Technical Insights Futuretech Alert www.frost.

com

FUTURETECH ALERT

Use of this information is determined by license agreement; any unauthorized use is prohibited.
© 2008, Frost & Sullivan
Technical Insights Futuretech Alert www.frost.com

TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF ROUTING AND RELAYING PACKETS IN

MULTI-HOP RELAY NETWORKS FROM TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS,
RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY SERVICES

The classical problem of routing and relaying packets through multi-hop relay
networks has been examined extensively. Contention-based medium access schemes
such as carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) have been
regarded as the solution to the problem. However, contention-based schemes have the
two shortcomings. Firstly, these schemes are plagued with problems leading to dismal
bandwidth utilization. Secondly, as the number of nodes in the network increases, the
probability of collisions increases along with the number of nodes or MSs resulting in
degradation of end-to-end delay performance.
The above mentioned issues have lead to demands for an access scheme that is
better suited for multi-hop relay networks. To address these demands, Ahmed Bader,
a researcher at Technology Analysis, Research and Consultancy services (TARCS)
headquartered at Amman, Jordan, has developed a cross-layer relaying scheme
designed specifically for multi-hop relay networks. The proposed scheme utilizes an
orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based PHY. The use of OFDM
enables a receiving node to tolerate multiple copies of the same packet arriving at
different delays. Thus, it is possible for multiple nodes to send the same packet
simultaneously without exchanging medium control messages.
For a receiving node to properly decode the incoming signal copies, they need
to be synchronized to a common clock reference. It has been shown by the researcher
that the relaying process itself facilitates synchronization of the node clocks. This
enables the receiver to properly lock to the incoming signal set. The scheme also
features the utilization of location information. Location information can be used by
nodes to make their own relaying decisions thus enabling them to be self-sufficient.
Before a node relays a packet, it analyzes the location information of the packet
Technical Insights Futuretech Alert www.frost.com

source and destination. Using the collected information, the node decides whether to
forward the packet or not. Consequently, no coordination is required among nodes
relaying a given packet.
The researcher has also recommended solutions for most frequently
encountered problems in multi-hop relay networks. For handling multiple packets in
the network, he has suggested that an off-the-shelf carrier sense algorithm can be
used. Whenever a node prepares to send a packet, it examines the wireless medium to
check whether another packet is being relayed in the nearby vicinity. If that is the
case, the node backs off from transmitting the packet. This helps in controlling the co-
channel interference in the network.
The location information for making relaying decisions at nodes is collected
using global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers. As GPS equipments consume large
amounts of power, the researcher has recommended an alternative. Instead of using
location information, the average number of hops a relay is away from the destination
is calculated. A node, after calculation, forwards a packet only if it is closer to the
destination than all relays of the previous hop. This alternative is still under research
and is expected to be more efficient than the location information-based methodology.
Multiple antennas at nodes are expected to improve the overall performance of
the network. Nodes can be equipped with two-element antenna arrays in order to
mitigate co-channel and co-packet interference. The mobility of the nodes also poses
as a problem in multi-hop relay networks. The researcher says that mobility of nodes
can be handled efficiently as long as packet durations are short relative to the velocity
of nodes.
Talking to Technical Insights, Ahmed Bader said, "The research work can be
utilized to create a practical framework, which service providers can use to roll out
their multi-hop relay networks." In multi-hop relay networks, the cooperation between
subscribers can enhance the possibility of accurate delivery of packets within the
network. The future of multi-hop networks could get exciting if the researchers would
Technical Insights Futuretech Alert www.frost.com

develop a framework that enables service providers to achieve two important

objectives. The first objective is to encourage customer buy-in of service. This is
imperative as node density is very important in multi-hop networks. A low-node
density may cause a multi-hop network to be disconnected. It also affects the
efficiency of the relaying process. The second objective is to prevent greedy customer
behavior by encouraging fair cooperation among subscribers to achieve fair billing.
If the aforementioned objectives are met, the service provider can attain many
benefits. Most importantly, the service provider can achieve a better coverage
footprint as the clientele grows. Apart from that, CapEx can be reduced as the MS
themselves act as relays. This would strongly improve the chances of an inexpensive
infrastructural setup for various applications. Ahmed has two patents to his credit.