MAC Protocols for IEEE 802.11ax: Avoiding Collisions on Dense Networks

Wireless networks have become the main form of Internet access. Statistics show that the global mobile Internet penetration should exceed 70% until 2019. Wi-Fi is an important player in this change. Founded on IEEE 802.11, this technology has a crucial impact in how we share broadband access both in domestic and corporate networks. However, recent works have indicated performance issues in Wi-Fi networks, mainly when they have been deployed without planning and under high user density. Hence, different collision avoidance techniques and Medium Access Control protocols have been designed in order to improve Wi-Fi performance. Analyzing the collision problem, this work strengthens the claims found in the literature about the low Wi-Fi performance under dense scenarios. Then, in particular, this article overviews the MAC protocols used in the IEEE 802.11 standard and discusses solutions to mitigate collisions. Finally, it contributes presenting future trends in MAC protocols. This assists in foreseeing expected improvements for the next generation of Wi-Fi devices.