Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocols

Abstract

The medium access control (MAC) protocol serves a vital role in all networks in which communication is based on a broadcast (or multiaccess) channel. The MAC protocol is directly responsible for controlling access to the communication resources, subject to the technological constraints of the hardware. This article provides a taxonomy of MAC protocols, and then reviews some of the most important MAC protocols according to their method of sharing the medium since this best characterizes their operation.