Rate adaptation in ad hoc networks based on pricing

Abstract

Nodes in ad hoc networks are autonomous and selfconfiguring with no form of centralized administration such that nodes are free to selfishly optimize their individual utilities without considering utilities of other network users. This compels users to transmit at high power leading to abnormal interference in the network hence degrades network performance (i.e. low data rates, loss of connectivity among others). In this paper, the authors propose rate adaptation based on pricing (RAP) algorithm that incorporates penalty (pricing) obtruded to users’ choices of transmission parameters to curb the self-interest behaviour. Therefore users determine their data rates and transmit power based on the perceived coupled interference at the intended receiver and the network cost charged by other network users. The proposed rate adaptation RAP is formulated as a network utility maximization (NUM) problem based on coupled interference minimization and solved using reverse engineering satisfying Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves network performance compared to the legacy 802.11 standard.