Modelling the desynchronisation of hidden nodes in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

An analytically solvable mathematical model is presented for an IEEE 802.11 network, where two terminals, both visible to an access point but not to each other, contend for the channel. This situation, known as the hidden node topology, has been identified as a key reason for the degradation of the protocol´s performance. It is shown that the renewal theory, the analytical tool used traditionally, is not suitable for this topology and a discrete time Markov chain is introduced for the modelling of the channel contention. The model permits the accurate computation of several key performance metrics and is in agreement with simulation results over a variety of scenarios.