Issues in packet radio network design

There are many design choices that must be made in the development of a packet radio network. There is usually no single correct choice, and the decisions are dependent on the environment that the network must work in, the requirements for performance and other functionalities, and the cost and other limitations, in addition, as new hardware and software technologies become available, the parameters governing the decisions change and often result in different selections. This paper outlines a number of design issues and choices available. The intent is to provide an overview of the design decisions that must be made so as to provide a context for the decisions made in a number of existing and developing packet radio networks. It is hoped that this will allow future designs to take advantage of both the wealth of experience available as well as new technologies. Three areas of design decisions are identified. The first area deals with the physical aspects of the network and concentrates on the radio connectivity and channel sharing. The second area deals with the automated management of the network and concentrates on issues such as link management and routing. The third area deals with the interface of the network to the users and some practical aspects of operating and maintaining a network.