols; Bandwidth; Communication cables; Delay effects; Hybrid fiber coaxial cables; Internet telephony; Jitter; Media Access Protocol; Modems; Power cables;
Journal_Title :
Communications Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LCOM.2007.348300