Bit-rate selection in wireless networks

Abstract

This thesis evaluates bit-rate selection techniques to maximize throughput over wireless links that are capable of multiple bit-rates. The key challenges in bit-rate selection are determining which bit-rate provides the most throughput and knowing when to switch to another bit-rate that would provide more throughput. This thesis presents the SampleRate bit-rate selection algorithm. SampleRate sends most data packets at the bit-rate it believes will provide the highest throughput. SampleRate periodically sends a data packet at some other bit-rate in order to update a record of that bit-rate's loss rate. SampleRate switches to a different bit-rate if the throughput estimate based on the other bit-rate's recorded loss rate is higher than the current bit-rate's throughput. Measuring the loss rate of each supported bit-rate would be inefficient because sending packets at lower bit-rates could waste transmission time, and because successive unicast losses are time-consuming for bit-rates that do not work. SampleRate addresses this problem by only sampling at bit-rates whose lossless throughput is better than the current bit-rate's throughput. SampleRate also stops probing at a bit-rate if it experiences several successive losses. This thesis presents measurements from indoor and outdoor wireless networks that demonstrate that SampleRate performs as well or better than other bit-rate selection algorithms.

(cont.) SampleRate performs better than other algorithms on links where all bit-rates suffer from significant loss.